Review of Quest: Finding Freddie

[Merits Anih]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Quest: Finding Freddie" by Thomas Richard Spradlin.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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This book is set in Nigeria in 1976, when the country was experiencing unrest as the overthrow of General Yakubu Gowon, the Head of State, via a military coup in the preceding year made the country volatile. Frederick David Nachman (Freddie) had a telecommunications contract he was vying for along with other companies. It was this contract that took him to Nigeria at that time. After a while, Freddie's wife (Ruth) was notified that her husband was missing as he had not returned to his hotel room after allegedly taking a walk. When it became obvious that someone had to be sent to Lagos to find him, she asked a law firm to help her, and they sent Richard to do so.

I love that Richard knew the right people to talk to, and he did everything in his power to talk to them. He even went the extra mile. He understood the language of the Nigerian people and officials and spoke it both in Pidgin English and in "dash." I would say that "dash" was the perfect way to communicate, and everyone he encountered understood it loud and clear. I bet you will not understand this until you read Quest: Finding Freddie by Thomas Richard Spradlin, which is why I encourage you to get a copy.

I was pleased when the author mentioned "The Palmwine Drinkard" and Chinua Achebe's books as some of the novels he selected on his way to Nigeria. They were familiar, as I had read 3 of those books written by Chinua Achebe. Reading this book made me more interested in learning about Nigeria's political and current economic situation, and so I went to do research. Regarding the current state of corruption in Nigeria, I learned that the situation has evolved since the time described in the book. However, while significant efforts have been made to combat corruption, it remains a persistent challenge in contemporary Nigerian society and politics.

I recommend this book to those who like reading about military governments and coups. The professional editing, educational value, and engaging writing style made me love it, and it is a good recommendation for readers interested in African history, politics, and culture. I rate the book 5 out of 5 stars because I disliked nothing about it.

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Quest: Finding Freddie
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