GRACELAND

What's so interesting about a teenager who's an Elvis Presley impersonator? His real name is Elvis, and he lives in Nigeria. Such is our introduction to the world of Chris Abani, where young men participate in initiation rites, Bob Marley wails on the radio, and modern American films influence the vocabulary of the locals. Characters, including the story's narrator, slip in and out of Yoruba, Scottish-accented English, and a curious collection of American slang. This is a mélange of traditional, colonialist, and cross-pollinated cultures. The author is not a polished actor. He reads rather than performs. But what a wonderful introduction to contemporary African literature! P.R. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE/JULY 05]