Zahrah the Windseeker
Encyclopedia
Zahrah the Windseeker written by Nnedi Okorafor, is one of a very small handful of young adult
fantasy novels that incorporate the myths and folklore and culture of West Africa
. It is the winner of the 2008 Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa
. Okorafor-Mbachu was born in the United States
to two Nigerian (Igbo) parents.
In this novel, things are not always what they seem: monkeys tell fortunes, plants offer wisdom, and a teenage girl is the only one who stands a chance at saving her best friend's life.
Young adult literature
Young-adult fiction or young adult literature , also juvenile fiction, is fiction written for, published for, or marketed to adolescents and young adults, roughly ages 14 to 21. The Young Adult Library Services of the American Library Association defines a young adult as "someone between the...
fantasy novels that incorporate the myths and folklore and culture of West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
. It is the winner of the 2008 Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa
Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa
Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa is a pan African writing prize for books of any type or genre. It was established by The Lumina Foundation in 2005 in honor of Africa’s first Nobel Laureate in literature, Wole Soyinka. The prize is awarded every other year, and the winner receives...
. Okorafor-Mbachu was born in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to two Nigerian (Igbo) parents.
Plot introduction
In the northern Ooni Kingdom, fear of the unknown runs deep, and children born dada are rumored to have special powers. Thirteen-year-old Zahrah Tsami feels like a normal girl, she grows her own flora computer, has mirrors sewn onto her clothes, and stays clear of the Forbidden Greeny Jungle. But unlike other children in the village of Kirki, Zahrah was born with the telling dadalocks. Only her best friend, Dari, isn’t afraid of her, even when something unusual begins happening—something that definitely makes Zahrah different. The two friends determine to investigate, edging closer and closer to danger. When Dari's life is threatened, Zahrah must face her worst fears alone, including the very thing that makes her different.In this novel, things are not always what they seem: monkeys tell fortunes, plants offer wisdom, and a teenage girl is the only one who stands a chance at saving her best friend's life.