Godspeed and Perpetua by A. Igoni Barrett (2013)

 The best short story in Barrett's collection of tales set against a backdrop of Nigeria's political history, ‘Godspeed and Perpetua’ charts the highs and lows of an arranged marriage and offers an astute look at family power dynamics. Barrett's real stength is in his characterisation: figures like Perpetua, stuck in a disappointing marriage with a wealthy, older man, leap off the page.