Arrow of God

Chinua Achebe's masterful third novel, Arrow of God, immerses the reader in the colonial Nigerian setting of the 1920s, continuing his saga of African life confronted by change. The story centers on Ezeulu, the powerful and headstrong Chief Priest of the god Ulu for the six villages of Umuaro, whose authority is dangerously threatened by the encroaching British colonial government. Convinced he is merely an "arrow in the bow" of his god, Ezeulu defiantly resists compromise, leading to a tragic, self-inflicted spiritual crisis that results in the destruction of his own faith and the loss of his people. It's a gripping examination of the conflict between traditional power and inevitable change.