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I Do Not Come to You by Chance

3.7 of 5 stars 3.70 · rating details · 470 ratings · 132 reviews

A deeply moving debut novel set amid the perilous world of Nigerian email scams, I Do Not Come to You by Chance tells the story of one young man and the family who loves him.

Being the opera of the family, Kingsley Ibe is entitled to certain privileges--a piece of meat in his egusi soup, a party to celebrate his graduation from university. As first son, he has responsibili...more

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Published (first published May 2009)

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Feb 12, 2013 Petra X rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, travel-adventure

Edit Look what I got today! See below

An alternately amusing and serious book on the Nigerian scam of emails that promise you millions of dollars if only you help the poor man/widow/cancer victim get the money out of the country. But this is written from the point of view of a well-educated but relatively poor Nigerian lad who has responsibilities to support his family. Its a very light read, quite well written and with a cast of some very colourful and more-or-less-believable characters. Althoug...more Edit Look what I got today! See below

An alternately amusing and serious book on the Nigerian scam of emails that promise you millions of dollars if only you help the poor man/widow/cancer victim get the money out of the country. But this is written from the point of view of a well-educated but relatively poor Nigerian lad who has responsibilities to support his family. Its a very light read, quite well written and with a cast of some very colourful and more-or-less-believable characters. Although its light fiction, because of the vast cultural differences, it left me with plenty to reflect on.

What is a person to do when he cannot get work, any work, let alone work commensurate with his qualifications and his family must eat and there is no welfare state? He must either condemn his family to a very low level of existence that might include begging, he might indebt himself to loan sharks and eventually end up begging, he might steal or - given the opportunity - scam individuals living far away in the first world countries of immense riches. And if the right people are paid-off, up to and including politicians, there is no danger of any punishment, so why not? He is as contemptuous of his marks as we are of them - people whose greed is equal to their wealth and stupidity - and really deserve no sympathy. If we ever hear of anyone falling victim to one of those email scams we laugh and think 'what an idiot' and so does he.

However, our hero never failed to have doubts about the morals of what he did but at the end when he appears to have repented (now he's very rich) comes a surprise (view spoiler) that had me saying streuuups sucking my teeth. And laughing.

Edit February 12th, 2013
Look what I got today in my inbox.

"I am Barr. Richard Spencer residing in Accra-Ghana,a personal attorney to late Mr.Robert ,a nationality of your country who died in tragic motor accident by running into a stationery Trailer without warning sign on December 26 , 2006.

I have contacted you to assist in repatriating his fund valued at USD$45,200,000.00 left behind by my late client before it gets confiscated or declared unserviceable by the Security Finance Firm where this huge amount were deposited.

Reply to my private email address for more details: richrdspencer1790@gmail.com"

Anyone want to write to him :-D ?
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Mar 02, 2013 Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: africa, contemporary, nigeria, 4-stars

This is one of those books that takes a grim situation and turns it into a fun and entertaining story: the background is poverty and corruption in Nigeria, but the book is the polar opposite of, say, The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born, which deals with similar themes; this one is quick and easy to read, exciting, and very nearly uplifting.

Kingsley is the oldest son of a family that values education above all else, but he's been unemployed for two years after graduating with a degree in chemical...more This is one of those books that takes a grim situation and turns it into a fun and entertaining story: the background is poverty and corruption in Nigeria, but the book is the polar opposite of, say, The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born, which deals with similar themes; this one is quick and easy to read, exciting, and very nearly uplifting.

Kingsley is the oldest son of a family that values education above all else, but he's been unemployed for two years after graduating with a degree in chemical engineering. His parents are well-educated and rigidly ethical, but struggling to make ends meet; his father is ill and his girlfriend impatient for a husband who can provide some financial security. When things go badly wrong, Kingsley turns to his estranged uncle, "Cash Daddy," who's made a fortune by scamming foreigners online. Cash Daddy soon offers him a job, and the second half of the book follows Kingsley through his adventures as a scam artist.

I had a great time reading this--it was one of those books that made me look forward to getting home and finding out what would happen next, and once I'd started, no other books were allowed to get in the way! It is well-paced and entertaining throughout, and although the email scams first appear later than I'd expected, that first half is important to setting up the characters and their situations. Most people have some curiosity about the secret world of criminal activity (and even if we haven't thought specifically about online scammers before, we've all gotten those emails and wondered who would be dumb enough to reply), and this book certainly feeds that. At the same time, it's a good piece of world fiction, painting a picture of a society in crisis and how people respond.

The tone is fairly light, although the subject matter is not--and this works well, resulting in a book that deals with serious issues without taking itself too seriously. Kingsley's voice is fresh and often humorous; some have taken the odd figures of speech as bad writing, but I enjoyed them (and I'm told this is representative of how people in talk in Nigeria). For instance: "I rummaged through my shirts. Most of them were dead, and had been for a very long time." Kingsley is also given to hyperbole: "He gave me a tentative estimate. The amount nearly shattered my eardrums." While it's not great literature, the language does a good job of creating and sustaining a voice and is very readable.

As for the characterization, it's fairly broad-brush, although certainly adequate. Kingsley's personal transformation makes him an interesting protagonist, but the most colorful figure is certainly Cash Daddy: corrupt and unscrupulous, but generous with his family, staff, and community, he's loud, crude, and larger-than-life. His justifications for his actions and occasional self-deception are especially entertaining. The secondary cast is more one-note, but sufficient for their roles. And the ending leaves the reader with plenty of think about.

Other reviewers have commented that this book seems tailor-made for a non-African audience, there seems to be some truth to this. For instance, when Kingsley's father suffers a stroke, he and his family are shocked and appalled to find out that no hospital will treat him without an advance deposit, and that they're expected to provide all medical supplies. For an American or European reader, this is shocking, but wouldn't people who've lived in Nigeria all their lives know how their own medical system works? But the book never seems dumbed-down or exploitative; I can't speak to how Nigerian readers might like it, but since the author is Nigerian and I'm not, I'm inclined to trust her portrayal of the country.

Overall, a very fun book with the potential to appeal to a wide audience. While I wouldn't expect to see it taught in a comparative literature class, I would recommend it to those who enjoy world fiction and those looking to branch out in their reading.(less)

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Jan 01, 2013 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Cheryl by: Petra X

Shelves: e-book, africa, literature, world-lit, fiction, nigeria

This was exactly the type of world lit book I enjoy reading. It is set in Nigeria and written by a Nigerian, so it felt like I was reading the story from within, from that perspective. It disobeyed all the rules of how to write about Africa, set out in that tongue-in-cheek Granta article several years ago ( http://www.granta.com/Archive/92/How-... by Binyavanga Wainaina.

The story centres around a likeable fellow from an honest and hard-working family who highly value education. Despite getting h...more

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Feb 09, 2010 THE rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Having removed the splinters from my eyes, I can finally review this tree-destroying book with its wooden characters and torpid prose. Yes, I was disappointed in this first novel in terms of its inarticulate thematic development, stereotypical portrayals, and stultifying language.

I had hoped that a satire on the notorious Nigerian 419 Internet financial scams would be insightful or at least amusing. (The Washington Post had referred to it as "original and heartfelt" and the Christian Science Mo...more Having removed the splinters from my eyes, I can finally review this tree-destroying book with its wooden characters and torpid prose. Yes, I was disappointed in this first novel in terms of its inarticulate thematic development, stereotypical portrayals, and stultifying language.

I had hoped that a satire on the notorious Nigerian 419 Internet financial scams would be insightful or at least amusing. (The Washington Post had referred to it as "original and heartfelt" and the Christian Science Monitor had described it as a "sly twist on an old morality tale.") Although not expecting the masterful style and themes of literary giant Chinua Achebe, I was anticipating writing worthy of Achebe's near contemporary, Cyprian Ekwensi, a popular Igbo novelist who could have competed in the Nigerian Book of the Month club (had one existed). Unfortunately, Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani is not the voice of a new eastern Nigerian literary renaissance. She speaks in a flat and discordant prose and her metaphoric images are uninspired. Moreover, her characters are just plain annoying, unsympathetic, and hardly human at all. Kingsley, the hero (perhaps anti-hero) is an automaton who lacks a backbone (except in one misguided effort) and has little understanding of himself, his family, his culture, or his nation. His scheming uncle, Boniface (aka "Cash Daddy"), who leads Kingsley into a life of crime, debauchery, and ill-gotten wealth is a cross between Eugene O'Neill's Emperor Jones and the real life Marcus Garvey. If you throw in the behavior of the Kingfisher (from Amos and Andy), you have Boniface, a stereotypical African conniving buffoon of comic book dimensions. From Boniface, Kingsley learns that " the only power to change anything that needs changing is the power of cash." This profound wisdom seems to be the novel's predominant moral.

Besides Boniface and Kingsley, there are an array of insubstantial characters including sanctimonious cardboard figures like Kingsley's bookish and high-minded parents and his various peevish and selfish siblings. We even have television characters like the outspoken and devout Aunt Dimma, who seems to be replicating the role of Aunt Esther from Sanford and Son (complete with the mandatory amens). There are also Boniface's fellow schemers with clever names (like World Bank) who are never more than caricatures.

Perhaps, most sadly, Nigeria itself is little more than a vague theatrical prop for this story. Except for the few obligatory scenes of poverty, some vague allusions to historical events or political figures, and the presence of a handful of untranslated Igbo words, Nigeria is rarely present in this book. We have no sense of the vibrancy of eastern Nigerian cities, social customs, or culture. We learn only that the region's politics and politicians are corrupt. However, even the 419 scams are poorly presented with little humor or insight into the greedy con men (and women) or their bumbling victims.

Nwaubani offers us a dreary and longwinded tale told in stilted language with few insights into the human condition or, for that matter, contemporary Nigerian corruption.(less)

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May 15, 2013 Kiera Healy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I Do Not Come to You by Chance (what a mouthful! And not the best title, for me anyway - it made me think at first of a cheesy romance) is a contemporary Nigerian satire of 419ers: those scammers we're all familiar with, who promise us 20% of their US$60,000,000 fortune if only we can help them get it out of the country. When I get one of those emails (and I've started getting them in my Goodreads mailbox, which really adds to that air of legitimacy, right?), I laugh, delete and move on. I'd nev...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Wal.li rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Der 419er
Als sein Vater seine Mutter kennenlernte war das erste, was der Vater von der Mutter wollte, dass sie einen Studienabschluss macht. Nach Jahren ist der Vater ein kleiner aber ehrbarer Beamter geblieben und die Mutter führt eine Näherei. Nach Jahren, die vier Kinder sind fast erwachsen, ist der Vater in Pension, die Näherei der Mutter läuft nicht besonders, doch der älteste Sohn hat seinen Abschluss als Ingenieur geschafft. Die Eltern sind sehr stolz, doch auch mit einem sehr guten Absch...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't know what possessed me to read this book. It's a far cry from my usual fluffy paranormal/young adult literature, and not even the topic is something I would find interesting.

However, I'm glad it's my first book of the new year. I've heard of the Prince of Nigeria scams, and used to wonder how those people slept at night. Now...pfffft, if people are fool enough to fall for that kind of scam, let them be taken for what is asked of them. The writing style did take some adjustment, the langu...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Marcy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kingsley did not come to his uncle,"Cash Daddy's" way of life by chance.

Augustina and Paulinus were the highly educated parents of Kingsley and his brothers and sisters. Both parents could not keep up monetarily with the inflation of their country. They became poorer and poorer as the years passed. Their hopes and dreams were for their eldest son, Kingsley, to become well educated, and attain a well-paying job of his dreams so that he could ease the financial burden of his family. Kingsley rece...more Kingsley did not come to his uncle,"Cash Daddy's" way of life by chance.

Augustina and Paulinus were the highly educated parents of Kingsley and his brothers and sisters. Both parents could not keep up monetarily with the inflation of their country. They became poorer and poorer as the years passed. Their hopes and dreams were for their eldest son, Kingsley, to become well educated, and attain a well-paying job of his dreams so that he could ease the financial burden of his family. Kingsley received the top marks at his college graduation, but as life would have it, he was unable to attain any worthy job in Nigeria.

Kingsley's beloved girlfriend left him for a rich man who could give her Fendi slippers and a Dolce and Gabbana wristwatch. Kingsley's father became critically ill, and because they were poor, his dad could not get the care of a sterile hospital, receive the proper medicines, or even clean sheets on the hospital bed. "The mosquitoes were riding on horseback" through the open windows of the hospital room.

In a hopeless dilemma, Kingsley resorts to asking his "uncle" Cash Daddy for help. Cash Daddy runs a 419, a business that makes millions of "nairas" by scamming white rich men and women in the U.K. and the U.S.A. Cash Daddy treats Kingsley like a father, giving him advice by reciting Nigerian proverbs and portions of the bible. With his "wisdom," Cash Daddy convinces Kingsley that making money in Cash Daddy's business would lead to a better future than receiving the best education possible. As the reader learns, corruption is rampant in Nigeria, and money does indeed speak in this corrupted country. Kingsley, being bright, is able to quickly make enough money to send his brothers and sisters to good schools, and take the financial burden off of his mom.

Mom, meanwhile, does not accept the "gifts" of her son due to the "illegal" money he makes. Kingsley's new girlfriend will not stay with him when she finds out he is a "419er." Kingsley is torn in half for most of this story. He can't seem to get approval from his mom or his girlfriend, yet his choice of this work has enabled his family to be educated and live in comfort.

This is a coming of age story of a young man, torn by familial needs and sacrifice, and the hopes and goals of his deceased father. This story tells the truth of many who live in Nigeria. It is sad, yet filled with naivety and humor. This is Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani's first novel. Kudos to this author!!!!!!

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Dec 03, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't want to review the whole book, but I noticed looking through the reviews on here that several people commented on the writing style being strange/unappealing, full of weird adjectives and proverbs, etc. Rather than constituting "bad writing" on the author's part (although I understand how it can come across that way), I think it's worth noting that these are deliberate usages of West African-style English. I used to live in Ghana, and the narration style of the protagonist in "I Do Not C...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks, fiction, women-authors, 2011

I wasn't sure if I was enjoying the story at first, but eventually I was drawn in. Framed by a preface and epilogue from the mother's point of view, the bulk of the book is told by Kingsley, the oldest son in a Nigerian family. With his family facing financial hardship due to the state of the economy and his father's illness and death, Kingsley is taken under the wing of his uncle "Cash Daddy" to learn the business of internet scamming. He becomes a successful "419" man (named for the criminal c...more

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Jul 12, 2009 Heather Rothman rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a compelling, prosaic, well-written novel, by a young Nigerian female author, (first novel). The reader will be privy to the rhythms and tones of daily life in Nigeria, often not a pretty picture.

If you are not familiar with 419, the Nigerian penal code number given by the government that refers to e-mail scams and fraud, you probably don't have an e-mail account. The novel utilizes the 419 scams and its purveyors as its vehicle to move the story of one son and his family forward. If you...more

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Apr 03, 2010 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you have ever wondered about the people who send you those spam e-mails promising a share of a huge, illicitly acquired fortune if you simply cooperate in filling out paperwork, then this book will enlighten you. Nwaubani's work is part commentary on Nigerian society and part coming-of-age story. The protaganist, Kingsley Ibe, is the child of a western-educated Nigerian man and his nearly as well-educated wife. As the first son, he feels responsible for carrying on his father's tradition (bot...more If you have ever wondered about the people who send you those spam e-mails promising a share of a huge, illicitly acquired fortune if you simply cooperate in filling out paperwork, then this book will enlighten you. Nwaubani's work is part commentary on Nigerian society and part coming-of-age story. The protaganist, Kingsley Ibe, is the child of a western-educated Nigerian man and his nearly as well-educated wife. As the first son, he feels responsible for carrying on his father's tradition (both as a college-educated engineer and as a member of a family of position within their ancestral village), providing for the education of his younger siblings, and looking after his mother after his father's death. Meanwhile, he is unable to find work in his field and unable to afford the bride-price of his true love. Eventually, he winds up helping his wealthy but uneducated uncle Boniface (Cash Daddy) in his "business" of bilking foreigners of their money in 419-schemes (so named from the section of the Nigerian legal code banning this sort of fraud). As the story progresses, we expect to see Kingsley redeemed either by religion or love or moral scruples, but the ending leaves us still wondering where he has drawn the line.

The novel, though clearly rooted in issues of importance to Nigerians, is just as clearly being pitched to foreigners. Every Igbo term of any importance to the plot is carefully translated, important cultural concepts are explained thoroughly, and localities are described in the sort of detail that would probably not be necessary for a native Nigerian. This is not a novel that asks the reader to strain to understand the cultural nuances of the writer. Instead, it is more like a package tour, assuming that the reader has little or no background in the area (and no time or inclination to go searching for more information).

Nwaubani situates her depiction of 419 fraud in the social, economic, and political pressures facing educated Nigerians. As the various characters explain and rationalize their actions, they point out that they are merely reversing generations of colonial exploitation of the country by bilking the descendents (culturally if not biologically) of the people who stole from their country. They also point out the impossibility of maintaining cultural traditions or giving generously to charity without this sort of ill-gotten wealth. In the background is the rampant corruption of the Nigerian state (which shuts talented individuals out of important jobs, siphons wealth from areas of great natural resources, and makes the bribes and pay-offs necessary to conduct 419 schemes with impunity possible). Also in the background are the "true believers" like Kingsley's father, who embrace just about every aspect of English life and culture as superior to that of Nigeria(from clothing to weather to food to education), but in the end dies impoverished in a country founded on the ruins of British imperialism. There is even a brief appearance by an expatriate who has succeeded in America and who lectures Kingsley on the importance of acquiring post-graduate degrees (the more the better) in order to play the game of economic and social advancement.

Overall, this is an entertaining and culturally enlightening read, if not a profound one. (less)

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Oct 02, 2012 Alison Lang rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

We've all had the emails, recognised them for what they are and deleted them within seconds, and these days most spam filters are wise to the scammers before their unfeasible promises of USD millions locked up in African bureaucracy even present their patently fabricated credentials. But what of the writers of these outrageous fictions? I do not come to you by chance takes us along the path of corruption trod, unwillingly at first, by Kingsley, unemployed graduate and eldest son of a struggling...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have to start by saying this Nigerian Author did a very good job on this book. I was a bit leery at first about the book. It started out moving, what I would consider, on the slower side. It brought you into the family dynamics and introduced you to the characters who they really were and what they were about. Kingsley is a truly amazing character in this book. He is the oldest boy and is the one who is supposed to take care of the family as his parents age or die. His Father and Mother made s...more I have to start by saying this Nigerian Author did a very good job on this book. I was a bit leery at first about the book. It started out moving, what I would consider, on the slower side. It brought you into the family dynamics and introduced you to the characters who they really were and what they were about. Kingsley is a truly amazing character in this book. He is the oldest boy and is the one who is supposed to take care of the family as his parents age or die. His Father and Mother made sure to put Kingsley through school and university no matter how hard money was to come by. They believed highly in education being the answer to a good life. Kingsley has graduated, but can’t find a job anywhere in his field. This very much reminded me of what can happen to anyone. As Kingsley gets news about yet another job interview failed, his life starts to unravel. His girlfriend and love of his life leaves him. His Dad id sick and then gets sicker and is hospitalized. He later dies and Kingsley is left to try to support the family without his Dad’s work check. The saving grace turns out to be Kingsley’s Uncle (on his Mom’s side), who gives Kingsley a place in his “company”. It is not a very legit company however and Kingsley is soon spiraling into a decision about ethics. Should he continue to work for his Uncle, even if it is an illegitimate company, to support his 3 younger siblings and Mother? Or should he try again in the legit work world?

This was a very different book than I was used to, plot wise. I was unsure how I would like it and if I could get through it, being it was also a longer book. I was surprised once I got into the book. I came to really enjoy the book and the characters in it. I liked the Nigerian culture in the book too. It was a book that kept me wondering which way Kingsley would go in his ethic battle.

All in all I would say 4 out of 5 stars. Good book! (Even if it wasn’t my “normal” kind of read.)
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Nov 16, 2010 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010

The reason that I picked out this book to read was that I was curious about the culture behind the scam e-mails that come from Nigeria and other places. Why do people
get into that kind of wheeling, dealing and deceiving ? Do they have any conscience? Is there a big network of them? Along with the answers to those questions, I learned about the Nigerian family, wedding customs and burial customs. I followed Kingsley, a son of poor but well educated parents from college. Witnessed his desperation...more

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Apr 11, 2013 Njenva Heimi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed reading this book. It had hilarious similies and sayings that I guess would be used in conversational English in Nigeria. The book shows how we human beings are driven by greed to reap where we haven't sown; whether one is a 419-er looking for a mugu or a mugu who is looking to gain where there have been minimum investments. I laughed out loud several times and I am looking forward to reading the book again.

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May 06, 2012 Ngozichi Omekara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ms Nwaubani is a funny story teller, she writes about a very serious topic punctuated with a lot of anecdote. a book that weaves within it the culture and expectations of the Igbo ethnic group from their sons and daughters, especially firstborns.
Her choice of words, and the way she composed her sentences evoked not only strong imagery but raucous guffaws, on every chapter.
As i read, being a firstborn myself and a descendant of the Igbo ethnic group, i could feel the pain, and great responsibilit...more

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Jun 25, 2011 Patricia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I get a lot of Nigerian scam e-mails, so I ordered this book on a whim. It is written as the life of a Nigerian scammer, who starts out entirely respectable, with a degree in Chemical Engineering. After a couple years seeking a job with the oil companies in Nigeria, and after suffering the death of his father (reading about the Nigerian hospital experience is an eye-opener), the main character goes to work for his very rich and highly disreputable uncle, as a '419', the code name for Nigerian sc...more

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Oct 27, 2011 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Once I finished this book, I kind of wondered what other readers thought. I read through some of the other reviews here, some of which were super funny. "Garbled patois"? "Torpid prose"? Get a hold of yourself, people. I agree that the writing is less than perfect, but it also added a bit of feeling and flavor. Was the story factually accurate? Probably not, but I don't think accuracy was the goal. It is fiction! If you can read a novel set in Nigeria (a country that most Americans are not all t...more

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Oct 22, 2009 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This year at least 3 times someone has taken a rental ad I posted and changed the rent amount to a lower number and the place to reply to to adifferent phone and email address than mine. When people replied, they were asked to send money to a person out of this country. If they had, they would have been scammed. This is a book about a person whose parents got educated and wanted their children to also go to college. Unfortunately, they fell on hard times and things were looking bad as their 1st...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Cyd rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Excellent novel about a young well-educated man in Nigeria who is frustrated to find that even with his university degree he's not able to take on his responsibilities as the first son--providing for his parents and siblings. When tragedy strikes his family he turns to a wealthy uncle who makes his money, among other ways, through 419 scams, those ubiquitous emails promising untold riches in exchange for bank account information.

I've read a number of African novels lately that I had some trouble...more

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May 17, 2011 Donal Phipps rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

'Deeply moving' is not a phrase I would use to describe this novel.
Imagine submitting a plot to google translate, copying the translation and then re-submitting it. The garbled patois which results is akin to the writing style of this book. Open any page and you'll find an example. Most of my time reading this book was spent in frustration, trying not to trip over awkward English and the maddening spray-gun of proverbs in pretty much every line of character dialogue.

I gave 2 stars instead of 1...more

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Aug 26, 2011 Jane rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought this book was rubbish!!!
It is not a true representation of the Nigeria I know. It also did not give any insight into the world of advanced fee fraud (aka 419). Kingsley was a moron ( i highly question his supposed first class degree), and the character "Cash Daddy" was too much of everything that was wrong with the book. The idea of him running for governor was so unbelievable that it gave me a headache. As an indigene of that part of Nigeria, I feel the author owes us all an apology f...more

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Jan 15, 2011 Candice rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: recommend

It takes talent to make sympathetic characters of adults who fleece others for a living. Nwaubani does it with skill and a strong sense of humor.

She makes no effort to “pretty up” Nigeria – as she's said herself in interviews, she's neither worried about Westerners who think everything Nigerian is 419 (ie, fraud) nor worried about the Nigerians obsessed with changing the impressions of the West. It's a brave stance – and perhaps a touch callous, since expat Nigerians deal daily with the negativ...more

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Jul 26, 2009 Mindy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You know those e-mails you get from Nigeria asking you to help someone get millions out of the Country and just for depositing them into your account you will get a nice big cut. Have you ever wondered who are the people who send these emails? And who are the people who fall for them? (Not always what you would expect). Well this novel helps to explain that whole culture. (I know every time I get one I immediately delete it but isn't there a part of you that thinks "Oh how I wish this were true!...more

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Nov 22, 2010 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this look at the people behind the Nigeria email scams. What a clever idea for a book, and it was well-executed. The author gave the lead character a real dilemma in terms of why he got into this industry and why he stayed there, both for reasons of selfishness and selflessness. I really felt for his familial situation, and it's something that Americans don't always have to deal with in our lives. It was also very well-written, and the lead character looked at the world in his o...more

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Dec 29, 2009 Liz rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 30, 2009 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-book-or-loan, africa, nigeria, 2012-nigeria-prize-for-literature-s, 21st-century

I found this book at the library and brought it home because ANZ LitLovers had recently read The Other Hand by Chris Cleave, partly set in Nigeria, but not written by a Nigerian. While I don’t subscribe to the view that only those of a certain culture may write about it, I did want to see what difference it might make…

It makes a lot of difference. I Do Not Come to You By Chance is Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani’s first novel, and it’s distinctively African in its theme and setting.
See http://anzlitlove ...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Titilayo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

my people are great storytellers...the eloquence of all that is nigeria shines through in the prose and personal lives of this very realisic tale. there were so many truisms that is had to not think of kingsley ibe as flesh and bone. as a first born child i understand the pressure he feels as being opara. the difficult choices he has to make....morality....negotiating a conscience...siezing opportunity in the name of filial interest..death..love...finding your self ..capitalism..education..solac...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Tiah added it · review of another edition

The time it took me to finish the book is a poor reflection of said book. THE OLYMPICS ARE ON! I hardly watch TV, but for this, I have made an exception. Poor book.

Nwaubani has written a very engaging book that reads quickly (if you actually pick it up!). I enjoyed it immensely and have passed it on to the Husband saying, 'Good book. You'd like it. Go read.'

I realise writing about 419 scams has become over done. But I think this author was one of the first to tackle the subjects before everyon...more

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“Good mothers know all about patience. They know about lugging the promise of a baby around for nine whole months, about the effort of pushing and puffing until a head pops; they know about being pinned to a spot, wincing as gums make contact with sore nipples; they know about keeping a vigil over a cot all night, praying that the doctor's medicine will work; they know that even when patience seems to be at an end, more is required. Always more.” — 4 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6644280-i-do-not-come-to-you-by-chance?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328335197l/6644280.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6644280-i-do-not-come-to-you-by-chance?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]I Do Not Come to You by Chance by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani[/url]

I Do Not Come to You by Chance

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