Nervous Conditions is a modern classic in the African literary canon, vividly bringing to life the politics of decolonization with the energy of women's rights. This extraordinarily well-crafted work is a visionary novel that deftly negotiates race, class, gender, and cultural change.

It dramatizes the 'nervousness' of the postcolonial conditions that still affect us. Through the character of Tambu and the women of her family, African women see themselves, whether at home or displaced, engaging in daily battles with their changing world with a mixture of tenacity, bewilderment, and grace.