"Not since Jerzy Kosinski's The Painted Bird or Agota Kristof's Notebook Trilogy has there been such a harrowing novel about what it's like to be a young person in a war. That Chris Abani is able to find humanity, mercy, and even, yes, forgiveness, amid such devastation is something of a miracle."-Rebecca Brown, author of The End of Youth
"The moment you enter these pages, you step into a beautiful and terrifying dream. You are in the hands of a master, a literary shaman. Abani casts his spell so completely-so devastatingly-you emerge cleansed, redeemed, and utterly haunted."-Brad Kessler, author of Birds in Fall
Part Inferno, part Paradise Lost, and part Sunjiata epic, Song for Night is the story of a West African boy soldier's lyrical, terrifying, yet beautiful journey through the nightmare landscape of a brutal war in search of his lost platoon. The reader is led by the voiceless protagonist who, as part of a land mine-clearing platoon, had his vocal chords cut, a move to keep these children from screaming when blown up, and thereby distracting the other minesweepers. The book is written in a ghostly voice, with each chapter headed by a line of the unique sign language these children invented. This book is unlike anything else ever written about an African war.
"The moment you enter these pages, you step into a beautiful and terrifying dream. You are in the hands of a master, a literary shaman. Abani casts his spell so completely-so devastatingly-you emerge cleansed, redeemed, and utterly haunted."-Brad Kessler, author of Birds in Fall
Part Inferno, part Paradise Lost, and part Sunjiata epic, Song for Night is the story of a West African boy soldier's lyrical, terrifying, yet beautiful journey through the nightmare landscape of a brutal war in search of his lost platoon. The reader is led by the voiceless protagonist who, as part of a land mine-clearing platoon, had his vocal chords cut, a move to keep these children from screaming when blown up, and thereby distracting the other minesweepers. The book is written in a ghostly voice, with each chapter headed by a line of the unique sign language these children invented. This book is unlike anything else ever written about an African war.
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Used availability for Chris Abani's Song for Night
See all available used copies of this book at: Abebooks UK or Abebooks US
Paperback Editions
September 2008 : Paperback
| Title: Song for Night Author(s): Chris Abani ISBN: 1-84659-057-4 / 9781846590573 (UK edition) Publisher: Telegram Books Availability: Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
August 2008 : Paperback
| Title: Song for Night Author(s): Chris Abani ISBN: 1-921372-09-5 / 9781921372094 (Australia edition) Publisher: Scribe Publications Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
September 2007 : Paperback
| Title: Song for Night Author(s): Chris Abani ISBN: 1-933354-31-3 / 9781933354316 (USA edition) Publisher: Akashic Books Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
Other Editions
September 2007 : Kindle edition
| Title: Song for Night Author(s): Chris Abani Publisher: Akashic Books Availability: Amazon More details... |
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