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  • An Orchestra of Minorities

  • Written by: Chigozie Obioma
  • Narrated by: Chukwudi Iwuji
  • Length: 18 hrs and 8 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (12 ratings)

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An Orchestra of Minorities

Written by: Chigozie Obioma
Narrated by: Chukwudi Iwuji
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Publisher's Summary

A heartbreaking story about a Nigerian poultry farmer who sacrifices everything to win the woman he loves, by Man Booker finalist and author of The Fishermen, Chigozie Obioma

Set on the outskirts of Umuahia, Nigeria, and narrated by a chi, or guardian spirit, An Orchestra of Minorities tells the story of Chinonso, a young poultry farmer whose soul is ignited when he sees a woman attempting to jump from a highway bridge. Horrified by her recklessness, Chinonso joins her on the roadside and hurls two of his prized chickens into the water below to express the severity of such a fall. The woman, Ndali, is stopped her in her tracks.

Bonded by this night on the bridge, Chinonso and Ndali fall in love. But Ndali is from a wealthy family and struggles to imagine a future near a chicken coop. When her family objects to the union because he is uneducated, Chinonso sells most of his possessions to attend a college in Cyprus. But when he arrives he discovers there is no place at the school for him and that he has been utterly duped by the young Nigerian who has made the arrangements. Penniless, homeless, and furious at a world which continues to relegate him to the sidelines, Chinonso gets further away from his dream, from Ndali and the farm he called home.

Spanning continents, traversing the earth and cosmic spaces, and told by a narrator who has lived for hundreds of years, the novel is a contemporary twist of Homer's Odyssey. Written in the mythic style of the Igbo literary tradition, Chigozie Obioma weaves a heart-wrenching epic about destiny and determination.

©2019 Chigozie Obioma (P)2019 Hachette Audio

What the critics say

"Unforgettable second novel.... Obioma's novel is electrifying, a meticulously crafted character drama told with emotional intensity. His invention, combining Igbo folklore and Greek tragedy in the context of modern Nigeria, makes for a rich, enchanting experience." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

"Chigozie Obioma is an audacious and ambitious writer, and quite adept at binding the reader to the irresistible spells he casts. An Orchestra of Minorities is a magisterial accomplishment by any measure, and particularly impressive for the way Obioma orchestrates a tableau in which humans and spirits must interact in a complex, emotionally rich-veined story. Few writers can match Obioma's astonishing range, his deft facility for weaving a mesmeric and triumphant fictive canvas in which - reminiscent of the ancient masters - a cohort of gods presides over and negotiates the fates of humans." (Okey Ndibe, author of Foreign Gods, Inc.)

"Obioma alchemizes his contemporary love story into a mythic quest enhanced by Igbo cosmology.... Magnificently multilayered, Obioma's sophomore title proves to be an Odyssean achievement." (Booklist, starred review)

"Obioma overwhelms readers with a visceral sense of Chinonso's humanity, his love, his rage, and his despair as he struggles between fate and self-determination." (Library Journal, starred review)

What listeners say about An Orchestra of Minorities

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Unpredictable

The book was really interesting but hard to get into at first. I stopped reading at first because the story started slow. Once it got interesting, I was hooked up by all the unexpected turn of events surrounding the character. The inclusion of different elements from Nigerian(igbo culture), Turkish, slavery etc was brilliantly incorporated.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Men are really wild

I don’t know know if I would recommend listening to this book as an audiobook, simply because it took me a very very long (I’m talking possibly 6 months....maybe more👀) to get into this book. I hated that I had put it in my currently reading on goodreads but it wasn’t moving forward, so eventually I felt like I had to get through it just to move it off my currently reading list. That being said my sister has a physical copy of the book and is experiencing the same issue and hasn’t been able to get into the book.

Now, once I made it probably a quarter of the way in it got really really good. Like so good that I finished the other three - fourths of the book in one day.
The plot of the story is a bit dramatic and unbelievable but his Chi is like you’re personal confidant who will acknowledge his host is - for lack of a better word - moving mad.

I had a three hour rant on how men are despicable after reading this and would definitely recommend!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Awesome, Master craft, a beautiful storyline but ...

In this book, Chigozie Obioma proved once more that he is a master storyteller. Just like in the “Fisherman” he was able to weave Igbo culture and cosmology into fiction.
What I adored most was his ability to give voice to “CHI - personal spirit” which in Igbo cosmology has always been known to be silent or at least not always a protagonist in fictions. Through this new voice, Chigozie was able to demonstrate the power of Igbo cosmology in day to day life of an average Igbo man. And though, it is based on Igbo cosmology, one can ascribe the role of “CHI” to the voice of the conscience in psychology.
And faithful to himself, the opening announced the tragic nature of the novel, a theory which the conclusion corroborated well.
My only reservation is the performance of this book. I had to force myself to finish it. I’m an avid audible listener and a beautiful storyline like this one would have been a nonstop listening but I had to stop every now and then. The reason being that the narrator exaggerated Nigerian accent in many occasions. And it hurts if you are a Nigerian listener.
But what made me scream every now and then was the Igbo accent. For a non Igbo listener, it wouldn’t be a problem but for an Igbo speaker, you just need to be patient not to dash your phone on the wall. Majority of the Igbo and Nigerian names were massacred and certain expressions almost incomprehensible. I didn’t know it, so I was not prepared to face it. I believe those who will read this comment before listening to it might be less shocked than myself.
There were also few moments I found it difficult to understand who was speaking but it was absolutely not a problem at all.
Finally, it’s a must for anyone who really like beautiful fictions weaved around culture, cosmology, society and ethics. If you are an avid reader, which I’m unfortunately not, grab the hard copy before or after. I did command one before the end of the audible.

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