A Kind of Madness

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Pub Date Apr 16 2024 | Archive Date Mar 31 2024
Tin House | Tin House Books

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Description

A teenage girl from a poor family is dazzled by her rich, vivacious friend, but as the friend’s behavior grows unstable and dangerous, she must decide whether to cover for her or risk telling the truth to get her the help she needs. A young woman and her mother bask in the envy of their neighbors when the woman receives an offer of marriage from the family of a doctor living in Belgium—though when the offer fails to materialize, that envy threatens to turn vicious, pitting them both against their community. And a lonely daughter finds herself wandering a village in eastern Nigeria in an ill-fated quest, struggling to come to terms with her mother’s mental illness.

In ten vivid, evocative stories set in contemporary Nigeria, Uche Okonkwo’s A Kind of Madness unravels the tensions between mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, best friends, siblings, and more, marking the arrival of an extraordinary new talent in fiction and inviting us all to consider the question: why is it that the people and places we hold closest are so often the ones that drive us to madness?

A teenage girl from a poor family is dazzled by her rich, vivacious friend, but as the friend’s behavior grows unstable and dangerous, she must decide whether to cover for her or risk telling the...


Advance Praise

"Uche Okonkwo's A Kind of Madness is full of vivid, unforgettable characters and rare insight. This is a book that pulls you in, with its fierce undertow, and once you start reading, you won't want to stop. Okonkwo is one of the most exciting young writers working today, and these stories are brilliant." - Elliott Holt, author of You Are One of Them

"To read Uche Okonkwo’s A Kind of Madness is to have an experience: of complex characters grappling with life’s many troubles, of a robust culture, of history, of the battle between the domestic and the public, and all the big themes of life woven together. Like Jhumpa Lahiri, Okonkwo’s mastery of the form is as rich as some of the short story’s best practitioners and deserves every recognition it is sure to get." - Chigozie Obioma, author of An Orchestra of Minorities

"Hilarious and heartbreaking. . . . A delightful debut." - Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi, author of A Girl is a Body of Water

"Uche Okonkwo's A Kind of Madness is full of vivid, unforgettable characters and rare insight. This is a book that pulls you in, with its fierce undertow, and once you start reading, you won't want...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781959030386
PRICE $16.95 (USD)
PAGES 208

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Average rating from 21 members


Featured Reviews

Uche Okonkwo captures the resistance between a culture deeply ingrained and modern seepage from elsewhere.

Few things are as satisfying as a book that makes you crave the warmth and flavors of dishes you've never tasted.

These stories delicately balance the pains of childhood and parenthood without degrading the emotions of either.

"... her shadow was no longer attached to her, that it had come undone and was skulking around the house like a dark cloud."

"She would choke on blessed Jesus oil."

Simply light-hearted and likewise painful, A Kind of Madness is a wonderful collection of stories.

@uch_okonkwo #uchokonkwo #AKindofMadness #NetGalley @netgalley @tin_house

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I absolutely adored this series of stories from Uche Okonkwo. This collection was filled with some truly beautiful quotes and memorable motifs. Each story perfectly told of "a kind of madness" and shed light on a new culture while being incredibly relatable at the same time. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys short stories and character-driven narration. Thank you to Tin House Books for the advance digital copy!

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After delving into this book, I found myself captivated by the author's exploration of "madness" and its diverse manifestations. Whether subtle or overt, violent or calm, in the young or old, rich or poor, the portrayal was consistently intriguing. While some chapters had a slow start, the narrative gained momentum, and by the end, I was thoroughly invested.

A notable aspect was the cultural richness woven into the storyline, ranging from the significance of Nigerian dishes to the intricacies of certain towns and cultural practices. This infusion of cultural details added a personal and fluent dimension to the narrative.

Overall, it was an enjoyable and interesting read. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

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