Naniki

by Oonya Kempadoo

Amana and Skelele, evolved sea beings with Taino and African ancestry, and their naniki animal avatars, begin an archipelagic journey to see the future. Distracted by love, they must search for mythological, historical and ontological purpose when faced with a disastrous monstrosity.

Genres: Science Fiction, Literary Fiction, Fantasy, Canada

193 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 23, 2024

About the author

Oonya Kempadoo is a writer who was born in Sussex, England in 1966 of Guyanese parents. She was brought up in Guyana and has since lived in Europe and various islands in the Caribbean.

Her first novel, Buxton Spice, was published to great acclaim in 1998, and was nominated for the 2000 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Her second book, Tide Running (Picador, 2001), set in Plymouth, Tobago, is the story of young brothers Cliff and Ossie.

Oonya Kempadoo has studied art in Amsterdam and has lived in Trinidad, St. Lucia, Tobago, and now lives in Grenada.

She was named a Great Talent for the Twenty-First Century by the Orange Prize judges and is a winner of the Casa de las Americas Prize.

Reviews

[2TReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's the most creative book you've read this year?

#naniki is that book for me. Not just in terms of how Kempadoo utilizes prose and poetry, but also in the story she tells. So very Caribbean as a whole, yet with each island visited and experienced, we see the distinct characteristics of every one and eventual changes as we ride the tide of time.

Infused with the influences of all the people who have imhabited and impacted our beautiful region(Tainos, Kalinagos, Africans, Indians), Skelele and Amana are tasked with finding the knowledge of our past in hopes of saving our beleaguered future. Travelling through seas polluted with plastics and oil spills unto islands that have been modified to support lifeforms in a climate-ravaged world, they see the danger that is slowly creeping towards both their homes of sea and sky. 

I loved the imagery that was conjured and the very appropriate use of domed resorts, deforestation, and mining that was used to represent the adapting faces of our lands in an effort to survive the damage we've  caused; using our myths and other cultural aspects was an ingenius way of immersing the reader into this familiar and all to real representation that she has created.

This won't be for everyone, but as a reader with an intimate and forever connection to the Caribbean, these words resonated with me.

[Whatithinkaboutthisbook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review Naniki by Oonya Kempadoo

Longlisted, 2025 Carol Shields Prize For Fiction, 2024 Governor General’S Literary Award, CBC Books Best Canadian Fiction of 2024

This beautifully poetic book celebrates and honours the Indigenous roots of the Caribbean, the Taino and African ancestry, while also highlighting the sea in all its abundance, importance and beauty.

Although a quick read, I read it in one sitting, the books beauty and message will linger long after you’ve put it down.

A mythological novel imbued with magical realism, the novel follows Amana, an elemental being made of water and Skelele who is made of air. The essence of their beings intertwined with their Indigenous ancestry. Accompanied by their naniki, their spirit animals, the connection between Amana and Skelele is immediate, considered a sign that they are the chosen ones to make the journey back in time to the source of The First People’s knowledge. Their mission to stop the devastation of the earth and seas that is erupting all around them.

Masterfully written, the author’s words paint vivid pictures in your head of the wonder of the sea, the islands and the seamless movement between past, present and future. This book stands out as one of the most unique books I have read. The sense of joy and freedom as the characters swim through the ocean is so viscerally captured that it feels like you are swimming alongside of them.

This is a treatise of climate change, illustrating how we are destroying the land, air, and sea. It is also pays tribute to the connection that the The First People’s held with the earth and their essential role in protecting it. Rather than preaching or filling up pages with facts, this book visually depicts the beauty of everything we have lost, contrasting it poignantly with the devastating impacts of our actions leaving you both moved and saddened.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is very different from my usual reading. If you enjoy poetry, you might like this. It reminded me of spoken word but if it was done at a Sci fi or comic convention. Looking forward to passing this on to English major brother bear.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

NANIKI by Oonya Kempadoo is a trip!! I loved how this short book (176 pages) covers such an expansive timeline. We travel from 2050 to the future and all the way back before time with Amana and Skelele. Their naniki (active spirit) travel with them on this epic journey. From the Caribbean Sea basin to Miami and Venezuela and many other places they explore the sea and their connections to the oceans and humanity. The Taino and African ancestry is honoured with mythology and language. There’s a glossary of Caribbean, Indigenous, African, and other words contributed by elders and scholars. I loved the poetry throughout and I would love to listen to this audiobook one day. I also love the stunning cover art which is an underwater film still. I had to take pics of this book at the water!

Thank you to Rare Machines and Dundurn Press for my gifted review copy!

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost felt like reading epic poetry rather than prose. Utterly beautiful and definitely going to be one I read a few times over

[Enid Wray · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting little book in and of itself as a physical artefact. It measures only 5” x 7” The story itself clocks in at only 163 pages - with lots of blank space on the page. The front cover is stunning.

The one word that I would use to best describe this would be “chaotic.” It’s just all over the place.

One minute we’re racing through the seas - underwater - the next we’re on dry land having taken on a human (like) form. The transitions are abrupt… and perhaps that’s the point. But it’s just not working for me.

I do think this would make a brilliant graphic novel. I can see it in my mind’s eye as I read. I think reading it in a more visual format would make it a much easier, and more satisfying, read.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy from Dundurn Press in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the writing style however it did take me half the book to have a clear understanding of what was happening. It was a challenging read to say the least. I did enjoy the imagery and the jumps in time to get a full picture on the story. I was reading the book in a middle of a snowstorm and felt I was on the beach in the Carribean.

Will I read from Oonya again? Yes as long as the book is under 200 pages

[Carolina Familia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This felt like reading about a dream. Very beautifully written and includes many poems. The story travels through ancient and futuristic Taino and Caribbean times, through many different countries. This book needs to be slowly digested and analyzed in order to fully appreciate it. Would make a great book for a Caribbean Studies program.

Thanks to Dundurn Press and Rare Machines for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

[Feronia Rä · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really really tried to read this book, but I couldn't continue. I gave up. I would have liked to, but I couldn't get into the storyline. I'm disappointed with myself because I heard a lot of hype about the novelette. It's all over the place, I'm unsure of what's happening.

Although I have respect for the culture and would have liked to have a better understanding of it. I feel this is somehow poetry in the making, and I'm not a connoisseur of poetry readings. I wish I had it, but I don't.

[Graisi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you Oonya Kempadoo, Netgalley, and Dundurn Press / Rare Machines for this free ARC in exchange for a review.

I could only make it through 13% before I gave up out of boredom. There's some flowery writing, yet that's completely overshadows by total lack of characterization.

[Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Confusing. Names, nomenclature totally unfamiliar to [my] western eyes and they are shoveled at the reader in profusion and without let up. Similarly to the seemingly disparate profusion of time skips and hops. I found little opportunity to engage.

[Neda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was very atmospheric and more about the geography of where the main characters were going. There is a lot of poetry in this and not enough dialogue. It was a short and entertaining read.