A Broken People's Playlist

Stories (from Songs)

De: Chimeka Garricks

Narrado por: Nneka Okoye, Atta Otigba

"A dozen interlinked, music-oriented stories set in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, where Garricks was raised... Each songlike story feels like a breakout hit encapsulating the brokenness and the beauty in life’s soundtrack."—Booklist, starred review

“Beautifully woven . . . a magical delight.”—Hari Kunzru, author of White Tears

A Broken People’s Playlist is set to the soundtrack of life, comprised of twelve music-inspired tales about love, the human condition, micro-moments, and the search for meaning and sometimes, redemption. It is also Chimeka Garricks’s love letter to his native city, Port Harcourt, introducing us to a cast of indelible characters in these loosely interlocked tales.

There is the teenage wannabe-DJ eager to play his first gig even as his family disastrously falls apart—who reappears many years later as an unhappy middle-aged man drunk-calling his ex-wife; a man who throws a living funeral for his dying brother; three friends who ponder penis captivus and one’s peculiar erectile dysfunction; a troubled woman who tries to find her peace-place in the world, helped by a headful of songs and a pot of ginger tea.

Infused with the author’s resonant and evocative storytelling, each minute holds “the depth of a novel” (Hari Kunzru); a character, a moment that will—like a favorite song—long linger in the heart and mind.

©2023 Chimeka Garricks (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

The characters

This book is breathtaking!!! What an amazing read, I felt and lived every words. I never wanted the stories to end.

Stories that touch the soul!

These are beautiful stories of imperfect people doing the best with their circumstances to live and to love. There are so many complicated families. But still family. A lot of humor. Many hard topics handle skilled laced with humor. A balanced showcase for Naija.

Lovely Short Stories

These short stories are very interesting. A quick read but each story draws you in. You feel like you are in Port Harcourt, Nigeria with each story. The writing is great. Well done!

Broken People Emotions

Unique idea of meshing short stories inspired by songs! Heart felt collection of stories (some intertwined ) about Nigerian folks revealing deep emotional lives. majority of characters are broken in some form. Story contains grief, abortion, romance, realistic love and trails of Hope. Insightful view of pieces of Nigerian culture.

Great stories

These stories had me captivated from the very beginning. Some extremely sad and some funny. Highly recommend.

Delightful Short Story Collection

I loved this collection. The first story took my breath away; it was one of my favorites. This book is a definite, must read

Indelible stories

I just know that I would remember these stories at odd times and feel the same emotions as the first time I heard them.

great all around

great stories and story telling! would definitely highly recommend this as a must to others

Every character was broken

I liked listening to the stories. Some more than others. The narrators did well. This is the first book I’ve read by the author. I will be looking out for others. Port Harcourt names are lovely!

Well written

I was looking to read more books written by men, especially in the African literature context, where women dominate.

Reading this, I saw the differences between male and female authors. I felt there was an emphasis on how the women looked, and the book was slightly more sexual than it would have been had it been written by a woman.

Overall, it was a good read. Well written. The narrators were also great.

I don't prefer reading short stories because the story ends as soon as you're invested in a character. Also, there's no time to develop any character. I would definitely read a novel from Chimeka in future.