![Looking for Transwonderland | [Noo Saro-Wiwa]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61D5HwntAYL._SL175_.jpg "Looking for Transwonderland | [Noo Saro-Wiwa]")
Looking for Transwonderland
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LENGTH10 hrs and 54 mins
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RELEASE DATE10/09/2012
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AUDIO FORMATS
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Program TypeAudiobook
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PUBLISHER
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Publisher's Summary
Noo Saro-Wiwa was brought up in England, but every summer she was dragged back to Nigeria - a country she viewed as an annoying parallel universe where she had to relinquish all her creature comforts and sense of individuality. Then her father, activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, was murdered there, and she didn't return for 10 years. Recently, she decided to rediscover and come to terms with the country her father loved. She travelled from the exuberant chaos of Lagos to the calm beauty of the eastern mountains; from the eccentricity of a Nigerian dog show to the empty Transwonderland Amusement Park - Nigeria's decrepit and deserted answer to Disneyland. She explored Nigerian Christianity, delved into its history of slavery, examined the corrupting effect of oil, and investigated Nollywood.
She found the country as exasperating as ever and frequently despaired at the corruption and inefficiency she encountered. But she also discovered that it was far more beautiful and varied than she had ever imagined, and was seduced by its thick tropical rainforest and ancient palaces and monuments. Most engagingly of all she introduces us to the people she meets, and gives us hilarious insights into the Nigerian character, its passion, wit and ingenuity.
©2012 Noo Saro-Wiwa (P)2012 Audible Ltd
What the Critics Say
"A compelling account of how feels to be a Nigerian today." (Financial Times)
"Humorous and affectionate ... Saro-Wiwa is fiercely honest and compassionate about a country most tourists travel miles to avoid." (Sunday Telegraph)
"Remarkable ... in this deftly woven account Saro-Wiwa tells us more about Nigeria than most academics do in a lifetime." (Spectator)
"Saro-Wiwa offers a bright and honest account of Nigeria.Her vivid portraits of Nigerian life are intelligent and often very witty." (Traveller magazine)
"An affectionate and irreverent guide that peels away many of the clichés that envelop Nigeria." (Observer)
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What Members Say
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"Intriguing return to the motherland"
Having travelled fairly extensively in West Africa, Noo Saro Wiwa's journey across the country in which she was born was an interesting trip down memory lane for me. It's definitely not a holiday guide, and it's unlikely to persuade many people to try out the Nigerian hospitality, but it was a humorous, incredibly insightful look at a country that few outside have any idea about.
The telling is affectionate, and the author makes a journey inside herself as well, from her own preconceptions based on her teenage experiences, including the murder of her father under the military regime in 1995, to a new love and appreciation for what the country has to offer in a relatively young democracy.
If you enjoyed 'Blood River' by Tim Butcher, about his travels in the Congo, I think you'll enjoy this too, both books look into the beauty and humour of the people and the landscape, while noting the missed opportunities of these frail countries' infrastructure and hopes for a more positive future. Adjoa Andoh does a great job narrating a very difficult cast, bringing the colour that you'd expect to this story of a glittering, fallible country.1 of 1 people found this review helpful