A dark comedy about disaster capitalism, cutthroat office politics, vicious sibling rivalry, hapless do-gooderism and the corporatization of water.

When a humanitarian catastrophe strikes Nigeria, an unforgettable cast of Machiavellian opportunists and Quixotic do-gooders swoop in to make the most of the tragedy.

Some time in the near future, Kainji Dam, the engineering marvel that is the pride of Nigeria, collapses, killing thousands of villagers downstream. The Minister for Natural Resources can hardly believe his luck—now he can make a bid for the presidency. On the other side of the world, the grimly ambitious executive of a water company sniffs an opportunity to privatize water concessions in Africa. Her sister, Barbara, who has never encountered a cause she could not carry a placard for, gets up off her yoga mat and joins forces with Femi Jegede, a charismatic Nigerian activist whose family was swept away in the disaster. The result: a wickedly satirical romp along a road to hell paved with both good and bad intentions. Brazen, hilarious and sublimely written, Carole Enahoro’s debut novel is simply dazzling.

“Reading Carole Enahoro’s work is like encountering a tree dripping with fruit — one is taken aback by the richness of what she creates. She is both generous and riveting.” —Douglas Coupland

Length: 480 pp
Publication Date: May 2010



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Photo credit: Wendy Ashley

Carole Enahoro was born in London of a Nigerian father and an English mother, and grew up in Nigeria, Britain, and Canada. Her family has been involved in Nigerian politics, diplomacy, and journalism since Nigerian independence. After university, she worked as a film/TV producer and an art history lecturer in Britain and Canada. She is currently working on a PhD at University College London (UCL) researching satire and Nigerian urbanism, and shares her time between Canada, Britain and Nigeria.