Madame Sosostris and the Festival for the Brokenhearted

“[A] whimsical tale of transformation…magic is essential, and Okri can spin it.” —The Guardian

“An enchanting story of a masked ball…leading to delightfully theatrical twists and a satisfying resolution…Shakespeare lovers should flock to this.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“The dialogue here grants a shimmery surface to the allegorical underpinning. It helps, too, that the novel’s conundrum couldn’t be realer: Can we ever avoid unhappiness? This beautifully written book is riveting in its attempt to answer that question, from first page to last.” —Literary Hub, Most Anticipated Books of the Year

“There is certainly much delight to be found in the writing style and Okri’s ease with weaving the supernatural into his narrative, as well as in his evocative cultural references.” —Times Literary Supplement

“A dizzying masquerade where little is as it appears to be…By combining the fantastical elements of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with allusions to T.S. Eliot’s ‘The Waste Land,’ Okri creates a world that feels lush while exposing the barren landscapes—both physical and emotional—of modern humanity.” —Shelf Awareness

Praise for Ben Okri:

“[Okri’s] writing takes on the great riddles of existence—freedom and consciousness, truth and illusion, suffering and transcendence—spinning them into shimmering, allegorical texts…[A]t a time of deep reckoning and crisis…his work feel[s] all the more prescient.” —New York Times

“Fiction’s master of enchantments stares down a real horror, and without blinking or flinching, produces a work of beauty, grace, and uncommon power.” —Marlon James

“Ben Okri is that rare thing, a literary and social visionary, a writer for whom all three—literature, culture, and vision—are profoundly interwoven.” —Ali Smith