''In Dependence'' is a novel written by

British-Nigerian British Nigerians (here meaning British people of Nigerian descent rather than Nigerians of British descent) have formed long-established communities in London, Liverpool and other industrial cities. Many Nigerians and their British-born descend ...

author

Sarah Ladipo Manyika Sarah Ladipo Manyika FRSL is a British-Nigerian writer of novels, short stories and essays and an active member of the literary community, particularly supporting and amplifying young writers and female voices. She is the author of two well-rece ...

. Her first novel, it was originally published by Legend Press, London, in 2008.

Background

According to

Manyika The Manyika people are a Shona sub-group that originated from the Manyika Dynasty. Manyika people speak several dialects which include ChiManyika (Northern Manyika), ChiBocha (Southern Manyika), ChiUngwe, ChiHera, Chijindwi and the Urban dial ...

, "she conducted a "huge amount" of research so as to convey the reality of living in Nigeria at that time, including reading back issues of local magazines and newspapers to capture the

zeitgeist In 18th- and 19th-century German philosophy, a ''Zeitgeist'' (; ; capitalized in German) is an invisible agent, force, or daemon dominating the characteristics of a given epoch in world history. The term is usually associated with Georg W. F ...

." ''In Dependence'' was first published in 2008 by Legend Press in London. In 2009, it was published by Cassava Republic in Nigeria. In 2014, ''In Dependence'' was published by Weaver Press in

Zimbabwe file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Bots ...

, where it is a set book for the Advanced-level English Literature examination.

Plot

The story starts in the early 1960s, a young Tayo sails from Nigeria to England to pursue a scholarship at Oxford University. He sees himself as one of a generation filled with ideas of a new and better future in this city of dreaming spires. The globe seemed to be on fire with change: domestic independence, the Civil Rights movement, and the first tremors of cultural and sexual upheavals. The love story begins when Tayo meets Vanessa Richardson, the lovely daughter of a retired officer, at this point. The story follows the heroic but bittersweet love story of Tayo and Vanessa. It is the narrative of two individuals trying to figure out who they are and who they want to be; it is a journey of romance and idealism, strength and deceit, and the universal yearning to fall madly and completely in love.

Characters

Omotayo Oluwakayode Ajayi / TY - scholarship student at Oxford University. Vanessa Richardson - The British lady with whom Tayo falls in love. Vanessa is also a student at Oxford. Modupe - Tayo's teenage lover with whom he had an intensely physical relationship before leaving Nigeria for England. Inspector Adeniyi Ajayi - Tayo's father. Mrs Elizabeth Richardson - Vanessa's mother Mr Jonathan Richardson - Vanessa's father Bisi - Tayo's sister Remi - Tayo's brother Mr Edward Maximilian Barker - The one who welcomed Omotayo prior to the letter given to Tayo by Mr Faircliff. Mrs Isabella Barker/Isabella - Wife of Mr Barker. Uncle Bolu/Uncle B - Tayo’s uncle who loved drinking and women. Miss Christine Arinze - Ex-girlfriend of Tayo and Ike. She read Modern Languages at St. Hilda College, Oxford. Mr and Mrs Winter - They bailed Tunde, Tayo and Yusuf when they were arrested Joy Williams - Yusuf's Nigerian wife. Salamatou - A hairstylist in Dakar, Senegal. Jean Luc - A Frenchman who had promised to marry Salamatou but ran away upon learning that she pregnant by him. Miriam - Tayo's wife. She nursed Tayo's father and became pregnant for Tayo. They got married and gave birth to Kemi. Kemi - Daughter of Tayo and Miriam. Suleiman - Salamatou's son who was later adopted by Venessa Abdou - Driver. He had taken Tayo to the airport before an accident occurred. Danjuma - Gardener. He had a secret affair with Vanessa's mother while she was in Nigeria. Professor John Harris - He is the man from the university whom Kemi introduced to his father.

Reception

Toni Kan Anthony Kan Onwordi known as Toni Kan (born 11 June 1971) is a Nigerian writer, editor, public relations senior management executive, and teacher. He is author of the collection of short stories, ''Nights of a Creaking Bed'', noted for explorin ...

writes in ''

The Lagos Review ''The Lagos Review'' is a Nigerian literary magazine based in Lagos. It was founded by Toni Kan and Dami Ajayi in 2019. History ''The Lagos Review'' was officially launched in September 2019, founded by Nigerian writer Toni Kan and poet D ...

'': "Sarah Manyika has written an impressive debut novel which will find a well deserved place in the pantheon of post-colonial literature." ''In Dependence'' has also been introduced by the

Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is a Nigerian entrance examination board for tertiary-level institutions. The board conducts Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination for prospective undergraduates into Nigerian universiti ...

(JAMB) in Nigeria for candidates sitting for the 2017

UTME The Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination is a computer-based standardized examination for prospective undergraduates in Nigeria. It is designed to assess problem solving, critical thinking, knowledge of scientific concepts and principles ...

. ''

Bustle A bustle is a padded undergarment or wire frame used to add fullness, or support the drapery, at the back of women's dresses in the mid-to-late 19th century. Bustles are worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skir ...

'' listed it as one of the five books by African authors during the #ReadAfricaWeek.

Bibliography

References