Ike (pronounced ee-kay) is a Nigerian cab driver in New York with a degree from Amherst who hates that everyone notices his accent. He's borrowed a fortune to buy an airline ticket back to Nigeria and his remote village, where he'll steal the wooden god Ngene, then make his fortune selling it to a Manhattan gallery that specializes in exotic deities.
In Utonki, he comes face-to-face with his elderly mother, who hasn't received any support from her son since he became addicted to gambling; his uncle, Ngene's chief priest, whose commitment to the god is utterly sincere; Pastor Godson Uka, a Christian preacher who's been convincing villagers to fear each other's evil magic while he drains them financially for protection; and his first love, now a frumpy woman with five kids, her wealthy deceased husband fleeced by the greedy pastor.
Nicely rounded secondary characters include Bernita, Ike's sexual tornado of an ex-wife, and Ike's former classmate "Tony Curtis," now a politician with two houses and a six-car garage. Still, Ike is the focus as two gods, two priests and his mother battle over his soul.
Ndibe writes with a folksy inclusiveness. The village humor, the greetings and teasing, lend the Utonki sequences a lyrical magic, interrupted by the ubiquitous ringing of cell phones. Into this richly stocked brew of characters, Ndibe skillfully introduces suspense in the final stretch, guiding readers through the tension of getting through customs Nigerian-style. As an author with a foot in Nigeria and the U.S., he expertly brings both worlds to life. --Nick DiMartino, Nick's Picks, University Book Store, Seattle, Wash.