50 Must-Read 50 Beta
← The Must-Read 50
Cover of An Orchestra of Minorities by Chigozie ObiomaAn Orchestra of Minorities
Modern · Fiction, Classics, Fantasy

An Orchestra of Minorities

by Chigozie Obioma
2019 · 464 pages · Fiction
70.0Must-Read
Score Modern
Critics' pick
≈ 12 hours to read · about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

A Nigerian poultry farmer sacrifices everything to win the woman he loves, whose family believes he is beneath her. Chigozie Obioma's novel follows the lengths he goes to, and the price he pays.

Why it's worth reading

It was a Booker Prize finalist. Chigozie Obioma, author of The Fishermen, writes a heartbreaking, ambitious tragedy.

You'll love it if you liked

Cover of The Fishermen by Chigozie ObiomaThe Fishermen
The FishermenChigozie Obioma
Cover of Things Fall Apart by Chinua AchebeThings Fall Apart
Things Fall ApartChinua Achebe
Cover of Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi AdichieHalf of a Yellow Sun
Half of a Yellow SunChimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Good to know

It's long, sad and told in a distinctive voice.

By the numbers

70.0Must-Read Score
  • Readers70 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics32 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Bestseller4 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Buzz10 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Shortlisted
Booker Prize finalist (2019)

Reads as

Moving

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

More by Chigozie Obioma

Cover of The Fishermen by Chigozie ObiomaThe Fishermen
The FishermenChigozie Obioma

If you like this, read next

Cover of The Bone People by Keri HulmeThe Bone People
The Bone PeopleKeri Hulme
Cover of Like Water for Chocolate by Laura EsquivelLike Water for Chocolate
Like Water for ChocolateLaura Esquivel
Cover of The Princess Bride by William GoldmanThe Princess Bride
The Princess BrideWilliam Goldman
Cover of The Tale of Genji by Murasaki ShikibuThe Tale of Genji
The Tale of GenjiMurasaki Shikibu
Cover of Little, Big by John CrowleyLittle, Big
Little, BigJohn Crowley
Cover of The Lost Estate by Alain-FournierThe Lost Estate
The Lost EstateAlain-Fournier

Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 rankedModern booksTop 25 · 1,573 rankedBooks of the 2010sTop 25 · 736 rankedMysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 rankedLiterary novelsTop 25 · 309 rankedMemoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedScience fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedRomancesTop 25 · 233 ranked

Quick answers

Is An Orchestra of Minorities worth reading?

Yes. It was a Booker Prize finalist. It ranks #1,289 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 70.0 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is An Orchestra of Minorities about?

A Nigerian poultry farmer sacrifices everything to win the woman he loves, whose family believes he is beneath her. Chigozie Obioma's novel follows the lengths he goes to, and the price he pays.

How long does it take to read An Orchestra of Minorities?

About 12 hours (464 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after An Orchestra of Minorities?

If you liked it, try The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe or Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.