The Novels of Wilton Sankawulo

Book excerpt: In the first chapter of this monograph, Dr. Robert H. Brown tries to lay the groundwork by discussing some of the problems of writing in Liberia and prospects for Liberian writers. Then he lists in chronological order some of the works published by Liberian writers as evidential proof that there is a paucity of creative fiction in Liberia. In three subsequent chapters, he undertakes a critical study of Wilton Sankawulos The Rain and the Night, Sundown at Dawn: A Liberian Odyssey, and Birds Are Singing. The chapters situate Wilton Sankawulos creative fiction in its proper context, revealing the currents of indigenous Liberian thought that run through it and tracing the connections that link the novels to a new development in his thinking. Indeed, however dissimilar in titles, The Rain and the Night, Sundown at Dawn: A Liberian Odyssey, and Birds Are Singing, to some extent, share tone, setting, and ambience that characterize the current moment of Liberias history as a turning point. Despite their minor grammatical infelicities and stylistic ineptitude, the three novels are set to become classics in the canon of African literature.