Longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize

Seventeen-year-ola Abike Johnson is the favourite child of her wealthy father. She lives in a sprawling mansion in Lagos, protected by armed guards. A world away from Abike’s mansion, in the city’s slums, lives a hawker trying to support his family by selling ice cream from the side of the road. When Abike buys an ice cream from the hawker one day, they strike up a tentative romance. But as they grow closer, dark revelations from the past threaten their relationship and both must decide where their loyalties lie.

‘Onuzo’s story of two star-crossed lovers in Lagos quickly outstrips its premise to become a much darker and more thrilling tale…A gripping, involving and very impressive debut.’ Metro