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Jagua Nana

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Bold, moving, entertaining and controversial, this is the great novel of 1960s Lagos life - with one of the most unforgettable heroines in literature.

Jagua Nana, no longer young but still irresistible, lives a life of hedonism in Lagos: men, parties, fights, wild nights in the Tropicana with her handsome young boyfriend Freddie. Rushing from one experience to the next in search of something she can't quite grasp, Jagua finds herself embroiled in shady politics, caught up in village feuds and the source of drama wherever she goes. In this vivid depiction of 1960s Nigeria, everyone is hustling and everyone is on the make - and a woman like Jagua must find her own unconventional path to fulfilment.

© Cyprian Ekwensi 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

 Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Fiction Africa

Critic reviews

A joy to read; his glorious imagination captured ours ... Jagua Nana is my favourite of his novels (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)
All stars
Most relevant
Captain Ekwensi’s story telling is transcendent.

The narrator’s accent was acceptable. It was quite pleasant at times. However she could have devoted 5mins to learning to pronounce Lagos. It is not too much to ask.

Timeless classic

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This is such a wonderful storyline. The only thing that spoilt it for me was the incessant mispronunciation of “Lagos” as “Largos”.

Such a basic thing as learning how to pronounce one of the best known places in Africa shouldn’t have to be emphasised.

Beautiful story spoilt by the oration

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