Such a Beautiful Thing to Behold, Umar Turaki
Such a Beautiful Thing to Behold, Umar Turaki
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Such a Beautiful Thing to Behold

Author: Umar Turaki

Narrator: Ifeyinwa Unachukwu

Unabridged: 9 hr

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/01/2022

Synopsis

An inexplicable sickness. A small town cut off from the world. An unexpected community of survivors forges a family out of the despair, struggling against things known and unknown for survival and hope.A mysterious plague known as the Grey grips the small village of Pilam, which the world has quarantined without pity. Laying waste to Pilam’s residents, the sickness saps its victims of strength, drains the color from their eyes, and kills all promise. Only the young are immune. But beyond the barricades and walls of soldiers—the manifestation of a nation’s terror—there are rumors of a cure. Dunka, the eldest son of a family reeling from the Grey, takes on the daunting task of leaving Pilam to find that cure for his siblings and save them before it’s too late. His brother and sisters, however, have plans of their own. Navigating the chaos of violence, hunger, and death, each of them tries to make sense of the bleak circumstances, forging new bonds with other juvenile survivors left to their own devices. Now an unlikely family of six, they choose their own perilous paths, at first separately and then together, coming to terms with the decisions they make and the ghosts they cannot leave behind.Umar Turaki’s gripping novel is a story of survival, love, and the human spirit’s tenacious capacity for wonder.

About Umar Turaki

Umar Turaki is a writer and filmmaker whose work has been short-listed for the Miles Morland Scholarship and long-listed for the Short Story Day Africa Prize. For more information, visit www.umarturaki.com.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Ellen on May 02, 2022

Very beautifully written I originally decided to read this book because I enjoy dystopian themes. However, while reading this well written book, I learned that the grey was just a happenstance, and the real story was the the interaction between the 4 siblings and their friends. They grew through grie......more

Goodreads review by Pogo on April 16, 2022

Just now I am finding all but the fluffiest of fiction really hard going, I've no idea why and I'm sure I'll snap out of it at some point, but for now anything challenging is tough. That said, I really enjoyed this book. Perhaps 'enjoy' isn't the right word, this is the very opposite of fluffy ficti......more

Goodreads review by Jessica on April 06, 2022

my favorite book of 2022 This book has left me speechless. The writing is like a movie reel, a deep picture of reality that seeps into your mind leaving you in awe but slightly petrified because you know this type of situation while not exactly the same has happened somewhere before. The love and stre......more

Goodreads review by Maureen on April 13, 2022

Couldn't put it down The language is different indeed and viewing circumstances through the eyes of each character was refreshing. Such a wonderful way to show triumph out of suffering.......more

Goodreads review by Paul on April 08, 2022

Unfortunately, the reprise describing the story is better than the story itself. A mysterious illness called the Grey infects the small village of Pilam, killing the adults. The disease continues to remain a mystery throughout the book. Do not expect to learn much more about it. There is no developm......more

Quotes

“Turaki's beautifully written first novel, deftly narrated by lfeyinwa Unachukwu, is a story of hope in a desperate time.… Listeners looking for a literary take on a dystopian future will enjoy Turaki's debut novel.” —Library Journal“A mysterious disease sweeps through an African village in Umar Turaki’s debut novel. Estranged siblings reunite to band against this insidious illness, highlighting the power of the everyday in this terrifying yet elegant read.” —Good Morning America“No matter how terrible the circumstances…Umar Turaki isn’t glossing over the reality of how bad this situation could get—the changing perspectives kick in at exactly the right times to break the tension and allow a little hope back for the reader…It’s a beautiful book, and even more impressive as a debut.” —Mystery & Suspense

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