Nigerian Journalists Explore Environmental Destruction in ‘Oil on Water’

All summer long we’re celebrating the season of relaxing and reading with our book club here at The Takeaway.  Some of the novels we’ll talk about this summer are escapist in a fantastical way. They’re easy to read and enjoy. Other books are escapist because they are deeply engrossing. They draw us in to a difficult story, making it impossible to look away from the problems the book brings to the surface.  Today’s book club pick does just that. It’s called “Oil On Water” by Helon Habila. “Oil On Water” tells the story of two journalists who are in pursuit of a scoop in the oil-rich, poverty-stricken Niger Delta. Helon Habila  was born and raised in Nigeria and talks about the relevance of writing to social issues and environmental issues.