The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney

Okechukwu Nzelu Press Reviews

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 -- Andrew McMillan

Okechukwu writes with confidence, wit and humour. Unforgettable characters and a voice that stays with you even after the final page. Edifying and hilarious, The Private of Joys of Nnenna Maloney is a beautiful debut that you won't want to put down -- Derek Owusu, writer, poet and podcaster

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 -- Candice Carty-Williams, author of Queenie

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 -- Bernardine Evaristo, author of Booker-shortlisted novel Girl, Woman, Other

[An] effervescent depiction of race and sexuality in 21st-century Britain. Nzelu is a delightfully generous writer and treats the conflicts of his characters with equal sympathy but he is best of all on the multiple subtle ways in which the most well-intentioned straight white people use sexuality and race to 'other' even their closest friends. He's also very funny . . . zesty social comedy that skewers religious, racial and sexual prejudice with a light touch - Metro

Witty narrative . . . [a] well-written tale - Financial Times

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] tender, funny debut . . . Nzelu writes with compelling honesty, but he's also gifted with a warm sense of humour - Daily Mail

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

A promising debut novel about race, class, family, belief and sexuality - Attitude

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

One of my earliest pieces for the Church Times was about Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's debut novel Purple Hibiscus, and I remember feeling reluctant to use the word masterpiece of that book, which indeed it was. Okechukwu Nzelu is another new Nigerian writer to celebrate: The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney has the same clear, well-written prose and natural dialogue, the same important human issues deftly touched on, the clashes between generations, and, crucially, how skin-colour can warp, but also illuminate, a human life - Church Times

I was beguiled by the sheer heart of Okechukwu Nzelu's novel The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney . . . Joy is exactly the right word for this unforgettable debut, about a Nigerian-British girl coming of age in our mixed-up world -- Preti Taneja - New Statesman