Vagabonds!
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- Create Date：2022-03-16 07:53:05
- Update Date：2025-09-14
- Status：finish
- Author：Eloghosa Osunde
- ISBN：0593541510
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Summary
"In Nigeria， vagabonds are those whose existence is literally outlawed: the poor， the queer， the drivers and dancers， the abused and displaced and vulnerable。 Blending unvarnished realism with myth and fantasy， Vagabonds！ traces characters for whom life itself is a form of resistance: a driver for a debauched politician; a fashion designer who gives birth to a grown daughter; a lesbian couple; a wife and mother trying to escape from her violent husband。 As their lives intertwine--in bustling markets and underground clubs， churches and hotel rooms--they are seized and challenged by spirits who command the city's dark energy。 Whether running from danger， meeting with secret lovers， finding their identities， or vanquishing their demons， these characters confront and support one another， before converging one night for the once-in-a-lifetime gathering at the book's conclusion"--
Reviews
Sacha
，
5 stars In _Vagabonds！_， Osunde creates a separate world for characters who are pushed out of theirs。 This novel is at once arresting， complex， and fully absorbing， and it is filled with content that swings wildly from utterly devastating to shockingly powerful。 A few months ago， I came across a chapter of this book which had been published as a separate short story （"Rain"）， and I was so moved by it that while in the process of reframing my college-level critical thinking with literature course 5 stars In _Vagabonds！_， Osunde creates a separate world for characters who are pushed out of theirs。 This novel is at once arresting， complex， and fully absorbing， and it is filled with content that swings wildly from utterly devastating to shockingly powerful。 A few months ago， I came across a chapter of this book which had been published as a separate short story （"Rain"）， and I was so moved by it that while in the process of reframing my college-level critical thinking with literature course， I framed the entire class narrative around this text。 So， coming into this novel， I had high but cautious hopes。 It was a real gift to not only revisit that section but to also experience many more encounters with characters I've grown to cherish in a very short time。 And to think that they are just part of this space。。。 I'll be guarded about who gets this recommendation because Osunde is far ahead of what most artists are even considering doing right now， and I think some readers will be too wrapped in what the heck is happening to see the majesty。 But this is one of the most innovative and memorable pieces I've read in a long time， and where I think folks can hack it （maybe my test prompt is "Tell me your thoughts on Emezi。。。。"）， I'll never shut up about how quickly they need to dive into this space。 This is a book that some of us NEED for both artistic and human purposes， and those who don't need it？ Well， we learn fast what happens to the non-vagabonds here。。。 What a treasure。 I thought it might be limiting to bump a writer into my new favorites from one short story， but I'll expand that to one novel now with no qualms。 *Special thanks to NetGalley and Riverhead Books for this arc， which I received in exchange for an honest review。 The opinions expressed here are my own。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
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This is， I think， a love it or hate it book。 Or one you， like me， might admire more than enjoy。 It's exuberant， filled with magical realism and fantasy。 There are multiple （a lot of） characters linked by the fact that they are LGBTQ in Nigeria。 There's no real plot arc that's immediately discernible so the reader is along for a ride that ebbs and flows through various lives。 Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC。 For fans of literary fiction- this one will no doubt turn up on the awards lists。 This is， I think， a love it or hate it book。 Or one you， like me， might admire more than enjoy。 It's exuberant， filled with magical realism and fantasy。 There are multiple （a lot of） characters linked by the fact that they are LGBTQ in Nigeria。 There's no real plot arc that's immediately discernible so the reader is along for a ride that ebbs and flows through various lives。 Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC。 For fans of literary fiction- this one will no doubt turn up on the awards lists。 。。。more
Bob Hughes
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Taking us through the underbelly of society， and the people who get trapped there at times， this book was an interesting exploration of queer lives in Nigeria， with myths and tales woven into its fabric。The story is at times intentionally hard to follow， as spirits slip in and out of characters and most people around are disconcerted， but I thought it was an enjoyable and clever read。I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。
Andrew
，
There’s no single narrative in Vagabonds！， the debut novel by Nigerian writer Eloghosa Osunde。 There’s no hero， no standard plot arc。 The novel is like life: teeming， diverse， sometimes chaotic and shapeless， and yet its disparate strands are linked and bound together in ways that are not obvious at first。It’s a novel set mostly in Lagos， and the city itself is a character in the novel too， a mythical， godlike character who stands above everything and everyone—except the single all-powerful enti There’s no single narrative in Vagabonds！， the debut novel by Nigerian writer Eloghosa Osunde。 There’s no hero， no standard plot arc。 The novel is like life: teeming， diverse， sometimes chaotic and shapeless， and yet its disparate strands are linked and bound together in ways that are not obvious at first。It’s a novel set mostly in Lagos， and the city itself is a character in the novel too， a mythical， godlike character who stands above everything and everyone—except the single all-powerful entity who is above even the city itself: money。Vagabonds！ is structured as a series of stories that seem at first unconnected。 These stories introduce us to a large and diverse set of characters， mostly marginalised people who are struggling to survive and thrive in the competitive， cut-and-thrust， often callous but sometimes surprisingly connected world of the city。The stories effortlessly blend myth and reality， the living and the dead。 Ghosts and shapeshifters are a fact of life， and characters pass constantly between worlds。 All of this happens not just for literary high-jinks， but for a very important reason that Daisy， a lesbian woman in one of the stories， explains: “We’re ghosts because we have to be， because our lives depend on passing and being passed by。 But we’re ghosts who see other ghosts often， who hold them and hug them and fuck them， too， in our bedrooms， doors closed。”The book opens with a set of definitions of the word “vagabond”。 Some will be familiar to international readers， but others will not—at least， they were new to me。 In Nigeria， the word refers to people who are gay， lesbian or transgender。 Being a vagabond is illegal。 Vagabonds must constantly change shape and form in order to survive。You could read this as a short story collection， and it would still work because the individual stories are so strong and beautifully written。 But it’s also more than that—as you read further into the book， you start to see characters recurring， connections forming。 The book never coalesces into anything like a traditional novel， but still， those connections do form a story of sorts， a beautiful and horrifying picture of a city and the people who live at its margins。Vagabonds are made not just from gender or sexual identity but also from poverty。 Often， they run into harshness and cruelty at the hands of the rich， the privileged， the ones whose loves and lives are legal。 They must hide who they are， go mute， face violence。They often find solace in each other， but sometimes they find unexpected kindness and understanding from others too。 There’s the beautiful story of Gold and her mother: “Gold was only still here， alive， because she had a mother who asked， ‘What do you want for yourself， my child？’ and listened when she answered， after all。 A mother who saw how un-at-home Gold was in her old body， asked， ‘What is your real name？’ and then believed Gold immediately。 Life is different with a mother who listens and believes; a parent who welcomes you when you take yourself home to meet her for the first time; who lets a dead name go quietly into the ground。”Gold’s mother may accept who she is， but the wider society doesn’t。 Gold， like so many other vagabonds， is illegal， facing fourteen years in jail for being who she is。 But unlike so many of the others， she has her mother alongside her， supporting her。 As Gold’s best friend F。 says， “But it shouldn’t be rare。 Us being loved shouldn’t be rare。 What you felt today， is how it should be。”In case you haven’t guessed yet， I loved this book！ At first， I thought the fractured nature of the narrative might make it hard to read， but it wasn’t。 Each story was compelling on its own， and they all add up to something much more。There’s a story in Vagabonds！ in which a group of fairygodgirls put a book in the hands of the person who needs it at that particular moment in their lives。 This book could be exactly that book for some readers， the kind of book that tells them， in Eloghosa Osunde’s words， “You will be strange， but you won’t be strange alone。” Even if it’s not that book for you， it will still be well worth reading。 It’s startlingly original， full of energy and life， shocking in some places and inspiring in others。 。。。more
Anne O'Connell
，
It took me a little while to adjust to the rhythm of Vagabonds！ but once I did， I was happy to be taken along for the ride。 I love the exclamation mark in the title – it gives an idea of the book’s vivacity， its playfulness。 But it deals with serious subjects – violence against women， rich vs poor， and the persecution of queer people since the Same Sex Marriage （Prohibition） Bill was passed in Nigeria in 2014。Lagos is a megacity， a complete world in itself。 And that’s just when you consider the It took me a little while to adjust to the rhythm of Vagabonds！ but once I did， I was happy to be taken along for the ride。 I love the exclamation mark in the title – it gives an idea of the book’s vivacity， its playfulness。 But it deals with serious subjects – violence against women， rich vs poor， and the persecution of queer people since the Same Sex Marriage （Prohibition） Bill was passed in Nigeria in 2014。Lagos is a megacity， a complete world in itself。 And that’s just when you consider the living… What if the dead were not just lying in their graves， if they still had agency and a role to play in the world？ Might that redress the balance in an unfair place？ If only。It would be easy for Vagabonds！ to feel disjointed， jumping as it does from one story to another。 That it doesn’t is， I think， an indication of how good the writing is。 Much as it is about Lagos， there are things that apply much more widely （I was particularly struck by a passage about money and laws）。 The only problem with there being stories of so many people is that I wanted to stay with some of them longer。I’m definitely warming to magical realism。 When the writing is good， it’s good， whatever the subject。 Eloghosa Osunde’s description of the devil inhabiting different people is chilling。 There’s definitely more going on than I could fathom in one reading but please take that as a recommendation – it’s worth coming back to。 。。。more
Kaisan Rei
，
I've been waiting on this novel since I first came across Osunde's short stories some years ago。 And I must say， it did not disappoint。 There is something notably raw and true in the story。 Osunde's writing style and voice provide a feast of beautiful language filled with the rich substance of betrayal， courage， love， fortitude， and ruthlessness。From the jump， this book takes you on a wild ride。 One that I， personally， very much enjoyed。 The characters， including the very much alive city of Lago I've been waiting on this novel since I first came across Osunde's short stories some years ago。 And I must say， it did not disappoint。 There is something notably raw and true in the story。 Osunde's writing style and voice provide a feast of beautiful language filled with the rich substance of betrayal， courage， love， fortitude， and ruthlessness。From the jump， this book takes you on a wild ride。 One that I， personally， very much enjoyed。 The characters， including the very much alive city of Lagos， are as bold as they are plentiful。 Keeping up with all of the "Vagabonds" was so so worth it in the end。 It's great to see queer culture reflected in such a nuanced and unapologetic way within the context of Nigerian life。 The short stories can be taken individually， but the real gold is the way they relate to and communicate with each other to make a complete body of work that moved me in a very profound way。 。。。more
Megan
，
These unconventionally written short stories trace the lives of Vagabonds - those who are outlawed by Nigerian culture and in some cases government。
Zach Weinberg
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A stunning and dizzying read！ Vagabonds！ takes off like a shot， driving you in and out of the lives of over a dozen queer Nigerians and any number of spirits and gods and ghosts living and working and loving in the imagined and literal margins of society。 Osunde’s prose ducks and dives between poetry， pidgin， and moments of stunning clarity in a way that kept me on my toes and gives the novel a propulsive quality。 Despite often telling stories that involve death and tragedy， Vagabonds！ earns its A stunning and dizzying read！ Vagabonds！ takes off like a shot， driving you in and out of the lives of over a dozen queer Nigerians and any number of spirits and gods and ghosts living and working and loving in the imagined and literal margins of society。 Osunde’s prose ducks and dives between poetry， pidgin， and moments of stunning clarity in a way that kept me on my toes and gives the novel a propulsive quality。 Despite often telling stories that involve death and tragedy， Vagabonds！ earns its exclamation point through wry humor， constant inventiveness， and an exultant ending。 Not to mention the symphony of raw， beating hearts that echo through every page of this novel。 I could see how Vagabonds！ might not be to everyone’s taste — it can definitely be a difficult read。 There’s a brazenness to the storytelling， almost as if Osunde is telling the reader “just let it wash over you — you can swim。 You’ll catch up。” And while I always did， there were moments where I felt unsure what to take from a chapter， or like I was missing some key detail。 I’m sure there were things I did miss！ With something this rich， that’s bound to happen。 And what a pleasure to just dive in and let a book carry you wherever it’s going to go。 I can’t remember the last thing I read that was quite like this novel。 It’s a marvel of a debut， explosive and vibrant and sticky， and something I’ll remain excited about for a long time。 。。。more
Mercedes Onyemenam
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Reading this book was quite the adventure。 I went through a wide range of emotions and connected with several moments on a personal level。 It was so beautifully written， it's difficult not to lose yourself in the stories。 The strength of this book is in Eloghosa's ability to build stories that are so magical yet so relatable at their core。 Reading this book was quite the adventure。 I went through a wide range of emotions and connected with several moments on a personal level。 It was so beautifully written， it's difficult not to lose yourself in the stories。 The strength of this book is in Eloghosa's ability to build stories that are so magical yet so relatable at their core。 。。。more
Fadekemi Abiru
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I cannot recommend this book enough！ Eloghosa has always had a talent of writing stories that sit with you for a long time （if not forever）！
BookOfCinz
，
I finished reading this book and when I was done， my first thought was， "a weh mi just read？！"。 I decided to wait for awhile before writing my review to see if I was too close or needed the book to sit with me。 Can this author write？ Definitely！ Did this book feel overly written？ At times。Could it have benefitted from a stronger editor？ Most definitely！Did I understand everything I read？ I need someone to talk to， to understand what I missedWill I read something else by this author？ Oh for sure！ I finished reading this book and when I was done， my first thought was， "a weh mi just read？！"。 I decided to wait for awhile before writing my review to see if I was too close or needed the book to sit with me。 Can this author write？ Definitely！ Did this book feel overly written？ At times。Could it have benefitted from a stronger editor？ Most definitely！Did I understand everything I read？ I need someone to talk to， to understand what I missedWill I read something else by this author？ Oh for sure！Honestly， the parts that were really good- were flawless， the parts that weren't so great， really were not great。 I felt the book tried too hard and got lost in the sauce。 I am not even sure who I can recommend this book to。。。。 。。。more
J。S Lean。
，
Osunde’s persuasive gifts as a writer are obvious in this vivid portrayal of Lagos and its many worlds; Vagabonds！ invites us into a kinetic interplay of characters who find buoyant， strange and tender ways to intervene in their own lives。 I particularly enjoy the author’s clinical attention to the social， cultural and political factors that render some of such interventions invalid， incomplete or invisible。 All in all， I was deeply affected by many stories here and I believe we are witnessing t Osunde’s persuasive gifts as a writer are obvious in this vivid portrayal of Lagos and its many worlds; Vagabonds！ invites us into a kinetic interplay of characters who find buoyant， strange and tender ways to intervene in their own lives。 I particularly enjoy the author’s clinical attention to the social， cultural and political factors that render some of such interventions invalid， incomplete or invisible。 All in all， I was deeply affected by many stories here and I believe we are witnessing the rise of a generational talent！ 。。。more
Siobhan
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Vagabonds！ is a novel about a city， living oppressed， and finding joy， as the streets of Lagos form the location for interwoven stories and scenes。 Each section tells different stories， of different characters across the city， the various titular 'vagabonds' who are people living unseen or hiding， and finding new ways to exist。 A lot of the stories are about queerness in Nigeria， but they also explore power， corruption and hypocrisy， and the ways in which people are interlinked。One particular st Vagabonds！ is a novel about a city， living oppressed， and finding joy， as the streets of Lagos form the location for interwoven stories and scenes。 Each section tells different stories， of different characters across the city， the various titular 'vagabonds' who are people living unseen or hiding， and finding new ways to exist。 A lot of the stories are about queerness in Nigeria， but they also explore power， corruption and hypocrisy， and the ways in which people are interlinked。One particular stand out element of the book is the way that Lagos is so important in it， a living， breathing character that causes things to happen。 The combination of this with the exploration of different queer lives gives a sense of the importance of place in self and identity， whether you like it or not， and also how places can be given different meanings。 Though the stories can often be very brief and with so many characters there's always going to be some moments you connect with more than others， as a whole book it works well， building towards an ending and with enough glimpses of previous characters to feel like it wasn't just completely separate stories。Displaying a range of characters as they live and love outside what is deemed the norm， Vagabonds！ is for people who like their short stories interconnected or enjoy when a city is brought to life and becomes part of the fabric of a book。 Sometimes you might get lost in the crowd， but there's a lot of memorable moments and emotion in there。 。。。more
Amyn
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It was a peculiar reading experience， I appreciated many parts of it but it's definitely an acquired taste。 It was a peculiar reading experience， I appreciated many parts of it but it's definitely an acquired taste。 。。。more
Kara
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I really enjoyed this book。 It was weird and wild， sometimes confusing but I loved peeking into the world of Lgtbq culture in Nigeria intermixed with folk story/mythos underneath。 There was a LOT of characters to keep track of but they each take you somewhere new and insightful， traumatic or scary or funny or sweet which is hard to do。 This is a story that weaves itself together so well。 A few stand out scenes in the book I dont think I'll get out of my head for a while！ I really enjoyed this book。 It was weird and wild， sometimes confusing but I loved peeking into the world of Lgtbq culture in Nigeria intermixed with folk story/mythos underneath。 There was a LOT of characters to keep track of but they each take you somewhere new and insightful， traumatic or scary or funny or sweet which is hard to do。 This is a story that weaves itself together so well。 A few stand out scenes in the book I dont think I'll get out of my head for a while！ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Vagabonds!
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Vagabonds!&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Vagabonds!&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0