Here is a book jot from December 2021:

I just finished reading Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (1958). The story narrates the life of Okonkwo, a prominent member of an Ibo clan in Nigeria.

The story is deftly told in a fluid and unadorned style with a finely-crafted, objective voice. There is a strong sense of ethnography in the pervasive details of culture and custom, which offer a window into the minds of the characters and traditions of the clan. This is so well done that the attention to cultural elements never feels like an inventory or academic analysis, but rather simply part of an unfolding story.

I really enjoyed this book. In addition to being an excellently told, immersive account of another culture, time, and place, it is a deeply moving story.

“There is no story that is not true,” said Uchendu. “The world has no end, and what is good among one people is an abomination with others.”