''Becoming Abigail'' is a 2006 novella by

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jour ...

writer

Chris Abani Christopher Abani (born 27 December 1966) is a Nigerian-American and Los Angeles- based author. He says he is part of a new generation of Nigerian writers working to convey to an English-speaking audience the experience of those born and raise ...

Plot

''Becoming Abigail'' shares the story of Abigail, a young Nigerian girl whose mother died at childbirth. Her father commits suicide after raising her up. She travels to London with Peter where she finds out that she is alone and that she does not exist.

Reception and recognition

*A ''

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'' Editor's Choice. *A ''

Chicago Reader The ''Chicago Reader'', or ''Reader'' (stylized as ЯEADER), is an American alternative weekly newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. It was founded by a ...

'' Critic's Choice. *A selection of the ''

Essence Magazine ''Essence'' is a monthly lifestyle magazine covering fashion, beauty, entertainment, and culture. First published in 1970, the magazine is written for African-American women. History Edward Lewis, Clarence O. Smith, Cecil Hollingsworth and Jon ...

'' Book Club. *A selection of the Black Expressions Book Club on

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. *A New York Public Library Books For Teens Selection. *Finalist,

PEN/Beyond Margins Award PEN/Open Book (known as the Beyond Margins Award through 2009) is a program intended to foster racial and ethnic diversity within the literary and publishing communities, and works to establish access for diverse literary groups to the publishing i ...

References

2006 Nigerian novels {{Nigeria-novel-stub