Blessings tells the story of shy protagonist Obiefuna's struggle to fit into a society where homosexuality is criminalised, homophobia is unquestioned and where any gender non-conformism is condemned. When he is caught in a clinch with another boy, his conservative, dogmatic father is outraged, sending him off to a strict Christian boarding school. First love and first enmity soon follow, as Obiefuna matures and learns how the world works.The Observer describes Blessings as a "an emotive, affecting debut", achieving "a blend of the particular and the universal, glossing traditional storytelling with a literary finesse that adds style without scaring the horses". It is a "sublime coming-of-age tale, " says the Guardian. "In a novel of secrecy, silences and silencing, Ibeh's sentences throughout are fastidiously pruned." (LB)

First published June 4, 2024