Book Review: How I Sold My Soul, a man’s journey

Fiction: How I Sold My Soul, a man’s journey. By Amanda Akuokor Clinton (published February 2011).

1st Edition. Published in Ghana by Our Father’s House (ISBN 97:899-8-814-794-5) How I Sold My Soul, Amanda Akuokor Clinton’s first novel is set in the U.K where the protagonist Mr. Man visits Ghana twice during his life. She tells the story of a young Barrister who makes a wager for his Soul in a pub behind the High Court called 7 Stars, in exchange for £6,000.000 and influence. The only catch being that he will die 20 years after signing the contract for his Soul. Mr. Man does not take the wager seriously until his bank account is credited with £6,000.000 and he gets influence in the form of becoming a fully paid up member of the Illuminati. During his natural life, he becomes a prominent Barrister, carries out yearly tasks on behalf of the Illuminati and essentially gains more money, influence and power than he bargained for when he sold his Soul with the bonus of working on cutting edge cases. Just before Mr. Man’s time is up, he takes an accidental overdose that leaves him sedated under a coma that see’s him half suspended in a mortal body and half suspended in the after-life. In this predicament, he decides to argue the case of all centuries. To make a case before a Panel in the supernatural realm as to why he should keep his Soul. Before the Panel meeting, he is assigned a guide to give him a flavor of man’s place in the Universe, as the guide sees it.

How I Sold My Soul is breathtakingly original, skillfully structured and a shining beacon of African literature that will once again put Ghana on the international market for producing talented authors.

The spiritual encounter Mr. Man has with a stranger for almost most of the second half of the book is both poignant and original because it leaves the reader to wonder whether Mr. Man is dreaming, hallucinating or having a real encounter with a spiritual stranger in his coma. It also allowed the writer to effortlessly transport Mr. Man and his guide to different countries and places in history without overwhelming the reader with right or wrong, good or bad, just leaving the reader to make of the story what they will, based on Mr. Man’s life.

One of the many outstanding qualities of the fiction How I Sold My Soul is Amanda’s talent for observation. She also believably conveys her ultimately Christian message by using the vehicle of a man who lives a colourful and sometimes dark life, a man who finally gets an opportunity to make some spiritual sense of his life whilst sedated under a coma. She also has remarkable insight into the Ghanaian psyche and demonstrates that when Mr. Man visits Ghana.

She literally never misses a thing and you will be stunned with her knowledge of secret societies, philosophy, law and the Bible. This altogether allows for a refreshing book that complements the current Dan Brown thriller genre by exploring a spiritual side to her book that moves at a fast and believable pace. She also intelligently delivers this fiction with humour and leaves clues in the book to keep the reader alert such as the people who are living in sin have names that are written backwards e.g. Anais is spelt Siana in her novel and Heaven is spelt Nevaeh.

The Panel meeting at the end of the book particularly grabbed me because of the eloquent delivery of Mr. Man’s heart felt submissions which leaves you wondering whether it will be enough to persuade the convened Panel or whether a rare act of kindness just before his comma will ultimately lead him to the salvation he seeks back in his body or in heaven. Nevaeh’s submissions on behalf of lucifer were although short, was to the point and eloquently phrased.

I am persuaded that How I Sold My Soul is really about a new form of Christian literature that explores a deeply intelligent mind, tortured, fascinating and engaging life of a real life character whilst refusing to dictate what is right, good and acceptable during Mr. Man’s life or spiritual encounter but leaving the reader to make of the story what they will. The author, a trained Barrister, certainly made her case for the value of the human Soul.

Rating: Excellent novel by a young Ghanaian writer who is likely to succeed internationally with this novel.

Reviewed by: Sheila Lamptey.

BOOK LAUNCH: SATURDAY 7TH JANUARY

On Spintex Road (near Papaye)-call for directions-0204 594 464 or email rsvp.booksoul@yahoo.com for more details.

A minimum donation is required at the door which will entitle you to a reduced copy of the book, CD with inspirational messages, food, drink and entry into the day’s raffle.

1/3 of all proceeds raised will go towards The Plug, an international NGO based in the Volta region which saves young children who have been trafficked in the Volta Region. http://www.theplug.org.uk/

Amanda Clinton also hosts a Christian program called OUR FATHER’S HOUSE- building God’s spiritual house using a variety of formats including radio. The program airs on Vibe 91.9 F.M from 5.30 am to 6.00 am weekdays where she ministers with music and a 15 minute inspirational, bible based message from herself.