8.2 /10 1 Votes
Media type Book ISBN 978-0-618-34090-3 LC Class PZ7.O4157 Zah 2005 | 4.1/5 Goodreads Pages 308 OCLC 56104248 Originally published 2005 Page count 308 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Illustrator Stephanie Cooper and Amanda Hall Awards Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa Genres Fantasy, Young adult fiction Nominations Locus Award for Best First Novel Similar The Shadow Speaker, Akata Witch, Who Fears Death, Kabu Kabu, Binti | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Zahrah the Windseeker (Houghton Mifflin, Sept 2005), 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 was born in the United States 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.