Most high schools currently teach (or have taught) Achebe, and with good reason. His signature work, Things Fall Apartis set in a fictional village in 1890s Nigeria, and follows the crazy life of Okonkwo, the traditionalist village leader. The book earns its title when an unfortunate series of events leads to Okonkwo’s exile, and his village is forced to deal with the white colonialists who show up in his absence. A Man of the People is a “spiritual sequel,” according to Achebe. If your school isn’t teaching this guy, run, don’t walk, to the bookstore!
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