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“The more you know your history, the more liberated you are.” – Maya Angelou.
How much African history were you taught in school? Growing up in Nigeria, history class was boring. It felt like the teacher was just bombarding us with a mountain of information that had nothing to do with us. I found it hard to keep up with all the dates, figures, and names. Let’s just say, history wasn’t my forte as my brain wasn’t exactly wired for memorizing endless lists of kings and battles.
Thanks to the great renowned writers both dead and alive who helped breathe life into history through their work. Historical fiction novels were a game-changer for me as they transformed the way I experienced history. It brought history to life, making it relatable and engaging through the lens of fictional characters and their experiences.
For many Blacks in the diaspora, reconnecting with African history can feel like searching for lost pieces of a fragmented puzzle. However, historical fiction novels offer an engaging and accessible way to understand African history. They allow you to experience African history firsthand with captivating narratives that take you on a journey through Africa’s rich past.
Do you want to educate yourself on African history? Here are some historical fiction novels about Africa that will both entertain and educate you, while transporting you back in time.
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
This classic African literature explores pre-colonial Nigeria and the impact of British colonialism. It tells the story of Okonkwo, a respected Igbo leader and heroic wrestler in the Igbo community of Umuofia in Nigeria, as his world is disrupted by British colonial forces. He struggles to maintain his status and identity in the face of personal and societal changes, ultimately leading to his tragic downfall.
Achebe’s novel offers an authentic African perspective on the complexities of the traditional Igbo society, the impact of colonialism, and the clash between traditional African society and European influences.

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The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste
Set during Italy’s 1935 invasion of Ethiopia, this novel, based on a true, often overlooked story, tells of the many Ethiopian women who courageously fought alongside men during the Italian invasion of WWII. Its historic undertones provide insights into Ethiopia today.
The author shows varying aspects of limitations and abuses Ethiopian women faced, and continue to endure through the three main female characters in the story, Hirut (a young vulnerable orphaned servant who becomes an inspiring soldier), Aster (wife to army leader Kidane, and woman of noble birth who knows the worth of women), and Fifi (the woman who consorts with Italian officers to learn their strategies). Each of the characters suffers at the hands of the men in their lives.
The book shines a light on Ethiopia’s resilience and the often-overlooked contributions of women in African history.

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Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
This powerful novel begins in 18th-century Ghana, tracing the lives of two half-sisters who never knew about each other’s existence. It tells the story of their descendants, spanning over 300 years and multiple generations split in two: one side remains in Africa while the other is brought to America on a slave ship.
Effia marries a white slave trader and lives in Cape Coast Castle, while Esi is captured and kept in a dungeon at the castle before being sent to America to become a slave.
The book paints a vivid picture of colonialism, slavery, and the enduring impact of these systems. Each chapter follows one of their descendant and alternates between those that stayed in Ghana and those that ended up in America finally drawing to a close back in Ghana 250 years later. The author brings to light how Africa’s history is intertwined with that of the diaspora, making it a powerful read for anyone seeking to understand their roots.

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Kintu by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
The novel covers the complexities of identity, family, tradition, and history, as well as the impact of colonialism on Ugandan society.
This multigenerational tale dives deep into Ugandan culture, spinning a narrative that reimagines the history of Uganda through the cursed bloodline of the Kintu clan. In 1750, Kintu Kidda, a tribal leader, unleashed a curse after he accidentally killed his adoptive son while on an expedition to pledge fealty to a new king and failed to confess. This 18th-century curse plagued his family for generations.
Makumbi weaves together the stories of Kintu’s latter-day descendants as they seek to break from the burden of their shared past and reconcile the inheritance of tradition with the modern world that is their future. The novel traces the impact of Kintu’s actions on his descendants in modern-day Uganda.

Weep not, Child by Ngugi wa Thiong’o
This novel centers around the interactions between British colonists in Kenya and the native people.
This book which takes place during the Mau Mau Uprising, follows the tragic story of Njoroge, a young boy who seeks an education during the 1952-1960 Emergency in Kenya. However, his aspirations are shattered as the Mau Mau Uprising intensifies, disrupting his education and forcing him to confront the harsh realities of the struggle for independence.

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Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Set during the Nigerian-Biafra War of 1967 to 1970, this novel provides a gripping and emotional look at a turning point in Nigerian history through the perspective of the characters Olanna (a beautiful woman from a wealthy family who abandons her life of privilege to be with the man she loves), Ugwu (a young boy from a rural village who becomes a houseboy for a university professor), and Richard (a British expatriate who is in love with Olanna’s twin sister, Kainene). Adichie provides an account of the Biafran War wrapped up in a story of love, loyalty, betrayal, and survival amidst political upheaval while forcing readers to confront horrific scenes of massacres, constant air raids, rape, starvation, disease, and grief. She masterfully blends historical events with personal stories, offering an intimate view of one of Africa’s most significant conflicts.

Photo source: Facebook / Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Book of Chameleons by José Eduardo Agualusa
Set in Angola during the period right after the end of the 25-year civil war and Marxism has come to an end and people are trying to reinvent themselves, this novel blends historical fiction with magical realism reflecting the country’s tumultuous past and its quest for identity.
Offering a unique perspective on the complexities of life in Angola after independence, the author takes readers to post-colonial Angola through the eyes of a gecko named Eulálio, who observes the lives of its inhabitants. In Luanda, Angola’s capital, the gecko shares the home of Félix Ventura, an albino.
The novel highlights how individuals often adapt their behavior and beliefs to survive and thrive within a changing social and political landscape, much like chameleons shifting their colors to blend in with their surroundings.

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The Heart of Redness by Zakes Mda
This powerful tale set in South Africa during the 19th century is rich with historical context and cultural significance. It blends history, myth, and realist fiction to portray a South African village over 150 years.
The author tells the story of the Xhosa people and their struggle against colonial forces, focusing on the historical events surrounding the Xhosa Cattle-Killing movement. A sixteen-year-old Xhosa girl named Nonqawuse instructed the Xhosa people to slaughter their cattle and destroy their crops, promising that this sacrifice would drive the British colonizers into the sea. Tragically, the Xhosa people believed her and carried out these orders, leading to a devastating famine and the loss of thousands of lives.
Mda also focuses on contemporary South Africa, exploring the social and political tensions of the post-apartheid era.

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She Would Be King by Wayétu Moore
This novel weaves together history, magic, and myth as it tells the dramatic story of Liberia’s early years through three unforgettable characters who share an uncommon bond.
In the West African village of Lai, red-haired Gbessa is cursed with immortality at birth and lives in exile under suspicion of being a witch. On a plantation in Virginia, June Dey hides his unusual strength until a confrontation with the overseer forces him to flee. In the Blue Mountains of Jamaica, Norman Aragon, the child of a white British colonizer and a Maroon slave, learns to fade from sight at will. The three meet in the colony of Monrovia, where they realize their unique gifts. Together they protect the weak and vulnerable amid rising tensions between the American settlers, French slave traders, and indigenous tribes.

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Kibogo by Scholastique Mukasonga
Kibogo” is a powerful and poignant story that offers a glimpse into the history and culture of Rwanda. This beautifully written four-part novel recounts the clash between ancient Rwandan beliefs and the missionaries determined to replace them with European Christianity.
The novel provides a nuanced portrayal of the social and political upheavals that led to the Rwandan Revolution in 1959. When a rogue priest is defrocked for fusing the gospels with the martyrdom of Kibogo, a fierce clash of cults ensues.
Kibogo, a mythical figure in the story, is believed by some Rwandans to have been taken up to the heavens to bring rain back during a serious drought. This belief clashes with the Christian missionaries’ efforts to convert the locals, creating a social and spiritual conflict.

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