Author: Helon Habila
Publisher and Date of Publication: Penguin Books; 2008 Paperback; 383 pages
Mamo and LaMamo were both twins. Their mother passed away at their birth. And they were raised by their aunt Marina, their father's sister. Their domineering and randy father had little or no time at all for them. So when they came of age, they decided to run away from the restrictions of village life at Keti and ftom their father's oppressive control. But at the point of departure, only LaMamo succeeded in getting away. Mamo, due to his ill health, had to go back to the village. It was at this point that their lives diverged. Taking to a life of learning, the mild and reserved Mamo taught at the village school, where his uncle Iliya was the school head. As a history teacher, he read voraciously, devouring any and every book he could lay his hands on. His reserved and refined nature so impressed Zara, a cosmopolitan lady from the city who came to teach in the village, that they both fell in love. Under Zara's prodding, Mamo wrote a review of the history of Keti, which was published in an international journal. The success of the publication of his essay won him worldwide fame. It was this fame that brought him to the attention of the Waziri, who then arranged for Mamo to be appointed secretary at the
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