A Spell of Good Things by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀
Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀’s A Spell of Good Things is a sweeping and devastating examination of the widening chasm between the wealthy and the impoverished in modern Nigeria. The novel centers on two protagonists whose lives are shaped by the precarious nature of stability and the ruthless machinations of political power: Ẹniọlá, a sixteen-year-old boy whose family has plummeted into extreme poverty, and Wúràọlá, a twenty-eight-year-old doctor from a highly privileged background. Their parallel narratives eventually converge in a tragedy that exposes the cost of political ambition and the fragility of the “American Dream” in a landscape defined by corruption and inequity. The Collapse of the Middle Class: Ẹniọlá’s Family The story of Ẹniọlá’s family is a masterclass in the anatomy of decline. His father, Bùsúyì Òní, was once a respected Vice Principal, a man who took pride in his professional English and his extensive library of history books. The family’s stability is shattered when the state governor retrenches four thousand teachers in a single day, dismissing subjects like history, fine arts, and Yorùbá as useless for “technology, science and technology”. This loss of status sends Bùsúyì into a paralyzing depression, a “darkness” that keeps him bedridden for years, staring at the …