“Okonkwo's ability to skillfully narrate the triumphs, upheavals and disappointments of young love defies comparison to any other writer; the fact that The Tiny Things Are Heavier is Okonkwo's debut is hard to believe given the fully realized scope of her prose.” —Emma Specter, Vogue

“[The Tiny Things Are Heavier] transcends the boundaries of the university-and the United States-to ask painful questions about universal themes, such as human dignity and the limits of family loyalty . . . Okonkwo exposes uncomfortable sticking points in transnational identity and class.” —Foreign Policy

“. . . at turns amusing and heartbreaking as it follows Sommy, a Nigerian graduate student trying to navigate her new life in Iowa. . . Okonkwo astutely captures the awkwardness and insecurities of a young woman from any country or culture starting an independent life as an adult.” —Anita Snow, AP

“This book is best for anyone who loved Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Americanah.” —Forbes

“An immigrant contends with alienation and love in Esther Ifesinachi Okonkwo's spirited novel The Tiny Things Are Heavier…a piercing coming-of-age novel in which a woman learns to separate other people's expectations from her own desires.” —Karen Rigby, Forward Review

“A young Nigerian woman's graduate school sojourn in Iowa affects things with family and friends on two continents-but mainly changes her relationship to herself . . . A fresh bildungsroman rich in complex relationships, from familial to intimate.” —Kirkus

“An expansive first novel about a woman searching for home, love, and belonging . . . Okonkwo asks her readers to reflect upon class, privilege, race, gender, and their interlocking power structures, as well as the importance of place to one's sense of self. The Tiny Things Are Heavier is thought-provoking and unforgettable.” —Shelf Awareness

“A gracefully told and sharply observed debut. Okonkwo has produced a beautiful study and story of what we owe to our families, friends, lovers, and ourselves. Complex characters, wild intimacy . . . this one doesn't shy away from the truth of devastation.
” —Kiley Reid, New York Times bestselling author of SUCH A FUN AGE and COME AND GET IT

“The brilliant, unpretentious music of Okonkwo's prose delights the ear, her twisty, page-turning narrative delights the mind, and the wincing, bighearted bumble of her characters delights the soul. A profound, lasting debut, and a sincere blast to read.” —Kaveh Akbar, New York Times bestselling author of MARTYR!

“The Tiny Things are Heavier is a brave, winning novel of contemporary migration, with all the collisions and losses, the transformations and conflicts it brings. Okonkwo's writing is confident, lush, embodied, and a joy to read. In her carefully-rendered and specific world, we touch, and are moved by, the universal.
” —Sarah Thankam Mathews, National Book Award-nominated author of ALL THIS COULD BE DIFFERENT

“An incredibly moving portrait of a woman becoming. Esther Ifesinachi Okonkwo has gifted us profound writing and an exquisitely-realized cast of characters.” —LaToya Watkins, National Book Award-nominated author of PERISH and HOLLER, CHILD

“A rich, complex and wholly moving account of just a fraction of a life that feels so wide and full that it's hard to believe it's fiction, and it's marvel to know that a writer like Esther Ifesinachi Okonkwo is only just beginning what I'm sure will be a long and stunning career. The Tiny Things Are Heavier is both a gut-punch and a warm embrace of a novel that is not soon forgotten.” —Ore Agbaje-Williams, author of THE THREE OF US