Books of the Month

'Measuring Time' by Helon Habila

Habila's second novel is an ambitious epic, telling the story of two brothers, one village, and one nation.

Set in rural Nigeria and extending over a period of some hundred years from the first arrival of white missionaries to the present day, the story focusses on the lives of the twins Mamo and LaMamo. Habila quickly sets up parallels between them: LaMamo is the stronger, bolder, more reckless one; Mamo has inherited sickle-cell disease and is weaker, but more thoughtful and bookish. Their paths divide when Mamo isn’t strong enough to accompany his brother on their planned escape to the army. For more than a decade LaMamo travels the African continent fighting with various rebel groups, while Mamo stays behind and becomes a teacher at the village school.

Mamo’s interest in writing begins when, aged fourteen and bored, he transcribes the lines of the traditional village play to make the actors’ lives easier. But his life really begins to change when, as a teacher, he begins contemplating what history really means, and how it ought to be written. He argues that history should be about people rather than geography, and becomes interested in writing biographies rather than generic histories. But when Mamo is invited to write a biography of the local chief, he comes to realise how even writing personal histories can, in the wrong hands, become a political tool. Local power struggles and disquiet with the corruption regime mean that tensions in the village soon build to breaking point.

This is a successful novel which works on the personal and political planes. Habila creates strong characters, tells a compelling story, and vividly depicts an atmosphere of growing tension and unease. A worthy successor to his prize-winning debut, Waiting for an Angel.

Susan Tranter

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