Falowo, Dare Segun - Caged Ocean Dub

Imaginative and expansive collection of tales tinged with supernatural and folklore. Author Falowo draws from his Nigerian community, bringing stories steeped in war strife, daily struggles for existence, and what I can only term destiny.

One story weaves through the apprenticeship of hair braiding – a complicated art where mastery seems better attained by those who are called, over those who simply want a profession.

In a similar vein, a starving orphan is accepted into a hectic kitchen, popular with the wealthy and the elites. She is marked out, she has “the gift”. And while the meals, grand feasts, are sumptuous and unforgettable, they carry a heavy toll.

All of Falowo’s stories will expose the reader to new vistas. This is a collection for adventurers.

I do have an issue, however, and it is a sticky one. Every tale has several Nigerian words. I never read with a computer at hand. I am often lax about looking up words, especially when there are 2-3 unfamiliar, unguessable words per page. By the final section, the author seems to have realized this, and has begun to add brief definitions.

For the book, a glossary would have proved useful, although I can understand a publisher’s reluctance in adding one.