Reading This Book Felt Like A Punch In The Gut

If I remember my high school literature theory right, one of the key elements of a good story is a resolution of the main conflict – things coming together at the end. For some reason, most fiction authors, especially Western fiction authors, interpret resolution to mean a happy ending, or at least a peaceful one. The fact that my fiction reads were mostly Western growing up, I came to expect that every fiction read would “end well”. Isn’t that why we read fiction? For that “feel good” moment at the end?

Well, Elnathan John’s Born on a Tuesday (BOAT) is different. The story traces the life of Dantala, a young Muslim boy who joins a gang, gets involved in political violence (an all too familiar African story, of hired goons). He then finds a home in a Salafi Mosque, with a mentor Sheikh who makes him his protege.

Dantala’s story is a complex mix of violence, extremism, politics, religion friendship and love, told in believably simple language. It sucks you in. I found myself writing the ending, where Dantala married the love of his life, became Sheikh Jamal’s successor, and everyone lived happily ever after. This is how novels are supposed to end. Instead, the story ends in such a complicated manner, just like life often is…

BOAT is available at Magunga Books, Prestige Bookshop and on Amazon.  Reserve a weekend for it, and cancel all plans. It is that good.