Say You're One of Them

ISBN: 9780316113953

Title: Say You're One of Them

Author: Uwem Akpan

KDL Description:

September 2009
A collection of works builds on the author’s 2005 tale, “An Ex-mas Feast,” as previously published in The New Yorker and is complemented by such culturally relevant tales as “My Parents’ Bedroom,” “Luxurious Hearses,” and “What Language Is That?”

Amazon Description:

Uwem Akpan’s first published short story, “An Ex-mas Feast,” appeared in The New Yorker’s Debut Fiction issue in 2005. The story’s portrait of a family living together in a makeshift shanty in urban Kenya, and their attempts to find gifts of any kind for the impending Christmas holiday, gives a matter-of-fact reality to the most extreme circumstances—and signaled the arrival of a breathtakingly talented writer.

“My Parents’ Bedroom” is a Rwandan girl’s account of her family’s struggles to maintain a facade of normalcy amid unspeakable acts. In “Fat­tening for Gabon,” a brother and sister cope with their uncle’s attempt to sell them into slavery. “Luxurious Hearses” creates a microcosm of Africa within a busload of refugees and introduces us to a Muslim boy who summons his faith to bear a treacherous ride through Nigeria. “What Language Is That?” reveals the emotional toll of the Christian-Muslim conflict in Ethiopia through the eyes of childhood friends. Every story is a testament to the wisdom and resilience of children, even in the face of the most agonizing situations our planet can offer.