The number and variety of his novels in English have assured Chukwuemeka Ike a prominent position in Nigerian literature. He is admired most for his artistry, insight, moral consciousness, apt use of humor, and ability to relate an entertaining story. Rarely does one get to the end of one of his novels without wishing that the story would continue. Moreover, among Nigerian novelists, Ike is one of the few who have paid close attention to those sociocultural issues that have animated life in Nigeria and indeed Africa.

Ike was born on 28 April 1931 at the town of Ndikelionwu in eastern Nigeria and christened Vincent Chukwuemeka. Shortly before the publication of his first novel in 1965 he began to deemphasize his English name Vincent, preferring to be called simply Chukwuemeka Ike. His father, Charles Chinwuba Ike, was a farmer, teacher, and church and civic leader who set high standards of excellence...