Small worlds

Title:

Small worlds

Author:

Summary:

One of the most acclaimed and internationally bestselling “unforgettable” (New York Times) debuts of the 2021, Caleb Azumah Nelson’s London-set love story Open Water took the US by storm and introduced the world to a salient and insightful new voice in fiction. Now, with his second novel Small Worlds, the prodigious Azumah Nelson brings another set of enduring characters to brilliant life in his signature rhythmic, melodic prose. Set over the course of three summers, Small Worlds follows Stephen, a first-generation Londoner born to Ghanian immigrant parents, brother to Ray, and best friend to Adeline. On the cusp of big life changes, Stephen feels pressured to follow a certain path—a university degree, a move out of home—but when he decides instead to follow his first love, music, his world and family fractures in ways he didn’t foresee. Now Stephen must find a path and peace for himself: a space he can feel beautiful, a space he can feel free. -- Amazon.

Edition:

First Grove Atlantic hard cover edition.

Physical Description:

259 pages ; 24 cm

Subject Term:

Ghanaians -- Fiction.

Families -- Fiction.

Immigrants -- Fiction.

Teenage boys -- Fiction.

Jazz musicians -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

London (England) -- Fiction.

Publisher:

Grove Press,

Publication Date:

2023

ISBN:

9780802161963

Publication Information:

New York : Grove Press, 2023.

Call Number:

NELSON

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode

33607003665166

Collection

New Adult Fiction

Call Number

NELSON Caleb Azumah

Status

Searching...

Item Holds

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Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

An exhilarating and expansive new novel about fathers and sons, faith and friendship from National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree and Costa First Novel Award winning author Caleb Azumah Nelson

One of the most acclaimed and internationally bestselling "unforgettable" ( New York Times ) debuts of the 2021, Caleb Azumah Nelson's London-set love story Open Water took the US by storm and introduced the world to a salient and insightful new voice in fiction. Now, with his second novel Small Worlds , the prodigious Azumah Nelson brings another set of enduring characters to brilliant life in his signature rhythmic, melodic prose.

Set over the course of three summers, Small Worlds follows Stephen, a first-generation Londoner born to Ghanian immigrant parents, brother to Ray, and best friend to Adeline. On the cusp of big life changes, Stephen feels pressured to follow a certain path--a university degree, a move out of home--but when he decides instead to follow his first love, music, his world and family fractures in ways he didn't foresee. Now Stephen must find a path and peace for himself: a space he can feel beautiful, a space he can feel free.

Moving from London, England to Accra, Ghana and back again, Small Worlds is an exquisite and intimate new novel about the people and places we hold close, from one of the most "elegant, poetic" (CNN) and important voices of a generation.

Author Notes

Caleb Azumah Nelson is a British-Ghanaian writer and photographer, living in South East London. His short story, "Pray", was shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award. His debut Open Water won the Costa First Novel Award, the British Book Award for Debut Fiction, was a National Book Foundation "5 Under 35" and was named a best book of the year by TIME, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Library Journal, Literary Hub, and The Millions, among other places.

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Nelson revisits the Southeast London setting of Open Water in this astonishing account of a young British Ghanaian man's dueling desires to please his parents and pursue his passion for music. The reader first meets narrator Stephen in church in summer 2010, where at 18 he's humbled and quieted by the call to prayer, describing it as the chance to "speak to someone who is both us and the people we want to be." When the music starts, though, Stephen doesn't need to be anywhere else or become anyone else. With a bass line "getting to the heart of things" and a "pianist play secret chords from the soul," he dances with his older brother, Raymond, their bond wordless and powerful. That night, Stephen and Raymond pursue their true calling, putting on a dance party with their friends and spinning old grime records. A year later, after Stephen has completed his first year of college, dancing provides relief from the pressure put on him by his father to prepare for a stable future, which comes to a head after Stephen announces he's dropping out. Nelson plays their confrontation beautifully, mixing Stephen's defiance with a yearning for acceptance, so when his father kicks him out of the house, the effect is even more devastating. Nelson's assured writing captures the pulse of a dance party, the heat of a family's bond, and the depth of spiritual fervor to conjure a story as infectious as a new favorite song. (July)

Library Journal Review

Nelson's follow-up to his Costa Award--winning and National Book Foundation "5 Under 35" debut novel Open Water is a loving portrait of a British Ghanaian community in London, told through the eyes of Stephen, a young aspiring jazz musician. During the last few weeks of high school and the following summer, his relationship with his longtime friend and bandmate Del blossoms into romance, but their attendance at different colleges forces a rift. Disillusioned, Stephen drops out and returns home, exacerbating a conflict with his father, who shows disdain at Stephen's apparent lack of direction and dreams of a music career. Only a family tragedy leads them slowly toward reconciliation. Throughout the novel, its title refers variously to the Ghanaian immigrant community centered on cultural touchstones, including food, music, and faith; families biological or chosen; and romantic relationships between two people. VERDICT The musicality of Nelson's language underscores this vibrant and deeply moving tale of love, family, and coming of age. While stories of conflict between first- and second-generation immigrants are common, the cultural richness and specificity of Nelson's narrative rises above tropes and stereotypes.--Christine DeZelar-Tiedman

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