WHO & WHAT: Join us for an IRL EVENT with author Afabwaje Kurian as we discuss her debut novel, Before the Mango Ripens. Afabwaje will be joined in conversation with fellow author and Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Chapman University, Jean Chen Ho.

WHEN: Sunday, November 17, 2024 @ 2pm PST (Doors at 1:30pm, event starts at 2pm)

WHERE: In-Person at Rep Club in Los Angeles (3054 S. Victoria Ave LA, CA 90016)

HEALTH & SAFETY: For your safety, we ask that you please wear a face covering while indoors for our events.

HOW: Reserve an IRL ticket from the drop down below:

• IRL TICKET W/ SIGNED BOOK: This ticket guarantees a seat including a SIGNED book copy available for pick up at the event.

• FREE *STANDBY*: IRL Event entry based on capacity. Limited Signed copies will be available for purchase during the event. Due to our limited capacity, please only RSVP if you plan to attend.

• SIGNED BOOK ONLY: Can’t make it IRL but want a signed copy? Order directly from our site!

Please email us at info@reparations.club if you have any additional needs, questions, or accessibility concerns.

Set against the backdrop of 1970s Nigeria teetering between post-colonial dependency and self-rule, Before the Mango Ripens examines the enduring themes of faith, disillusionment, and the search for belonging. Both epic and intimate, Afabwaje Kurian’s debut announces a brilliant new talent for readers of Imbolo Mbue and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

In Rabata, everyone has secrets–especially since the arrival of the white American missionaries.

Twenty-year-old Jummai is a beautiful and unassuming house girl whose dreams of escaping her home life are disrupted when an unexpected pregnancy forces her to hide her lover’s identity. Tebeya, an ambitious Dublin-educated doctor, has left prestigious opportunities abroad to return to the small town of her birth, and discovers a painful betrayal when she strives to take control of the mission clinic. Zanya is a young translator, enticed by promises of progress, who comes to Rabata to escape a bitter past and finds himself embroiled in a fight against the American reverend for the heart of the church and town.

United by their yearning for change, all three must make difficult decisions that threaten the fragile relationships of the Rabata they know. As tensions mount and hypocrisies are unveiled, the people of Rabata are faced with a question that will transform their town forever: Let the Americans stay, or make them go?

Afabwaje Kurian received her MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Her short fiction has appeared in McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, Callaloo, Crazyhorse, The Bare Life Review, and Joyland Magazine. She has taught creative writing at the University of Iowa, for the International Writing Program, and for The Writer’s Center. Born in Jos, Nigeria, and raised in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and in Ohio, Afabwaje now divides her time between Washington, DC, and the Midwest.

Jean Chen Ho is the author of Fiona and Jane, one of TIME’s 100 Must-Read Books of 2022, longlisted for the Story Prize, and named a Best Book of the Year by NPR, Vulture, Vogue, Oprah Daily, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, and Electric Literature. Her fiction, essays, and criticism appear in New York Times Magazine, The Cut, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Review of Books, and other publications. Ho is an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Chapman University. She lives in Los Angeles.

Refund Policy:

At Rep Club, we are committed to providing a valuable experience for all attendees. However, we understand sometimes plans change. Below is our refund policy for ticket purchases:

Refund Eligibility

– Requests for refunds must be made no later than 14 calendar days prior to the event date via Eventbrite only.

– After this deadline, no refunds will be issued, except under extraordinary circumstances (see “Force Majeure” below).

– Refunds will only be issued to the original purchaser via the original method of payment (i.e. Eventbrite).

Non-Refundable Items

– Processing fees and service charges are non-refundable, unless the event is canceled by the organizer (i.e. Rep Club).

Event Cancellation or Rescheduling

– If the event is canceled by the organizer, a full refund will be issued to all ticket holders, including any fees paid.

– If the event is rescheduled, your ticket will automatically be valid for the new date. If you are unable to attend the rescheduled date, a refund request can be made within 7 calendar days of the rescheduling notice.

No-Show Policy

– If you do not attend the event and have not contacted us by the refund deadline, unfortunately no refund will be issued.

Contact Us

– If you have any questions regarding this refund policy, please contact us at questions@reparations.club.