I can understand why this book was up for this year's Man Booker award, but like Midnight's Children before it, I think I would have gotten more out of it if I knew more of Nigeria and its history. The novel is set in 1996, and revolves around the Agwu family of the village of Akure in western Nigeria. Four brothers decide they will become fishermen to pass their after school hours and go off to the forbidden Omi-Ala river to ply their trade. What they find there and the consequences which ripple out from it forms the basis of the novel. 
 While I thought the story was great packed as it is with additional levels of meaning (biblical parable, historical allegory, Greek drama), I was oddly not engrossed/engaged with the characters as I felt I should have been. However, I think it is an excellent first novel in any respect. 
 The fine narration of the audiobook was done by Chukwudi Iwuji, and I think helped immersion because of hearing the accent and Igbo/Yoruba language spoken.