Four brothers from the Nigerian city of Akure, left without the supervision of their father - he went to work on the other side of the country, go fishing on an abandoned river, which has a bad reputation among local residents. One day, on the way home, the brothers meet the madman Abula, who has the gift of prophecy. People fear and hate Abula, because his mouth is the source of misfortune, and his tongue is the sting of a scorpion... The madman predicts death for Ikenna, the elder brother, at the hands of a fisherman: one of the younger brothers. A prophecy strikes fear into Ikenna's heart, driving him towards doom, and threatens the destruction of his entire family. In his debut novel, Chigozie Obioma proves himself to be a brilliant storyteller: his version of the biblical legend of Cain and Abel unfolds in the vastness of 1990s Nigeria and is conveyed in delightful language , which refers us to the tales of the peoples of Africa.