The Last Laugh

This novel portrays the struggle by a young man to change an age-old traditional matrilineal system of inheritance and its consequences. The hero—Owia Atta—is forced to become a farmer, contrary to his wish to be educated to play a leadership role in this fictionalized African community of Wofakurom. He works to create his father’s wealth but is disinherited at his father’s death when the assets are given to his father’s nephew in accordance with tradition and customs. Owia Atta’s resistance against this practice provides moments of tension in the novel, leading to his clash with tradition and consequent felony for which he is punished. But his daring efforts have a big impact on his society. The novel reflects the reality of an ethnic group’s worldview and draws attention to its potential to create social unrest. It interweaves political, social, cultural, and economic issues, bringing together historical developments and the place of the traditional African society in the modern world.