A young man’s medical education in 1990s Nigeria: a deeply personal memoir that provides a window onto ordinary Nigerian lives at a time of political turmoil. As he works his way through his medical training, Ike Anya’s grandmother reassures him, saying: Everything worthwhile is achieved small by small. It’s the 1990s, a turbulent time in Nigeria’s political history, and a young Ike Anya embarks on the journey to qualifying as a medical doctor. In a story that charts the triumphs and failures of his student days through to his first demanding year as a house officer, Anya’s sharp wit, gentle humour and abounding curiosity present a medical memoir unlike any from the West. Recalling the vibrancy of tempestuous 1990s Nigeria, the political unrest, social change and worsening economy, Anya also celebrates the friendships, minor rebellions and hard graft of student days. Small by Small is a deeply intimate memoir imbued with determination, compassion and a love of storytelling.
