The Lies of the Ajungo Quotes

“Tears are precious, his mama always said. Don't waste them on your enemies. Save them for your friends.”
― Moses Ose Utomi, The Lies of the Ajungo

“It had been so long since he'd had the freedom to cry. That's what crying was—freedom. You could cry when there were no more urgent responsibilities. Only when there was no one watching you who depended on your strength. Only when the people around you wouldn't take advantage of your tears.
Only when you had enough water in your body.”
― Moses Ose Utomi, The Lies of the Ajungo

“In exchange for water, the Ajungo demanded the tongues of every citizen of the City of Lies. It was a twofold price, a price of blood and a price of history: an untongued people cannot tell their story.”
― Moses Ose Utomi, The Lies of the Ajungo

“A man will give ya work and name it a gift.”
― Moses Ose Utomi, The Lies of the Ajungo

“Go in peace.”

She meant it when she said it. That was why he had refused to go with them, or to allow them to come with him.

He didn’t want peace.”
― Moses Ose Utomi, The Lies of the Ajungo

“He buried the bones. Then he said a prayer for the soul of the departed, that it would find water and shade, and that it would be remembered truly.”
― Moses Ose Utomi, The Lies of the Ajungo

“Tears are precious, his mama always sadi. Don't waste them on your enemies. Save them for your friends.”
― Moses Ose Utomi, The Lies of the Ajungo

“They knew that all of history was a lie told to instill fear in those whose fearlessness could have rewritten it.”
― Moses Ose Utomi, The Lies of the Ajungo

“You must learn. Only by learning can you free us.”
― Moses Ose Utomi, The Lies of the Ajungo

“evil in one place is an evil in every place.”
― Moses Ose Utomi, The Lies of the Ajungo

“And the gods answered his prayer.

They said no.”
― Moses Ose Utomi, The Lies of the Ajungo

“There are no heroes in the City of Lies.”
― Moses Ose Utomi, The Lies of the Ajungo

“Adults are always scared. They hid it in a million ways—caution or confidence, disinterest or anger, a firm hand or a warm embrace or sage advice—but the fear was always there if you knew how to see it.”
― Moses Ose Utomi, The Lies of the Ajungo

“A man will give ya work and name it a gift”
― Moses Ose Utomi, The Lies of the Ajungo