Curandera

Set between seventeenth-century Cape Verde and contemporary London, CURANDERA is a kaleidoscopic story of rebirth and redemption, and a mythic tale of metamorphic recalibrations across time

In Gethsemane, Cape Verde, the appearance of a mysterious new arrival, Zulmira, coincides with a series of strange events. Zulmira is a shamanic disciple of Oni, an omnipotent and loving yet vengeful deity.

In contemporary London, botanist Therese lives with Haitian musician Azacca, Peruvian drifter Emilien, and daring Finn. These four kindred spirits, bound together by their shared descent from Oni, travel to another realm to complete a secret, sacred task at Oni’s behest. But a disruptive object returns with them from the other plane: a bleeding ribcage, flowering with intoxicating fruit.

As Zulmira grows close to a fisherman, Domingos, and his wife and daughter, the increasingly disturbing occurrences in Gethsemane disrupt forms, time, and place. In London, Therese and her housemates, growing ever more powerful on the otherworldly fruit, discover the disturbing costs of their service to Oni. As the stage is set for the collision of two dimensions, the esoteric workings of shamanism intersect with powerful forces of friendship, love, and jealousy."Strikingly original." —Michael Schaub, Southern California News Group

"This is the most grounded psychedelic novel you’re likely to read any time soon." —Tobias Carroll, Reactor

"Soaring . . . An exploration of two powerfully fascinating women, and how their magic connects and ultimately may destroy them." —Yvonne C. Garrett, The Brooklyn Rail

"Okojie’s language is worth savouring—lush with imagery, symbolism, and sensory detail . . . A novel that smiles kindly on those patient readers who take the time to learn its rhythm and wrestle with its deeper truths." —Ian Mond, Locus

"Stunningly surreal prose and imagery." —Anton Hur, Literary Hub

"Bewitching . . . It contains plenty of gems." —Publishers Weekly

"A striking tale of supernatural haunting, healing, and revenge . . . Exquisite and esoteric." —Kirkus Reviews

"Irenosen Okojie conjures a mesmerizing, time bending tour de force, full of intoxicating magic and intrigue. I was hooked from the first page." —Blitz Bazawule, director of The Color Purple

"I'm in awe of Irenosen Okojie's burden of talent. Leave your rational mind behind with your phone and enter Curandera's spell." —Laline Paull

"Curandera is simply out of this world! It's like nothing I have read before. Irenosen Okojie effortlessly takes you into spheres you didn't know existed." —Uwem Akpan, author of Say You’re One of ThemIRENOSEN OKOJIE is a Nigerian British author. Her first novel, Butterfly Fish, and short story collections, Speak Gigantular and Nudibranch, have won and been nominated for multiple awards. Her journalism has been featured in The New York Times, The Observer, The Guardian, and HuffPost. Vice chair of the Royal Society of Literature, she was awarded an MBE for Services to Literature in 2021. She is the director and founder of the Black to the Future festival.