Waiting for an angel by Helon Habila

This novel captures the chaos and brutality of Nigeria in the 1990s under the rule of  military. The story follows Lomba, a visionary, a political student in the capital city of Lagos, he tried writing a novel for three years but couldn't finish because he had a lot to write about and couldn't conclude. If he had finished, no one would have agreed to publish it for him due to the problem in the country at that time and the content of the novel. No one wanted to get into any kind of problem with the military.He once lived in a street called Morgan street or better known as Poverty Street, to live in that street is likened to living in a mad house. He also covered arts and a little politics  for a city newspaper, the Dial. Soon, Lomba's work place is attacked by soldiers and was burnt down while he was returning with his boss Mr James from Badagry. Journalists are arrested all over the city. Lomba decides to take part in a pro-democracy demonstration. There, he is arrested and imprisoned for three years. The novel's narrative moves back and forth in time, beginning with Lomba's life in prison and ending with the  events leading up to the arrest. Kela's aunt Rachael runs the Godwill  Restaurant; a woman who got her own share of the military regime, losing a man she married against her father's wish. In the other end is Hagar and Joshua, who loved each other fiercely but couldn't be together due to fate; and when they finally agreed to be together she was killed by a hit and run driver. There are a lot of character in this novel and all were neatly developed.

I strongly recommend it especially for those of us who were not old enough during the military regime. It would give you a great insight of what happened in that era.