"Foreign Gods, Inc., tells the story of Ike, a New York-based Nigerian cab driver who sets out to steal the statue of an ancient war deity from his home village and sell it to a New York gallery. Ike's plan is fueled by desperation. Despite a degree in economics from a major American college, his strong accent has barred him from the corporate world. Forced to eke out a living as a cab driver, he is unable to manage the emotional and material needs of a temperamental African American bride and a widowed mother demanding ...
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"Foreign Gods, Inc., tells the story of Ike, a New York-based Nigerian cab driver who sets out to steal the statue of an ancient war deity from his home village and sell it to a New York gallery. Ike's plan is fueled by desperation. Despite a degree in economics from a major American college, his strong accent has barred him from the corporate world. Forced to eke out a living as a cab driver, he is unable to manage the emotional and material needs of a temperamental African American bride and a widowed mother demanding financial support. When he turns to gambling, his mounting losses compound his woes. And so he travels back to Nigeria to steal the statue, where he has to deal with old friends, family, and a mounting conflict between those in the village who worship the deity, and those who practice Christianity. A meditation on the dreams, promises and frustrations of the immigrant life in America; the nature and impact of religious conflicts; an examination of the ways in which modern culture creates or heightens infatuation with the "exotic," including the desire to own strange objects and hanker after ineffable illusions; and an exploration of the shifting nature of memory, Foreign Gods is a brilliant work of fiction that illuminates our globally interconnected world like no other"--
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Reading a new book from the Very Short Introductions series of Oxford University Press on African religions made me eager to read Okey Ndibe's novel "Foreign Gods Inc" (2014). Ndibe's novel centers upon Ngene, the war god of Utonki, a small Nigerian village. Born in Nigeria, Ndibe teaches African and African diaspora literature at Brown University. "Foreign Gods, Inc." is his second novel.
Besides Ndibe, the primary character of the book is Ikechukwu Uzondu, "Ike for short". Ike is a Nigerian who has graduated summa cum laude from Amherst in economics. Ike cannot get a suitable job in the United States and is reduced to driving a taxi. Ike has married and been divorced by a free-spending highly sexed American woman who referred to him derogatorily during the marriage as "Zulu". Ike also has problems of his own making with his addiction to gambling and his drinking. Ike is desperate for money and for success in America. He forms the plan of returning to Utonki, stealing Ngene, and selling the statue to a trendy business, "Foreign Gods, Inc." which sells statues and artifacts of gods from across the world to wealthy individuals with lots of disposable cash looking for a rare conversation piece.
Much of Ndibe's book shows the clash of Nigerian and American cultures and also their strange confluence in greed and in the unabashed pursuit of money. Ike's first experience upon returning home is with the corruption of Nigerian customs officials. When he returns home, Ike's feelings become more nostalgic and complex than he had anticipated. His aged mother makes him feel guilty about not sending money home. Ike's mother is a follower of a fundamentalist Christian preacher with a criminal record who exploits his poor flock. The family and the village both show tension between Christianity and the traditional religion centering on Ngene. Ike's uncle is Ngene's high priest, and Ike's mother accuses him of using sorcery to kill her husband.
Ndibe compares Christianity and the religion of Ngene in Utonki. Ike learns the story of an early missionary who abused his would-be converts and was swept down the river by Ngene. In contrast to the greed, corruption and charlatanry which seems to pervade Utonki, Ike's uncle and his retinue appear devoted to the service of Ngene and convinced of his continued importance to his people. During his trip to Utonki, Ike meets his first love who has fallen upon difficult times and an old school friend who has become both politically powerful and corrupt. Ike has strong feelings for his native village and his conflicting feelings about the purpose of his trip home to steal Ngene and sell the statue to Foreign Gods Inc.
Ndibe's novel is a rare delight which manages to be both entertaining and thoughtful. The book shows the ever-present and growing reach of commercialism and superficiality while contrasting them with respect for traditional ways. Ndibe portrays both America and Nigeria as deteriorating into cultures in which everything is for sale with no place for the sacred. The writing is lucid and eloquent. The scenes of the novel move between laugh-aloud funny and high seriousness. The book manages to persuade the reader that Ngene is not merely an old wooden idol; rather the god continues to possess a strong and often nefarious force.
Written in the form of a "heist" story, "Foreign Gods, Inc" offers many insights into change, religion, American immigrant life, and greed. It is an outstanding, enjoyable novel.
