I Do Not Come to You by Chance by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani

Although its light fiction, because of the vast cultural differences, it left me with plenty to reflect on. It's a very light read, quite well written and with a cast of some very colourful and more-or-less-believable characters. But this is written from the point of view of a well-educated but relatively poor Nigerian lad who has responsibilities to support his family. Or is it?Īn alternately amusing and serious book on the Nigerian scam of emails that promise you millions of dollars if only you help the poor man/widow/cancer victim get the money out of the country.

The Nigerian Scam - a view from the inside. But can he do it without being drawn into this outlandish milieu? It's up to Kingsley now to reconcile his passion for knowledge with his hunger for money, and to fully assume his role of first son.

He's also rumored to run a successful empire of email scams. Boniface-aka Cash Daddy-is an exuberant character who suffers from elephantiasis of the pocket. When Kingsley turns to his Uncle Boniface for help, he learns that charity may come with strings attached. And when a tragedy befalls his family, Kingsley learns the hardest lesson of all: education may be the language of success in Nigeria, but it's money that does the talking. Now he worries that without a long-leg-someone who knows someone who can help him-his degrees will do nothing. For much of his young life, Kingsley believed that education was everything, that through wisdom, all things were possible. It does not seem to matter that he loves her deeply he cannot afford her bride price. Unable to find work, Kingsley cannot take on the duty of training his younger siblings, nor can he provide his parents with financial peace in their retirement. Being the opera of the family, Kingsley Ibe is entitled to certain privileges-a piece of meat in his egusi soup, a party to celebrate his graduation from university.

I Do Not Come to You by Chance by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani