Incisive, illuminating and intimate, this book by one of Africa's most influential writers is also an encounter with the man behind his work, offering readers a rare insight into his personal life and education. A moving account of an exceptional life, this is above all a book that articulates persuasively why literature matters. Stories are a real source of power in the world, Achebe proves, and to imitate the literature of another culture is to give that power away.