A moving account of an exceptional life and a piercing critique of imperialism, Home and Exile is above all a book that articulates persuasively why literature matters. Achebe challenges the West's portrayal of Africa in its culture and how this portrayal has been used to advance colonialism. Stories are a real source of power in the world, and Achebe proves that to imitate the literature of another culture is to give that power away.Incisive, illuminating and intimate, this book by one of Africa's most influential writers also offers readers a rare insight into his personal life and education.