The Ghosts and Jamal is an intriguing story, touching on religion, terrorism and Nigeria's internal conflicts, following a young orphan who is negotiating an unforgiving society. Waking up in the aftermath of a terrorist attack, 13-year-old Jamal tries to piece together what has happened whilst simultaneously trying to evade capture by the attackers. It soon becomes clear that he has been living in a separate outhouse from his family on account of the "bad spirits" or rather his epilepsy that plagues him.
As he wanders around his family's compound, he comes across red canisters leaking yellow gas, which he works out were the weapon that killed his family. With his family dead, he begins to search for his grandfather who he hardly knows; when his grandfather turns him away Jamal keeps walking. On the way he meets prejudice, exploitation and friendship, before finally discovering that it is people, not ghosts, that have killed his family, and they have plans to keep on killing.
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Bridget Blankley spent most of her early life in Nigeria. She
worked as an engineer, educator, and full-time carer before
coming late to writing; her first piece of fiction was published in
her early 50s. Her fiction, however, has since gone on to win
several prizes including 2013 Winchester Writing Can be Murder
and Commonword Children's Writing Competition
