A Good Name by Yejide Kilanko
Yejide Kilanko’s A Good Name is a harrowing and meticulously detailed exploration of the immigrant experience, the crushing weight of cultural expectations, and the devastating consequences of toxic masculinity and domestic control. The novel follows the lives of Eziafakaego (Eziafa) Francis Okereke and Zinachidi (Zina) Nwoye, two Nigerians whose lives intersect through an arranged marriage that begins with the promise of “The American Dream” but ends in a visceral, blood-soaked tragedy. Part One: The Seeker of Legacy and the Village Bride The story begins in the sweltering heat of Houston, Texas, where Eziafa, a man who has lived through twelve long and harsh Minnesota winters, is struggling to redefine himself. After years of “grey and black” existence in the American Midwest, Eziafa has moved to the South, hoping the humid weather will bring back memories of his home village, Oji, and allow him to “dream in colour” again. Despite having a first-class degree in computer science from a Nigerian university, Eziafa’s twelve years in America have been defined by a “succession of slammed doors” and menial labor, including a traumatic stint at a meat processing factory where he lost his index finger to a spinning saw. Eziafa is haunted by …