And Then He Sang a Lullaby
by Ani Kayode Somtochukwu
Allen & Unwin
Twenty-three-year-old Nigerian writer and queer activist Ani Kayode Somtochukwu explores the cost of love and freedom in a country where 14 years in prison is the prescribed sentence for anyone in a same-sex relationship.
August’s mother died shortly after he was born and his father had disappeared, so the nurse named him. He was largely raised by his older sisters, but as the only son in the God-fearing family, he was the one who had the duty to produce a son.
At university, he found success as a runner and, although August had feelings for another male student, he had a girlfriend. August was haunted by the teaching that God would see the sin of homosexuality, but he still couldn’t stop thinking about Segan, an openly gay student who worked at the local cybercafé.
Segan had tried everything to be invisible at school, but he was still bullied constantly. Boarding school was no better, as it was a place full of boys trying to assert their dominance over other boys. And then at university, he was still faced with bigots and bullies.
Even Segan’s first relationship with another boy in high school ended up being an abusive one, but he thought that it was better than not being loved at all. Although he was attracted to August, he was reluctant to open himself up to a relationship because he saw that August is not comfortable in his own skin.
While August struggled to make peace with his true desires, Segan defied the violence surrounding him. His life was one of constant vigilance and effort to let the homophobic taunts and violence slide, but attackers break more than bones.
When an anti-gay law is passed in Nigeria, August and Segan try to find ways for their love to survive, but And Then He Sang a Lullaby is a harrowing tale reflecting the difficulties of loving in a country determined to eradicate homosexuals. It is an extremely powerful debut novel that is based on horrifying realities.
Lezly Herbert
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