Eddie Signwriter

January 4, 2010
Schwartzman’s debut novel bears testament to his background as a poet, as lush description and bright, playful prose chronicle the travails of Kwasi Edward Michael Dankoh, aka Eddie Signwriter. Born in independent Ghana and raised by his father in Botswana, Kwasi grows up an introspective young man often perceived to be an outsider. His solitude is broken when he meets Celeste, and their adolescent romance blossoms until it runs into a scandal—the death of Celeste’s aunt—that sends Kwasi packing. He ends up as an apprentice signwriter and eventually starts a successful business of his own that meets a ruinous end after Celeste briefly reappears. In a surprisingly upbeat treatment of human trafficking and illegal immigration, Kwasi arrives in Paris and joins a community of African immigrants who congregate at a secret club located in a cellar beneath a flower shop. As Kwasi strives to redefine himself through his new life and a new love, aspects of his past remain less than hidden. This wide-ranging and gorgeously written novel has huge heart, and Kwasi’s quest for identity is as sad as it is uplifting.

January 1, 2010
Young lovers fall victim to the machinations of the middle-aged in this limp first novel from South African poet Schwartzman.

On a Monday morning in 1993, the hilly Ghanaian tourist resort of Aburi is in an uproar. One of the town's most prominent citizens, upscale restaurant owner Nana Aforiwaa, has drowned in the river; her close friend John, headmaster of the local boarding school, is raving and in shock. Nana had been searching for her 16-year-old niece Celeste, gone missing with boyfriend Kwasi, a protg of John. Nana, who raised Celeste, had with John's approval encouraged the friendship between their young charges, turning a blind eye to the teenagers' carrying-on in public. Was Nana a benevolent free spirit, or a lonely meddler with an unhealthy obsession? That's one of many questions that goes unanswered here. Kwasi becomes the target for the townspeople's indignation. He moves to Accra to live with his kindly uncle Festus, and puts his painting talents to good use as a signwriter. Celeste joins him. Their love is still intense, but shadowed by guilt over Nana's death. Shy and awkward, Kwasi can only express himself through his painting. Eventually he bolts, joining the West African diaspora in Paris. Nana's drowning was no accident, we learn; for the sake of Kwasi and Celeste, John had pushed her under. This does not ring true, and the revelation is handled clumsily. John comes clean to the town doctor, who passes the news on to Festus, who relays the confession to Kwasi in Paris at the very end. So Nana's murder, which wrecked three lives, is sidelined for much of the narrative. The only flickers of excitement are provided by Schwartzman's account of"the flesh machine," the series of handlers who move Kwasi from Accra through Senegal to Paris.

A thoroughly confused tale whose inarticulate protagonist is the biggest, but by no means the only, source of frustration.

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Starred review from March 1, 2010
This powerful bildungsroman, rendered with exquisite lyricism from multiple viewpoints, lightly circles about protagonist Kwasi Edward Michael Dankoh, aka Eddie Signwriter, before focusing on his experiences. Living in Ghana, teenage Eddie is in love with Celeste, but a scandal forces him to flee first to Senegal and then, illegally, to Paris. Full of tantalizing questions that are answered in due course, this novel succeeds on many levels. Superficially, it is a love story, but it is also a story of the abuse of innocence and the attendant consequences for young lives. On another level it is a mystery, solved after dark secrets are revealed. It's also a story about the perils of undocumented African workers in France. At the root, however, this work ingeniously illustrates the purpose of art, showing its function and value beyond mere decoration. As Eddie Signwriter paints, he incorporates the struggles of his life into his work. Engaging characters and evocative descriptions make this novel truly unforgettable. VERDICT Subtle, captivating, and beautiful, this outstanding novel is recommended for fans of multifaceted writing, as well as those interested in African life. It's Stuart O'Nan's "Last Night at the Lobster" meets Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's "Half of a Yellow Sun".Henry Bankhead, Los Gatos P.L., CA

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2010
Kwasi Edward Michael Dankoh lives his life stuck between ethnicities and worlds. When he is caught up in a scandalous relationship and blamed for a resulting tragic death, he is ostracized by his town and forced to find a new life for himself. His life takes him from Ghana to Senegal, and finally to an illegal immigrant community in France. Eddie, as he comes to be known, is a compelling character, but there is too much assumed knowledge of the various African cultures here. It is hard to decipher just what is scandalous about his early relationship and what exactly happens to the woman whose death is blamed on him. Later, when Eddie leaves for France this is treated as a tragedy by his family, but again, without an understanding of the culture it is hard to see why. Still, Schwartzman is originally a poet and the beauty of his writing carries the reader through the story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)