An Orchestra of Minorities

Chigozie Obioma was born in 1986 in Akure, Nigeria, and currently lives in the United States. He graduated from the University of Michigan with an MFA in Creative Writing and was a recipient of a Hopwood Award in fiction and poetry. He is now an assistant professor of Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His debut novel, The Fishermen, is winner of the inaugural FT/Oppenheimer Award for Fiction, the NAACP Image Awards for Debut Literary Work, and the Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction (Los Angeles Times Book Prizes); and was a finalist for the Man Booker Prize 2015, as well as for several other prizes in the US and UK. Obioma was named one of Foreign Policy's 100 Leading Global Thinkers of 2015.

Named a 'Most Anticipated Book of 2019' byEntertainmentWeekly,Vanity Fair, Hello Giggles, PureWow,Literary Hub, andFast Company
"Obioma writes with an exigent precision thatmakes AN ORCHESTRA OF MINORITIES feel at once timely and speculative. Thenovel aches with Chinonso. His triumphs are rare and hard-won. Obioma compelsthe reader to root for him, to see the poor chicken farmer's story as an epic."—The Atlantic
"It is more than a superb and tragic novel; it's a historicaltreasure."
—Boston Globe
"It's a story as oldas the epic."—New York Times Book Review
"Gorgeously written, with a twist of magicalrealism and a heavy dose of sad reality,this is your big novel of thewinter."—Washington Post
"Transcendent. . . Chigozie Obioma's secondnovel isa rare treasure:a book that deepens the mystery of the humanexperience."—Seattle Times
"Obioma's novelremains interesting and important"—Minneapolis Star Tribune
"The chances that Chigozie Obioma's second novelwould match, let alone surpass, "The Fishermen," were slim. Happily, hisfollow-up, AN ORCHESTRAOF MINORITIES,is a triumph. . . . In an era of copycats, "An Orchestra of Minorities" is anunusual and brilliantly original book."—The Economist
"His is a bracing andsearing work that compresses an ordinary life into an epic journey."—Houston Chronicle
"A tale of mythic nature and epic scale at timesrecalling Homer'sOdyssey-a sweeping story about destiny and thepower of choice."—Vanity Fair
"Destined to become a classic."—Hello Giggles
"A multicultural fable that her­alds a new master ofmagical realism. . . . It's a special writer who can take the familiar tropesfound within AN ORCHESTRA OF MINORITIES and infuse them with new life,transforming them into something exciting and unexpected. Happily, Obioma isexactly such an author."—Bookpage,starred review
A deeply original book that will have readers laughing at, angry with, and feeling compassion for a determined hero who endeavors to create his own destiny.—Kirkus,starred review
"Obioma overwhelms readers with a visceral sense ofChinonso's humanity, his love, his rage, and his despair as he strugglesbetween fate and self-determination." —Library Journal,starred review
"Obiomaalchemizes his contemporary love story into a mythic quest enhanced by Igbocosmology. . . . Magnificently multilayered, Obioma's sophomore title proves tobe an Odyssean achievement."—Booklist, starred reviews
"Unforgettable second novel . . . Obioma's novel iselectrifying, a meticulously crafted character drama told with emotionalintensity. His invention, combining Igbo folklore and Greek tragedy in thecontext of modern Nigeria, makes for a rich, enchanting experience."
—Publishers Weekly,starred review
"This is a powerful, multifarious novel that underlines Obioma's statusas one of the most exciting voices in modern African literature."—Financial Times
"An ambitious and immersive tale about love andsacrifice, told by an ancient spirit. A bold new novel from an exciting youngwriter."—Brit Bennett,New York Timesbestselling author ofThe Mothers
"ChigozieObioma is a gifted and original storyteller. His masterful new novelAnOrchestra of Minoritiesis remarkable for its exploration of universalconcepts to do with destiny, free will and luck."—Jennifer Clement, author ofGun Loveand President of PEN International
"ChigozieObioma is an audacious and ambitious writer, and quite adept at binding thereader to the irresistible spells he casts.An Orchestra ofMinoritiesis a magisterial accomplishment by any measure, andparticularly impressive for the way Obioma orchestrates a tableau in whichhumans and spirits must interact in a complex, emotionally rich-veined story.Few writers can match Obioma's astonishing range, his deft facility for weavinga mesmeric and triumphant fictive canvas in which-reminiscent of the ancientmasters-a cohort of gods presides over and negotiates the fates of humans."—Okey Ndibe, author ofForeign Gods, Inc.
"ChigozieObioma pens a deeply empathetic, complex, and gut-wrenchingly human narrativethat captures the heart and soul.An Orchestra of Minoritiesstays withyou. With remarkable style and compelling language, he explores what it meansto experience blinding love and devastating loss. A truly gifted writer, Obiomahas proven yet again, that he's a literary treasure."—Nicole Dennis-Benn, award-winning author ofHere Comes the Sun