Swallow. Sefi Atta

       For my families: the Attas, Thomases, and Ransome-Kutis

      First published in 2010 by

      INTERLINK BOOKS

      An imprint of Interlink Publishing Group, Inc.

      46 Crosby Street, Northampton, Massachusetts 01060

       www.interlinkbooks.com

      Copyright © Sefi Atta 2010

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a

      retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,

      electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or

      otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

       Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      Atta, Sefi.

      Swallow / by Sefi Atta.—1st American ed.

      p. cm.

      ISBN 978-1-56656-833-3 (pbk.)

      1. Female friendship—Fiction. 2. Mothers and daughters—Fiction.

      3. Nigeria—Fiction. 4. Domestic fiction. I. Title.

      PS3601.T78S93 2010

      813’.6—dc22

      2010013252

      A portion of this book previously appeared in Sable and Per Contra

      Photo © Frenk and Danielle Kaufmann

      Printed and bound in the United States of America

      PART ONE