Book Review - Namondo (Child of the Water Spirits)

Originally Published in Summit Magazine no. 006

Ntemfac A.N. Ofege. Namondo (Child of the Water Spirits). Langaa Publishers. November, 2007. 360 pages (Paperback). Available from Amazon.com ($24.95) and African Books Collective (£19.95)

Ntemfac A.N. Ofege forays into the customs and traditions of the Bakweri people, the often unfathomable dwellers of the lands below the Fako Mountain (Mount Cameroon to put together a story that is beautiful in content, flowing in style, enthralling in meanders, fetching in intrigue and ethereal in plot. The plot of this book is bustling, fascinating and lingering. This page-turner keeps the reader wondering what next.

Namondo (Child of the Water Spirit) is the story of an exquisite, yet lethal, water spirit or mermaid. This preternatural creature takes on human form and comes to the land to do battle against an equally lethal cult – the Nyongo. Namondo uses her singular power – the magic ring of the water spirits to prevail. The maiden is, however, killed in the process. The ring of the liengu-la-mwanja must return to her son.

Namondo (Child of the Water Spirits) starts from the very beginning of time with the coming of Ovase Lova, the father of the gods: “Darkness lay upon the firmament before Ovase Lova came. The night grew from the earth and spread steadily to the heavens. The darkness was pitch-black, savage, forlorn, and forbidding…”

What if, like the mysterious Abominable Snowman who haunts the crags of the Himalayan rangers, a giant entity, half-man and half-rock, called Efasa Moto actually dwells atop Mount Fako – the highest mountain in West Africa? What if Efasa Moto actually has an evil twin brother called Emala who is the god of death? What if there is a god of the great ocean called Moto? What if all these deities do meddle in human affairs? Namondo (Child of the Water Spirit) is that story.

The actual story begins with the birth of Namondo: “Everyone in the three villages of Muya knew about Nalova’s pregnancy. The woman’s front had grown until it stood out like the other side of the Muya Mountain. When the pregnancy went beyond the twentieth market day, Nalova could no longer walk. …”

Ntemfac shows more than class in this novel; he shows a complete mastery of his subject matter. The only limitation is that the writer often over indulges in his narrative and description in that desire to create a film on paper: “Namondo was beautiful – eeh! Nalova’s daughter had inherited her mother’s soaring height, her long radiant face, her graceful demeanour, her tremulous smile, her laugh, which was as soft as the wind, but she took over her father’s moonlike calm and his kind but firm ways. ..”

This intriguing story sweeps from the vivid splendors of the Bakweri people to the traditions of Cameroon’s grass fields tribes. The plot twists and turns, winding its way through village weirdoes, scoundrel deities, witch doctors, and more.

“Namondo is like heady wine,” says the author. “Let’s just say that it took time to season.”

Move over Things Fall Apart. Here comes the next generation of African writing.

Namondo (Child of the Water Spirit) is the story of an exquisite, yet lethal, water spirit or mermaid. This preternatural creature takes on human form and comes to the land to do battle against an equally lethal cult – the Nyongo. Namondo uses her singular power – the magic ring of the water spirits to prevail. The maiden is, however, killed in the process. The ring of the liengu-la-mwanja must return to her son.

Namondo (Child of the Water Spirits) starts from the very beginning of time with the coming of Ovase Lova, the father of the gods: “Darkness lay upon the firmament before Ovase Lova came. The night grew from the earth and spread steadily to the heavens. The darkness was pitch-black, savage, forlorn, and forbidding…”

What if, like the mysterious Abominable Snowman who haunts the crags of the Himalayan rangers, a giant entity, half-man and half-rock, called Efasa Moto actually dwells atop Mount Fako – the highest mountain in West Africa? What if Efasa Moto actually has an evil twin brother called Emala who is the god of death? What if there is a god of the great ocean called Moto? What if all these deities do meddle in human affairs? Namondo (Child of the Water Spirit) is that story.

The actual story begins with the birth of Namondo: “Everyone in the three villages of Muya knew about Nalova’s pregnancy. The woman’s front had grown until it stood out like the other side of the Muya Mountain. When the pregnancy went beyond the twentieth market day, Nalova could no longer walk. …”

Ntemfac shows more than class in this novel; he shows a complete mastery of his subject matter. The only limitation is that the writer often over indulges in his narrative and description in that desire to create a film on paper: “Namondo was beautiful – eeh! Nalova’s daughter had inherited her mother’s soaring height, her long radiant face, her graceful demeanour, her tremulous smile, her laugh, which was as soft as the wind, but she took over her father’s moonlike calm and his kind but firm ways. ..”

This intriguing story sweeps from the vivid splendors of the Bakweri people to the traditions of Cameroon’s grass fields tribes. The plot twists and turns, winding its way through village weirdoes, scoundrel deities, witch doctors, and more.

“Namondo is like heady wine,” says the author. “Let’s just say that it took time to season.”

Move over Things Fall Apart. Here comes the next generation of African writing.

Comments

[J. Njuma]

Bakwerirama is doing an existing work in promoting the culture and values of the Bakweri people. So far we have thousands of Bakweri indigenes lodging on to this site, to update themselves with the current events and equally, to get in touch with their roots. Thanks to the management and editorial team. Keep it up.

However I think one crucial element has been left out. A page that will serve a platform where Bakwerians around the globe; can interact and become acquainted with one another-know who stays in the same neighbourhood, suburb, city etc. as you.

Thanks

Mola N.

[Evande]

Hello Mola Njuma,

There are dozeens of online forums where members of the fako community discuss common issues of interest and network. These include Fakonet (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fakonet/, Fako-UK (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fako_uk/) etc.