Who Fears Death

Publisher Marketing: International award-winning author Nnedi Okorafor enters the world of magical realist literature with a powerful story of genocide in the far future and of the woman who reshapes her world. In a post-apocalyptic Africa, the world has changed in many ways, yet in one region genocide between tribes still bloodies the land. After years of enslaving the Okeke people, the Nuru tribe has decided to follow the Great Book and exterminate the Okeke tribe for good. An Okeke woman who has survived the annihilation of her village and a terrible rape by an enemy general wanders into the desert hoping to die. Instead, she gives birth to an angry baby girl with hair and skin the color of sand. Gripped by the certainty that her daughter is different special she names her child Onyesonwu, which means Who Fears Death? in an ancient tongue. From a young age, stubborn, willful Onyesonwu is trouble. It doesn t take long for her to understand that she is physically and socially marked by the circumstances of her violent conception. She is Ewu a child of rape who is expected to live a life of violence, a half-breed rejected by both tribes. But Onye is not the average Ewu. As a child, Onye s singing attracts owls. By the age of eleven, she can change into a vulture. But these amazing abilities are merely the first glimmers of a remarkable and unique magic. As Onye grows, so do her abilities soon she can manipulate matter and flesh, or travel beyond into the spiritual world. During an inadvertent visit to this other realm she learns something terrifying: someone powerful is trying to kill her. Desperate to elude her would-be murderer, and to understand her own nature, she seeks help from the magic practitioners of her village. But, even among her mother s people, she meets with frustrating prejudice because she is Ewu and female. Yet Onyesonwu persists. Eventually her magical destiny and her rebellious nature will force her to leave home on a quest that will be perilous in ways that Onyesonwu can not possibly imagine. For this journey will cause her to grapple with nature, tradition, history, true love, and the spiritual mysteries of her culture, and ultimately to learn why she was given the name she bears: "Who Fears Death"?" Review Citations: Audio File 10/01/2011 pg. 39 (EAN 9781441879875, Compact Disc) Publishers Weekly 04/05/2010 pg. 51 (EAN 9780756406172, Hardcover) - *Starred Review Romantic Times 06/01/2010 pg. 68 (EAN 9780756406172, Hardcover) Ebony 06/11/2010 pg. 48 (EAN 9780756406172, Hardcover) Library Journal 06/15/2010 pg. 68 (EAN 9780756406172, Hardcover) Village Voice 07/14/2010 pg. 34 (EAN 9780756406172, Hardcover) Publishers Weekly Best Books 11/08/2010 pg. 27 (EAN 9780756406172, Hardcover) Wilson Fiction Catalog 01/01/2011 pg. 69 (EAN 9780756406172, Hardcover) BookPage 07/01/2010 (EAN 9780756406172, Hardcover) Wilson Fiction Catalog 01/01/2014 pg. 787 (EAN 9780756406172, Hardcover) Contributor Bio:  Okorafor, Nnedi Nnedi Okorafor is a novelist of African-based science fiction, fantasy, and magical realism for both children and adults. Born in the United States to two Nigerian immigrant parents, Nnedi is known for weaving African culture into creative evocative settings and memorable characters. In a profile of Nnedi's work titled, "Weapons of Mass Creation," the "New York Times" called Nnedi's imagination "stunning."Nnedi's accolades include the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel for "Who Fears Death". Her young adult novels are "Akata Witch" (an Amazon.com Best Book of the Year), "Zahrah the Windseeker" (winner of the Wole Soyinka Prize for African Literature), and "The Shadow Speaker" (winner of the CBS Parallax Award). She is a professor of creative writing and literature at the University of Buffalo. Contributor Bio:  Flosnik, Anne Anne Flosnik is an accomplished actress with lead credits on stage and television and in commercials and voice-overs. A seasoned audiobook narrator, she has over four hundred titles to her credit and several awards and distinctions, including three AudioFile Earphones Awards, a "USA Today" Recommended Listening, and the American Library Association s Special Services to Children Award. She has twice been an Audie Award finalist.