A Spell of Good Things

A Spell of Good Things delivers a powerful portrait of contemporary Nigeria through the intersecting lives of two unforgettable characters. Eniola, a teenage boy forced into maturity too soon, struggles to survive after his father loses his job—running errands, scavenging newspapers, and holding fast to dreams of a better future. Wuraola, a privileged young doctor from a wealthy family, is poised for success but finds herself trapped in a demanding career and an increasingly volatile relationship with the son of an ambitious politician.

Their worlds—marked by starkly different experiences of class, opportunity, and power—collide when political ambition sparks a wave of violence, altering both their paths forever. With lyrical prose and piercing insight, Adébáyọ̀ explores the fragile line between privilege and poverty, love and control, promise and peril.

A New Yorker and NPR Best Book of the Year.