Inside the library at Alliance Francaise, Ikoyi Lagos was bubbly with wholesome conversations and banter last weekend as Tewa Moda unveils her first book titled 'Fragments of Glass and Time.' The fictional prose is built on episodic plot structure capturing a crime story revolving around a female protagonist, Chinwe and a male antagonist, Olu.
This literary effort, published in August 2024, is set in Lagos. Detailing the episodes of betrayal, unrequited love, crime and interwoven by suspense, the plot introduces to the reader Chinwe, a beautiful, successful young lady in search of a good man. Having been stood up by two men within a month, she looks forward eagerly to a date with Olu. Meanwhile, Olu who hailed from a once-wealthy background with the baggage of hate is an accomplished CEO with an evil intent. He is the centrepiece in the conflict that reveals how nine seemingly unrelated events constitute a state emergency that satirises the criminal justice system in Nigeria.
Using suspense, Tewa Moda coagulates a story that is emotion-filled, romance-laden and socially relevant. Using stock and round characterisation, she exposes the systemic failure in crime resolution using Kunle as a self-appointed detective. Through the moving story of Yvonne, she demonstrates how young, vulnerable girls are lured into prostitution by prominent men in the society with the help of handlers and other conspirators.
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At the book reading in Lagos which drew friends and associates of the author, Tewa Moda reveals how the book evolved from mere imagination to actual book.
"The book was written because of a competition that I wanted to participate in some years ago," she said. "The requirement was to write a young adult fiction novel set in Nigeria using national slangs, lingua franca and pop culture. At that time, that was worlds away from the genre I would have opted to write. The fact that I wrote the initial manuscript in about two weeks is a great testament first and foremost to the creativity of God that literally flowed through me."
The book which is available in both print and electronic formats is an unintended expose on the corrupt criminal justice system, highlighting the role of citizen participation in solving crimes. Fragments of Glass and Time shows how the human experience is universal and unique at the same time.
