'Sparklingly funny' Wired Magazine

'[Nwaubani] not merely explores a side of modern existence that touches millions every day, but does so with wit, warmth and insight' Independent

'Beautifully written' Sunday Herald

Kingsley is fresh out of university, eager to find an engineering job so he can support his family and marry the girl of his dreams. Being the opara of the family, he is entitled to certain privileges - a piece of meat in his egusi soup, a party to celebrate his graduation. But times are hard in Nigeria and jobs are not easy to come by.

For much of his young life, Kingsley believed that education was everything, that through wisdom, all things were possible. But when a tragedy befalls his family, Kingsley learns the hardest lesson of all: education may be the language of success in his country, but it is money that does the talking. In desperation he turns to his uncle, Boniface-aka Cash Daddy-an exuberant character who suffers from elephantiasis of the pocket.

He is also rumoured to run a successful empire of email scams. But he can help. With Cash Daddy's intervention, Kingsley and his family can be as safe as a tortoise under its shell. It is up to Kingsley now, to reconcile his passion for knowledge with his hunger for money, to fully assume his role of first son. But can he do it without being drawn into this outlandish milieu?

A vivid, warm and very funny debut novel set against the colourful back-drop of modern Nigeria.

About the Author
Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani grew up in the eastern part of Nigeria, among the Igbo speaking people-the major culprits of 419 scams . She lives in Nigeria. I DO NOT COME TO YOU BY CHANCE is her first novel. It won a Betty Trask Award, the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book (Africa), and was a finalist for the 2010 Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa.

Reviews
This is a fast, fresh, often hilarious first novel, by one of the remarkably talented young African writers who are rapidly making everyone else look stale * THE TIMES *
[Nwaubani] not merely explores a side of modern existence that touches millions every day, but does so with wit, warmth and insight * INDEPENDENT *
Sparklingly funny debut novel * WIRED MAGAZINE *
In this touching tale, the Nigerian author traces a "419" plot back a generation - a generation full of hope and promise * PRIDE MAGAZINE *
[Nwaubani's] pointed and poignant first novel is a lively, good-humoured and provocative examination of the truth behind a global inbox of deceit * WASHINGTON POST *
Nwaubani does a great job of detailing the frantic pulse of urban Nigeria * TIME OUT *
Beautifully written... More than just a brilliant read, it also turns the whole idea of Nigerian 419 scams neatly on its head, using wit and warm humour to bring to life the stories of the email recipients themselves * SUNDAY HERALD *
poignantly funny * WATERSTONE'S BOOKS QUARTERLY *
sparklingly funny debut novel * WIRED MAGAZINE *
In this touching tale, the Nigerian author traces a "419" plot back a generation - a generation full of hope and promise. * PRIDE MAGAZINE *
[Nwaubani] not merely explores a side of modern existence that touches millions every day, but does so with wit, warmth and insight. -- Boyd Tonkin * THE INDEPENDENT *
[Nwaubani's] pointed and poignant first novel is a lively, good-humored and provocative examination of the truth behind a global inbox of deceit. * THE WASHINGTON POST *
This is a fast, fresh, often hilarious first novel, by one of the remarkably talented young African writers who are rapidly making everyone else look stale. * THE TIMES *
Nwaubani does a great job of detailing the frantic pulse of urban Nigeria * TIME OUT *
beautifully written... More than just a brilliant read, it also turns the whole idea of Nigerian 419 scams neatly on its head, using wit and warm humour to bring to life the stories of the email recipients themselves. * SUNDAY HERALD *


Awards
Winner of Betty Trask Award 2010 (UK) and Commonwealth Writers' Prize Best First Book (Africa Region) 2010 (UK). Short-listed for Nigeria Prize for Literature 2012 (UK).



Book Information
ISBN 9780753826973
Author Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani
Format Paperback
Page Count 368
Imprint Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Publisher Orion Publishing Co
Weight(grams) 320g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 132mm * 27mm