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Until the next story,
Okezie
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"We honor our traditions, but when they can no longer serve us, we drown them in the deepest river."
God of Mercy
November 2nd, 2021
God of Mercy is set in Ichulu, an Igbo village where the people’s worship of their gods is absolute. Their adherence to tradition has allowed them to evade the influences of colonialism and globalization. But the village is reckoning with changes, including a war between gods signaled by Ijeoma, a girl who can fly.
As tensions grow between Ichulu and its neighboring colonized villages, Ijeoma is forced into exile. Reckoning with her powers and exposed to the world beyond Ichulu, she is imprisoned by a Christian church under the accusation of being a witch. Suffering through isolation, she comes to understand the truth of merciful love.
Reimagining the nature of tradition and cultural heritage and establishing a folklore of the uncolonized, God of Mercy is a novel about wrestling with gods, confronting demons, and understanding one's true purpose.
Buy God of Mercy now
“Nwoka’s debut feels like a dream, or a fable, or something in between ... The vestiges of colonialism run deep throughout this novel, as well as themes of forgiveness and compassionate love.”
PRAISE FOR GOD OF MERCY
— Ashley Rayner, Booklist
Reviews
"Okezie Nwọka’s debut novel, God of Mercy, ... continues a powerful literary tradition of representing Igbo resistance to colonial pressures."
- Cynthia R. Wallace, Ploughshares
"When we first meet Ijeoma, the mute hero of Nwoka’s fablelike first novel, she’s an adventurous 9-year-old in a tight-knit rural community."
- Kirkus Reviews
"It seems clear that Nwọka approached this book with reverence ... God of Mercy is a tale of tragedy and ultimate mercy."
- Maya C. James, Locus