Nigerian writer Uwem Akpan also happens to be a Jesuit priest with an MFA from the University of Michigan. His stories have won prizes and been published in The New Yorker. His first book and story collection are a clear and focused portrayal of the gauntlet of deprivation and depredations that Africans of all stripes must cross over. Which should surprise no one, as Africa and its continental travails are much in the news—though few except for an assortment of glory-seeking celebrities seem inclined to help.