{"product_id":"9781936070466","title":"Song for Night","description":"\"Not since Jerzy Kosinski’s \u003ci\u003eThe Painted Bird\u003c\/i\u003e or Agota Kristof’s Notebook Trilogy has there been such a harrowing novel about what it’s like to be a young person in a war. That Chris Abani is able to find humanity, mercy, and even, yes, forgiveness, amid such devastation is something of a miracle.”—Rebecca Brown, author of \u003ci\u003eThe End of Youth\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The moment you enter these pages, you step into a beautiful and terrifying dream. You are in the hands of a master, a literary shaman. Abani casts his spell so completely—so devastatingly—you emerge cleansed, redeemed, and utterly haunted.\"—Brad Kessler, author of \u003ci\u003eBirds in Fall\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePart \u003ci\u003eInferno\u003c\/i\u003e, part \u003ci\u003eParadise Lost\u003c\/i\u003e, and part Sunjiata epic, \u003ci\u003eSong for Night\u003c\/i\u003e is the story of a West African boy soldier’s lyrical, terrifying, yet beautiful journey through the nightmare landscape of a brutal war in search of his lost platoon. The reader is led by the voiceless protagonist who, as part of a land mine-clearing platoon, had his vocal chords cut, a move to keep these children from screaming when blown up, and thereby distracting the other minesweepers. The book is written in a ghostly voice, with each chapter headed by a line of the unique sign language these children invented. This book is unlike anything else ever written about an African war.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eChris Abani\u003c\/b\u003e is a Nigerian poet and novelist and the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Virgin of Flames\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBecoming Abigail\u003c\/i\u003e (a \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Editor’s Choice), and \u003ci\u003eGraceLand\u003c\/i\u003e (a selection of the \u003ci\u003eToday Show\u003c\/i\u003e Book Club and winner of the 2005 PEN\/Hemingway Prize and the Hurston\/Wright Legacy Award). His other prizes include a PEN Freedom to Write Award, a Prince Claus Award, and a Lannan Literary Fellowship. He lives and teaches in California.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Akashic Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47116650184944,"sku":"9781936070466","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781936070466_p0.jpg?v=1769897395","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781936070466","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}