Viking Books announced its acquisition of Ibeh's "miraculous" debut novel in October 2022.[10] In May 2023, a year before the book's release, the film rights were sold to The Artists Partnership, a talent agency based in London.[4] In that same month, Ibeh gave a TEDx Talk entitled "What Are African Values?" delivered at TEDxWUSTL in St Louis, Missouri.[11]
Reception
Blessings was positively received, including public recommendation from Zadie Smith.[12] In The New York Times, Joshua Barone praised the novel's prose, describing it as "revelatory yet unresolved, simple yet polyphonic, hopeful yet full of heartbreak."[13] A five-star review in The Telegraph called it "a smart literary attack on Nigeria's anti-gay laws."[14]The Observer described the novel as a "poignant tale of a talented and sensitive Nigerian boy, Obiefuna, who is caught by his conservative father in a clinch with another young man", ultimately deeming it "an emotive, affecting debut".[3]Buzz Magazine called it "a profound exploration of identity and acceptance."[15]The Sunday Times called it "a moving debut about love and loneliness."[16]
In a slightly less enthusiastic review, The Times Literary Supplement praised the book's "remarkably well-executed scenes", while saying it expected "a more compelling portrayal of the city and people of Port Harcourt".[17]
Blessings was longlisted for the 2024 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize.[18] The book landed among Esquire's list of recommended books of 2024.[19]USA Today named it among the year's "best books by Black authors".[20]
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