More than 40 years ago, when Chinua Achebe's daughter started preschool in Nigeria, the internationally famous author of Things Fall Apart discovered that all the school texts for African children were written by Westerners. To right this imbalance, Achebe created Chike and the River, first published as a pamphlet in 1966, the story of a Nigerian boy who overcomes fear and poverty to cross the mighty Niger.
Eleven-year-old Chike leaves his small Nigerian village to live with his uncle in the larger town of Onitsha on the banks of the Niger River. Despite his mother's warnings about the river, Chike longs to cross it in a ferry, but doesn't have a shilling to buy a round-trip fare. The plot unfolds through one mishap after another, as every plan to secure the money fails him. Accompanied by two school friends, bad boy Ezekiel and good boy Samuel, Chike avoids stealing and deceit, but when he finds a six-pence--half the fare--his hopes are dashed when he's cheated by the local magician, Professor Chandus.
Chike succeeds in crossing the river, only to find that he's missed the last ferry home and is trapped on the other side. Too late he discovers that the lorry where he's hiding is being used by small-time thieves to commit a robbery, and finds himself in the dangerous position of being the only witness to a crime.
Winner of the 2007 Man Booker International Prize, Achebe has a lean style to his prose, and the novel works just as well for adults as for children. Chike is a perfect little Everyman in his struggles. Without a single slip, this succinct reading delight is a slice of life that depicts hardship realistically as a likable young Nigerian boy learns the tough lessons of life and graduates with honors. --Nick DiMartino, Nick's Picks, University Book Store, Seattle