Oil on Water

Compassionate, emotive, masterly … draws on the tradition of the classic detective novel but also operates on a deeper, metaphorical and philosophical level * Independent *
A lean, evocative novel - part thriller, part meditation on the deadly cost of the region’s under-reported oil politics … a classic coming-of-age narrative * Daily Mail *
Powerful, accomplished … Oil on Water lays bare the real-life tragedy of the Niger delta, in which petrodollars warp human relationships as surely as leaking crude poisons birds and fish * Observer *
Habila’s writing has that combination of elegance and rattling-good-yarn that we associate with Conrad and Graham Greene … Terrific * The Times *
Habila is a master at evoking the plight of characters who ask for little, and end up with even less … this is a book you can’t put down * Boston Globe *
In a beautiful, almost cinematic style, Habila moves back and forth in time to tell a story swathed in the cynicism of modern global development and the mysteries of human longing * Booklist *
This is a powerful novel that is both creepy and engaging * Bookseller *

Helon Habila is the author of Oil on Water, Measuring Time, Waiting for an Angel, and The Chibok Girls. He is professor of creative writing at George Mason University and lives in Virginia with his wife and three children.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.