“The Fortune Men” by Nadifa Mohamed
This novel based in Cardiff’s Tiger Bay starts in March 1952 with the death of George VI being announced on the BBC. That smoothly sets the time period, and the novel runs through the next six months for Mahmood Mattan, a Somali ex-seaman now married to a local Welsh girl.
During the novel we get to learn a lot about Mahmood’s childhood, and family; there are frequent references to his mother left at home in Africa with his brothers when he set off on his travels which eventually led to a life at sea. These flashbacks help the reader to, in part, understand Mahmood’s character and his approach to life in Wales of the 1950s. Even in seaside cities with a strong maritime tradition, racism is an everyday occurrence and is part of Mahmood’s life; the more so having married a local girl, Laura.
The main part of the book though is based on a real life murder.
Violet Volacki, a shop-keeper, is murdered late one evening when she is about to lock up; her sister and niece in the adjoining room hear nothing. Their family story, before and after these tragic events are also recounted. The police conduct their enquiries but having been told that a Somali man was seen in the locality this leads them to Mahmood. Without any real evidence and only some circumstantial facts he is charged with her murder. He protests his innocence; initially though he remains confident he will be freed even as the weeks of his incarceration drag by. The reader witnesses these months of mainly solitary confinement. Oddly, Mahmood’s cell offers a limited glimpse of Laura’s parents back garden so they can exchange, at pre-arranged times, to wave to each other. There are prison visits, Laura coming accompanied by one of their three sons; also his friend and mainstay Berlin, who helps him by garnering support to pay for legal help, and providing moral comfort.
The police are biased, apparently quite prepared to seek no other suspects despite Mahmood’s protestations. The Detective Inspector apparently manipulating the evidence and witnesses to support his unfounded case. It takes time for Mahmood to realise the full predicament he is in and his relationship with his solicitor could be better. He has faith that British justice will save him and he is still convinced that the jury will see through the police fabricated case and announce his innocence, even if all the odds are stacked up against him.
Mahmood’s life within the Tiger Bay community and relationships are played out against the background of the murder and the charges and trial that await him.
This novel has been short listed for a couple of prizes, very often the better novels do not win, this one certainly deserves all the praise it has received. Hopefully it will prove popular with readers which will compensate the author for having missed out on the cash prizes. The detail to the time period is excellent, the writing praise-worthy and the storyline, based as I have already said on a real life case, is very moving.
Format: Paperback
