But the original owner wants it back, and must convince Paama that he deserves it. They think she can wield it better than its original owner, a powerful indigo-skinned djombi who has become indifferent to human suffering. It has the feel of a fairy tale, in which djombis (something like spirits or minor gods) give Paama something called the Chaos Stick, an item that can govern the forces of chance and patterns. Structurally and narratively it makes no sense, but it’s fun to linger while we’re there. After about forty pages of his antics, the book dusts off its hands and moves on to the meat of the story, leaving Ansige behind and leaving the reader thinking… huh? Yet the story is told with humor and spice, and Paama’s view of her husband’s mortifying compulsion is compassionate and graceful. There is no clear reason why we spend so much time on Ansige, as he plays virtually no role in the main part of the story. In this version, Ansige is the husband of Paama, the book’s main character, but we spend a long time dwelling on him instead of her: his insatiable appetite, his suspicion that others are trying to get his food, his unethical willingness to cheat and steal to get more. Take the beginning, which retells a Senegalese folk tale about Ansige the Glutton. But it is the most sprightly, fun mess I’ve read in quite a while, so I forgive it. I’m not sure what it’s supposed to be, and it’s awkward in places, and I’m not crazy about the ending. Karen Lord’s debut novel Redemption in Indigo is… kind of a mess, to be honest.

Redemption in indigo by karen lord