The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney

A magnificent novel, full of wit, warmth and tenderness; Nzelu shows us that fully becoming who we are is a lifelong journey and that identity, of the self, of family and of a community, is infinitely complex

Okechukwu Nzelu has effortlessly captured the tricky nuance of life, love, race, sexuality and familial relationships … I haven’t been able to put it down

Nzelu writes with a witty confidence rarely seen in debut fiction. Smart, serious and entertaining, I expect this book to have wide appeal and for this writer to go far

This debut is the big-hearted story of a half-Nigerian teenager growing up in Manchester, desperate to find out the truth about her Igbo heritage - iNews

A vivid picture of people seeking security and identity in the maze of modern-day England. This is fiction as sculpture: skilfully paring down a scene to reveal the shape of the pain hidden within. Jonathan’s search for validation, and Nnenna’s drive to create an identity for herself, are moving and relatable stories, intimately told - Guardian

Figuring out who you truly are is the central theme of this open-hearted debut … a quietly complex plot comes together and a lyrical epilogue takes over - Irish Times