A Particular Kind of Black Man

Home. The finely written debut novel by Tope Folarin titled, A Particular Kind of Black Man, may seem at first to be a familiar story of immigrant assimilation into the culture of the United States. It is that and much more. Protagonist Tunde Akinola can never feel quite “at home.” He never fit in to life among the Mormons in rural Utah, where his father’s work and skills were undervalued. After his mother left Utah to return to Nigeria, Tunde becomes more adrift. A move to Texas doesn’t improve the family’s fitting in. Years later, Tunde visits family in Nigeria and his memories of life are questions by different aspects of the life he thought he knew and remembered. Readers who appreciate literary fiction will enjoy Folarin’s prose and recognize that this short novel is about much more than another immigrant family trying to fit in. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase A Particular Kind of Black Man from amazon.com.