This Kind of Trouble

A Novel

Author Tochi Eze
A riveting tale of forbidden love centered on an estranged couple brought together to reckon with the mysterious events that splintered their family.

In 1960s Lagos, a city enlivened with its newfound independence, headstrong Margaret meets British-born Benjamin, a man seeking his roots after the death of his half-Nigerian father. Despite Margaret’s reluctance, their connection is immediate. They fall in love in the dense, humid city, examining what appears to be their racial and cultural differences. However, as they exchange childhood stories during lazy work lunches, they uncover a past more entangled than they could have ever imagined. Margaret’s deteriorating mental health combined with the shadow of events that transpired decades ago in a small village sets their gradual fracture in motion.

By 2005, Margaret has retired to an upscale gated community in Lagos, and seemingly happy Benjamin lives alone in Atlanta, managing his heart problems with no options when asked to name his next of kin. But their attempt at a settled life is shattered when their grandson begins to show ominous signs echoing the struggles Margaret once faced. The former lovers are forced to reunite to confront the buried secrets they had dismissed in the passion of their youth—secrets that continue to ripple through their family.

A startling and propulsive tale of forbidden love, This Kind of Trouble traces the intertwined legacies of one family’s history, exploring the complex relationship between tradition, modernity, and the ways we seek healing in a changing world. With this debut novel, Tochi Eze announces herself as a dazzling new voice in world literature.
“There is a mythic quality to Tochi Eze’s writing, an expansiveness of vision. THIS KIND OF TROUBLE gripped my heart and my imagination with its intricate tapestry of humanity.”
—Tsering Yangzom Lama, author of We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies

“An immersive and bewitching tale of family, fortune, love, and all that is sacrificed in pursuit of it. With masterful craft, Eze guides the reader through alternating years and perspectives to illuminating cumulative effect. THIS KIND OF TROUBLE is gorgeous, a promising debut signifying the emergence of an important new talent.”
—Dantiel W. Moniz, author of Milk Blood Heat

“THIS KIND OF TROUBLE is a sweeping and captivating tale about what happens when love and history collide.”
—Nadia Owusu, Author of Aftershocks

“In THIS KIND OF TROUBLE, Tochi Eze has crafted a taut narrative of dislocation and estrangement that is also a moving story of love and generational change. A wrenching, propulsive, and unforgettable debut.”
—Bruce Holsinger, author of The Displacements

“THIS KIND OF TROUBLE is an incandescent and moving portrait of star-crossed lovers caught between the weight of tradition and secrets carried across generations. In turns tender and unflinchingly honest, Tochi Eze explores a world where duty and desire are often at odds. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this intimate, emotionally resonant, and profoundly human story.”
—francesca ekwuyasi, author of Butter Honey Pig Bread

“With the gravity of something ancient and the insight of something very contemporary, THIS KIND OF TROUBLE movingly traces the cracks of a family's fractured history across a century. In her richly layered debut, Tochi Eze spins a complex and heart-wrenching tale, asking profound questions about belief, betrayal, and what it is that we inherit.”
—Temim Fruchter, author of City of Laughter

“Deftly woven and beautifully conceived, in her riveting debut novel THIS KIND OF TROUBLE, Tochi Eze brilliantly chronicles the weight and wonders of love, spirit and ancestry with grit, elegance and remarkable power.”
—Mai Sennaar, author of They Dream In Gold

“In beautiful prose, Eze delivers an unflinching exploration of love, familial ties, and alienation . . . and the painful legacies that endure.”
—Chioma Okereke, author of Water Baby

“THIS KIND OF TROUBLE is a spellbinding tale of family secrets and how the influence of past generations impacts on the present. Eze expertly weaves together the elements that show how, over the course of a century, a family can break apart and heal. An excellent debut.”
—Louise Hare, author of This Lovely City
© Capps Juliano
Tochi Eze is a writer and lawyer from Nigeria., Longreads named her short story “The Americanization of Kambili,” published by Catapult, as one of “Ten Outstanding Stories to Read in 2023.” She has an MFA from Florida Atlantic University and is currently a PhD student in English Literature at the University of Virginia. View titles by Tochi Eze

About

A riveting tale of forbidden love centered on an estranged couple brought together to reckon with the mysterious events that splintered their family.

In 1960s Lagos, a city enlivened with its newfound independence, headstrong Margaret meets British-born Benjamin, a man seeking his roots after the death of his half-Nigerian father. Despite Margaret’s reluctance, their connection is immediate. They fall in love in the dense, humid city, examining what appears to be their racial and cultural differences. However, as they exchange childhood stories during lazy work lunches, they uncover a past more entangled than they could have ever imagined. Margaret’s deteriorating mental health combined with the shadow of events that transpired decades ago in a small village sets their gradual fracture in motion.

By 2005, Margaret has retired to an upscale gated community in Lagos, and seemingly happy Benjamin lives alone in Atlanta, managing his heart problems with no options when asked to name his next of kin. But their attempt at a settled life is shattered when their grandson begins to show ominous signs echoing the struggles Margaret once faced. The former lovers are forced to reunite to confront the buried secrets they had dismissed in the passion of their youth—secrets that continue to ripple through their family.

A startling and propulsive tale of forbidden love, This Kind of Trouble traces the intertwined legacies of one family’s history, exploring the complex relationship between tradition, modernity, and the ways we seek healing in a changing world. With this debut novel, Tochi Eze announces herself as a dazzling new voice in world literature.

Reviews

“There is a mythic quality to Tochi Eze’s writing, an expansiveness of vision. THIS KIND OF TROUBLE gripped my heart and my imagination with its intricate tapestry of humanity.”
—Tsering Yangzom Lama, author of We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies

“An immersive and bewitching tale of family, fortune, love, and all that is sacrificed in pursuit of it. With masterful craft, Eze guides the reader through alternating years and perspectives to illuminating cumulative effect. THIS KIND OF TROUBLE is gorgeous, a promising debut signifying the emergence of an important new talent.”
—Dantiel W. Moniz, author of Milk Blood Heat

“THIS KIND OF TROUBLE is a sweeping and captivating tale about what happens when love and history collide.”
—Nadia Owusu, Author of Aftershocks

“In THIS KIND OF TROUBLE, Tochi Eze has crafted a taut narrative of dislocation and estrangement that is also a moving story of love and generational change. A wrenching, propulsive, and unforgettable debut.”
—Bruce Holsinger, author of The Displacements

“THIS KIND OF TROUBLE is an incandescent and moving portrait of star-crossed lovers caught between the weight of tradition and secrets carried across generations. In turns tender and unflinchingly honest, Tochi Eze explores a world where duty and desire are often at odds. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this intimate, emotionally resonant, and profoundly human story.”
—francesca ekwuyasi, author of Butter Honey Pig Bread

“With the gravity of something ancient and the insight of something very contemporary, THIS KIND OF TROUBLE movingly traces the cracks of a family's fractured history across a century. In her richly layered debut, Tochi Eze spins a complex and heart-wrenching tale, asking profound questions about belief, betrayal, and what it is that we inherit.”
—Temim Fruchter, author of City of Laughter

“Deftly woven and beautifully conceived, in her riveting debut novel THIS KIND OF TROUBLE, Tochi Eze brilliantly chronicles the weight and wonders of love, spirit and ancestry with grit, elegance and remarkable power.”
—Mai Sennaar, author of They Dream In Gold

“In beautiful prose, Eze delivers an unflinching exploration of love, familial ties, and alienation . . . and the painful legacies that endure.”
—Chioma Okereke, author of Water Baby

“THIS KIND OF TROUBLE is a spellbinding tale of family secrets and how the influence of past generations impacts on the present. Eze expertly weaves together the elements that show how, over the course of a century, a family can break apart and heal. An excellent debut.”
—Louise Hare, author of This Lovely City

Author

© Capps Juliano
Tochi Eze is a writer and lawyer from Nigeria., Longreads named her short story “The Americanization of Kambili,” published by Catapult, as one of “Ten Outstanding Stories to Read in 2023.” She has an MFA from Florida Atlantic University and is currently a PhD student in English Literature at the University of Virginia. View titles by Tochi Eze
  • More Websites from
    Penguin Random House
  • Common Reads
  • Library Marketing