Ezeulu

Ezeulu is the book’s central character and protagonist. The narrative never explicitly states or defines his age, but he is an elder in his community; he has multiple wives and children of young adult age; and the narrative portrays him as having a few age-related infirmities. It would be reasonable for a reader to think, or imagine, that he (Ezeulu) is at least in his early-to-mid fifties, if not older.

The narrative portrays Ezeulu as having a clear sense of himself in the world, in his community, and in his spiritual practice. His world is relatively limited in terms of geographic size, being limited to a range of six small villages and the similarly small area beyond; his range of travel, experience, and perspective is limited to the distance he can walk within a few hours. In contrast, his sense of power, status, and place within his...