LONGLISTED FOR THE INAUGURAL CLIMATE FICTION PRIZE
'Rare is the book that enlightens as much as it entertains. Beautifully imagined and full of characters to love' EMMA STONEX, author of
The Lamplighters
'A compelling and powerful novel' CHERIE JONES, author of
How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House
'An adventurous and insightful read' ROSANNA AMAKA, author of
The Book of Echoes
She's the Pearl of Makoko and the world is her oyster.
In Makoko, the floating slum off mainland Lagos, Nigeria, nineteen-year-old Baby yearns for an existence where she can escape the future her father has planned for her.
With opportunities scarce, Baby jumps at the chance to join a newly launched drone-mapping project, aimed at broadening the visibility of her community.
Then a video of her at work goes viral and Baby finds herself with options she could never have imagined - including the possibility of leaving her birthplace to represent Makoko on the world stage.
But will life beyond the lagoon be everything she's dreamed of? Or has everything she wants been in front of her all along?
Readers love
Water Baby
'
Exquisitely written
and
thought-provoking
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'One of my favourite books ever,
is
impossible to put down
I was instantly transported
to Makoko thanks to the vibrant imagery'
'A
beautiful
story with characters you get to know and want to follow'
'Okereke is
a talented storyteller
with an
exquisite
craft for character development'
'A truly contemporary and
captivating
story of resilience, freedom within constrictions, hope and change'
transportive, joyful
read'