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Big Books & Bold Ideas with Kerri Miller
Kerri Miller and Breann Schossow

New novel by Akwaeke Emezi explores grief, love and spirituality

The cover of a book; a person wearing a pink and gray shirt.
Akwaeke Emezi is the author of several books and a video artist. Their latest book is “The Death of Vivek Oji.”
Author photo by Scottie O | Book cover courtesy of Penguin Random House

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 When Vivek Oji is born, his parents are surprised to find he has a scar that resembles a starfish. What’s surprising, though, is that his grandmother -- who died on the day of his birth -- had the same scar.

“It tells them about reincarnation, which they are a little afraid to believe,” said author Akwaeke Emezi in conversation with MPR News host Kerri Miller. “I had written it like that because I’ve been really interested, since ‘Freshwater,’ about Igbo spirituality and the ways in which we’re disconnected from it in a contemporary sense.”

 “The Death of Vivek Oji” is set in southeastern Nigeria during the 1980s and ’90s. Emezi weaves a tale about the death of the title character, while also looking at grief, different types of love and the search for self.

Emezi spoke with Miller about the inspiration for the book.

Guest: 

  • Akwaeke Emezi is a video artist and the author of several books including “Freshwater.” Their latest book is “The Death of Vivek Oji.”