No Longer at Ease – by Chinua Achebe

No Longer at Ease is the second novel in Chinua Achebe’s African Trilogy, first published in 1960. It follows Obi Okonkwo, the educated grandson of Okonkwo (from Things Fall Apart), who returns to Nigeria from England filled with idealism and ready to serve his country. However, he quickly becomes entangled in the web of corruption, cultural conflict, and moral compromise that plagues post-colonial Nigerian society.

Achebe masterfully explores how traditional values clash with Western influences, and how even the most idealistic individuals can be swallowed by a broken system. A powerful and tragic story of identity, integrity, and the cost of modernization.