Book summary

My Luck is the moniker of a 15-year old mine sweeper in a war ravaged African country. Like the other mine sweepers in his platoon, My Luck has had his vocal cords cut to make his seemingly inevitable death a silent one. Though My Luck is no innocent child--he loves killing--his experiences, his losses, and his perspective on his brutal world make him a painfully sympathetic character. Nigerian poet, novelist, and former political prisoner Chris Abani once again delves into the grim truths of African life, but his lyrical voice and graceful sense of humanity provide sparks of light in the darkness.

Media reviews

"Abani finds in his narrator a seed of hope amid the bleak, nihilistic terrain." (starred review)