Thula

Thula Nangi is the primary hero of the novel and the only single character who plays a significant role in each of the novel’s eleven chapters. Chapter 2 is narrated by Thula, and other than that we hear her story narrated by other characters or, later in the novel, through letters she writes home from the United States. Thula is daughter to the disappeared Malabo Nangi, niece to Malabo’s brother Bongo (who narrates Chapter 4), daughter to Malabo’s wife Sahel (who narrates Chapter 6), granddaughter to Malabo’s mother Yaya (who narrates Chapter 8), and older sister to Juba (who narrates Chapter 10).

The primary narrative arc of the novel tells the story of Thula’s life. As a young girl, she develops a close bond with her father. The activity of the American oil company Pexton leads to her brother Juba dying and then coming back to life. The...