Nigeria

Broadly speaking, the novel is set in the West African country of Nigeria. Before gaining its independence in 1960, Nigeria was colonized by the British. Today, Nigeria is a federal republic and the most populated country on the continent. Nigeria is a diverse country. Its three biggest tribes are the Yoruba, the Igbo (or Ibo), and the Hausa. The Hausa live in the predominantly Muslim north. The novel explores some of the tensions between Muslim and Christian Nigerians, as well as the sense of precarity and vulnerability that some Muslims in Nigeria feel. In the end, the novel positions the Nigerian state as one of the agents responsible for rescuing Ya Ta from Boko Haram.

Borno State

WIthin Nigeria, the novel is set in Borno State. The state of Borno is located in the northeast of the country, and its capital city, which is mentioned in the novel several...