Faith

by Itoro Bassey

Faith is a coming-of-age tale about Arit Essien, a first-generation Nigerian-American woman born and raised in the U.S. who resettles in Nigeria. The novel is a meditation where several generations of women riff on ideas of faith, expectation, identity, and independence. It's a poignant conversation between the dead and the living, the past and the present, and a young woman grappling to find her place in it all.

Genres: Fiction

256 pages, Paperback

Published January 15, 2022

Reviews

[Alan ten-Hoeve]

I really enjoyed this book. I feel like it could have easily been published by one of the Big 5. Their loss.

[Shea]

Very early on Itoro Bassey’s debut novel Faith, Arit says, “Maybe we’re all untrustworthy in one way or another because if I said the words, I speak to spirits out loud, I wouldn’t trust myself.” But to tell the kind of story that Arit is telling takes help from all corners, including the dead. Arit is a first-generation Nigerian American woman, and she invites us along to trace the pieces of a story that she can’t complete in the land where she was born. So she returns to Nigeria — a place her parents did everything to leave — so that she might scare up the pieces that the living refuse to talk about.
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Faith is a novel that taught me so much about my own heart + longings, and my relationship with the dead.

[Esinam Bediako]

As the offspring of West African immigrants, I am naturally drawn to stories about identity, disorientation, and generational trauma. Itoro Bassey's novel Faith masterfully explores these themes through the life of Arit, a young woman born in the U.S. to Nigerian parents who are...let's say, not as emotionally available to Arit as she needs. This distance fosters a sense of isolation and pain, setting the stage for Arit's complex family dynamics and personal struggles. Her teenage years, vividly depicted with references to American pop culture and her unique ability to communicate with a spirit, highlight her quest for identity. As she grows into womanhood, Arit grapples with Blackness (and what it means in various contexts), sexuality, cultural expectations, the intersection of national history and her personal history...it's a thematically rich book.

Faith stands out for its narrative structure, weaving the perspectives of several women, including the aforementioned mysterious spirit, into Arit's journey. This approach not only deepens the thematic exploration but also connects these women's experiences, enriching the narrative. Bassey's poetic style and the incorporation of the Sankofa concept—a call to look back and reclaim one’s heritage and history (yes, I used the Ghanaian term, but the idea is as pervasive as the diaspora)—further enhance the story, culminating in Arit's poignant return to Nigeria.

Overall, "Faith" offers a profound look at the quest for belonging and understanding one's roots, making it a resonant tale for anyone exploring similar issues (so, really, all of us). The novel's approach to these themes is pretty singular, in my opinion.

[Kayode Odumboni]

Itoro Bassey’s Faith is a story of pain, of groping for light inside the darkness of a history that you do not know and that nobody is willing to talk to you about. But it is also a story of joy, of liberation, of searching for and finding oneself, and ultimately of accepting that sometimes maybe it’s just enough to search, and even if you don’t find yourself, the liberation is in the very act of searching.

Faith is a captivating narrative. You will encounter the stories of resilient women, especially the story of Ekpewan – particularly haunting, heart-wrenching, and beautifully rendered at the same time. When I read the chapter titled "The Girl," where Bassey first gives us the story of Ekpewan, I had to drop the book and take a long walk. Just to process what I'd just read. I can't remember the last time a book had such an effect on me.

Bassey’s writing is poetic and powerful; it is magical and musical; it is measured and mellifluous. You will be absolutely absorbed in the enchanting power of her use of language.

This is an important book. There is no doubt that people will come to the light of this book – either now or later. Faith is a story that people will be reading and loving many decades and centuries from now. What a gift!

This is a classic waiting to be discovered!

[Carol Littlejohn]

Itoro Bassey has written a story of three generations of Nigerian women (living and deceased) that offers suspense as it weaves its way from Nigeria to the United States to Nigeria. Few authors could weave the plot that winds from generation to generation, country to country and past to future with such a compelling style. I'm reminded of Truman Capote's Southern gothic short stories that surprises on each page, along with authors William Faulkner and Eudora Welty. Of course, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a masterpiece of Nigerian literature that also can be compared to Ms. Bassey's direct style, masterful storytelling, and insightful look at Nigerian tribal culture. Immigration is also included within the confines of the problems some face when they try to assimilate into another culture.
Most importantly, the book is fast-paced and clever, knowing just when to end one story to introduce another generation. You won't be able to put this book down! This would make a great book club pick because many discussions would occur. Oprah, Reese Witherspoon and other book club leaders should pay attention to this book and author. You won't regret it.

[Natasha Aduloju-Ajijola]

Where do I start with trying to describe Faith … it’s like inception in that there are multiple layers of storyline interacting and intersecting with each other. When we begin we see the world from a Nigerian American, Arit’s, perspective. We see her conflict with her family, her isolation, her culture, and the ghost girl who won’t leave her alone.

As we get deeper into the novel, we switch perspectives to different times, different relatives, and different locations. However, we begin to see and understand how the actions and decisions that one person makes impacts the actions and decisions others make even if they never meet. How sometimes the trauma that occurs as a result of these decisions, does not make the choices that were made the wrong ones. We see that many times people are doing the best that they can with what they have. With that said, we still have to address the trauma, both the new and the generational.

This debut novel by Itoro Bassey demonstrates that she is an author with a powerful voice and vision. I look forward to reading more and seeing how she continues to develop that voice in the years to come.

[Veli]

Itoro Bassey's Faith is a disarmingly fierce and self-assured debut. This novel is a stunning effort at talking about the age old questions of origin, migration, belonging and knowing oneself. Bassey takes these seemingly ordinary lives and imbues her characters with qualities that make them seem a little extra-alive, with sharp teeth and sharper tongues.

These characters live almost like outlaws, constantly taking stock of what it means to remain permanently in-between: between the spiritual and physical realms, between geographies, between love and neglect, between familial devotion and contempt; and ultimately, what it means to be caught up in all of it.

This endless tension between opposing forces (the characters included) doesn't quite reach a boiling poin, and all things in Bassey's World remain at odds. The readers, like the characters, have no choice but to move through this tension, powerless against it, devastated by it.

This is a debut to be very proud of. More from Itoro Bassey, please. Urgently.

[Shiloh]

This is a book I literally couldn’t put down. It was captivating from start to finish! I need a sequel!

But while I wait, I will read it a second time. The book unfolds like a movie. Telling stories that you have to fit together like a puzzle and as the puzzle comes together you start to see the full picture. It was so powerful!

But get ready because it is not easy to stomach everything in the book. You will find yourself teary for Arit, the main character at times. You will get a back-stage-pass into what it is like to live in Nigeria and you might find yourself teary then too. There are some painful and disturbing topics. (Not a book for children). But, if you are curious about culture, the experience of people of color, the experiences of immigrant families, and the grappling that children living in one culture and being raised by another experience.. this is your book! Touching.. heartbreaking.. and enrapturing. You will get sucked in!

[Ryan]

Faith, in a word, is grand. A grand story of lineage, of three generations of women, told though various points of view, including Arit’s first person search for self. Throughout the book lines KO’d. Written with precision, sentences jab. From the opening line of “Running” to the ultimate sentence in “Arit,” Bassey speaks to listen and sings to hear. I enjoyed how the chapters could be taken individually; how contained within the universe of time were formed narrative arcs of individual instances. Visit From the Goon Squad came to mind. Also enjoyed the pinch of magical realism and each chapter’s hint of God and the mystical in an overall narrative so grounded in the characters’ realities. With pages of intimacy, understanding, and coming to terms with family, Bassey’s Faith is a soul-searching must.

[Amy Sass]

How do we engage with our present reality while carrying the legacies of our ancestors? What does it take (or cost) to step into & create a future that we own for ourselves? Itoro’s Bassey’s new book FAITH illuminates this journey from a perspective that spans continents, generations while crossing the threshold between the living and the dead. From the first page I got chills and knew this book would make a difference, shifting the way I think & move through the world. Through Bassey’s writing (layered, sensual, honest, and sharp) my heart connected with the line women who share their stories as I was pulled into the whirlpool of their lives. This book validates the things felt but unspoken, uplifting the intuitive knowing inside each of us.

[Francois Bereaud]

Faith is an intricate novel and challenging read on many levels. We become entangled in intersecting lives of women across continents, generations, and worlds. Bassey gives us clear intonations on the experience of being Black, both in the United States and Africa. But she also poses questions about what we owe our ancestors and what a mother is to a daughter and reciprocally.

Many years ago, I had the good fortune to be invited to travel and work for a short span in Nigeria. I saw the chaos, hardships, and beauty of that large country. For me, Faith was a means to relive that journey in the voices and images so beautifully rendered in Bassey’s prose. But regardless of any experience with Nigeria, Faith will take its readers on an unforgettable journey.

[Katherine Lewiston]

Itoro weaves an inter-generational narrative between the past and present in this beautiful novel. With a voice equally at home in the United States and Nigeria, she brings depth and detail to the experience of Arit, a woman of Nigerian descent, born in America, struggling to come to grips with her ancestry. This novel moves through time and across the world with magical realism. It was a pleasure to read!

[Alexandra Gekpe]

This book is phenomenal! It was so good...I'm usually a slow reader but I finished it in a week. It talks about an ancestor basically calling her daughter back home and TRUST ME anyone who lives in a post colonial society will just get it. And its such an easy read, no fancy smancy words, it just flowed. I'm really happy with it, hopefully more people get to read it cos it is sooooooo good. And I can't believe its her first novel, well done Miss Bassey!

[Camylle Fleming]

Gosh - this book is totally stunning.

Faith feels like the experience of taking in a visual work of art - as in it speaks to the soul.

It is a timeless read that has the power to compel you to return and discover one's own origin stories.
I’m very much looking forward to seeing what author Itoro Bassey has next for us!

In the meantime, readers, do yourself a favor and grab 2 copies - for you and a loved one.

[Agnes Kay-E]

Although Faith is centred around Arit, it is an exploration of the application and perception of religion and culture and through the eyes of three women. Arit is called home, but she has the hurdles of her upbringing, the dilemma of being born in a different culture and holding onto the traditions of our forebears.
With vivid lyrical writing that makes it hard to put down.
If you loved Chimamanda Adichie's Americanah then you'll love this.

[Jamey Gallagher]

“Do you know how many worlds you live between?” the main character of this novel writes to a former lover. All of the characters here live between multiple worlds, connected to the past through a lineage of women. Faith is a complex novel. Told from different points of view, with no easy plot, it is a reward for readers looking for something a little different. It spans cultures and generations and is unexpected and emotional. This is an excellent novel; Malarkey Books does not miss.

[Ivy Grimes]

This novel has so many layers. I love that in this book about searching and exploration, the narrative itself shepherds us from country to country, person to person, while always bringing us back to the main character Arit. Every character here has a fascinating complexity; no matter what good or bad they do in this story, you see them from so many angles. I enjoyed every minute with this book and didn't want to put it down.

[Jody Sokolower]

This is the most wonderful, deep, lyrical book. It's an extraordinary immersion into the multigenerational impact of war and exile. And the complex web of pain, resilience and joy that unites women as they struggle to survive and to resist. It's also beautifully written, with incredible imagery and metaphors. I couldn't put it down.

[Maureen Gullekson]

Exceptional first novel. Characters well developed and real. Helped me, a white American woman, understand better the life, struggles and family dynamics of multi-generational black families. I look forward to Authors next book.

[Joey]

Faith is an exploration of generational distance and the immigrant experience with a magical realism bent. It's also great.

[Lindsay Wilson]

I read this in a day I couldn't put it down.

[Christian]

I love try new authors from different cultures than mine and find their work as rewarding as Itoro Bassey's book.

[Joseph Dubey]

I just didn't care for this one. Others may enjoy it, but you won't know til you pick it up and start reading it.

[Penny Hammar]

A winner!

Itoro Bassey has a distinctive voice in this short, highly autobiographical novel of coming of age between two very different cultures, United States and Nigeria. You have to pay attention as she moves back and forth in time and between characters, as she goes backwards to move her main protagonist Arit forward, and as she moves from America to Africa in search of who she is. The delight of this book is that though the author may have been patronised along the way she never patronises the reader. I was particularly taken with the way the young woman discovers new insights into the life of her mother. A very rewarding read.

[Joey Hedger]

Fantastic book! It’s surprising and beautiful and each chapter approaches the overarching story in a new, unique way. I loved the characters and how they interacted both with their own family history and their roots to Nigeria. Plus the prose is very captivating and poetic, filled with lines that really dig in deep and stick with you for a long time. Great read!

[Pamela Flowerday]

A poignant and thought provoking read. I recommend it!