It’s a seemingly simple scenario, but it’s this image that establishes the thematic narrative threadwork for what connects many of the collection’s rather intricate stories: people struggling to attain peace.Īrimah approaches this familiar theme with stories invoking, at least at first, a bleak sense of realism, which she does beautifully in “Glory.” Here, Arimah focuses on the turbulent life of Glorybetogod Ngozi Akunyili. “The Future Looks Good,” the opening story in Lesley Nneka Arimah’s dazzling debut, What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, begins with a young Nigerian woman struggling to unlock a door. What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah. Previous winners include: Anthony Marra’s A Constellation of Vital Phenomena (2013), Phil Klay's Redeployment (2014), Kristin Valdez Quade’s Night at the Fiestas (2015), and Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing (2016). Named for the longtime critic and NBCC co-founder, John Leonard, the prize is awarded for the best first book in any genre. The John Leonard Prize is our annual award based on member nominations and chosen by a panel of member volunteers. In the run-up to the first round of voting, we'll be posting a series of #NBCCLeonard reviews on promising first books. In November, National Book Critics Circle members will begin nominating and voting for the John Leonard award for the first book in any genre that has been published in the US in 2017.
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