Summary
Set in the nineteenth century, The Healers by Ayi Kwei Armah narrates events among the people of Esuano and neighbouring Asante in Kumase, who struggle against a disease that divides black people. Among these people are the healers, a vocation dedicated to removing the toxic ignorance that breeds ethnic, class and caste divisions through the healing knowledge of uniting all black people. The healers have dedicated their lives to the work of healing this disease. Ayi writes, "It's a disease, disintegration." He further explains that "It is the first, unity, that gives healing work its strength."
The healer Damfo knows that such a disease can be healed in centuries to come when there is unity among black people. Thus, a healer must look beyond his present self and must be patient because healing is hard work.
The book's main character, Densu, follows his desire along the path to becoming a healer despite coming from a royal lineage. His decision sparks controversy and later hatred from his greedy uncle Ababio, who desires power. In order to set him up for destruction, Ababio does something that puts Densu into the jaws of death. Ayi makes Ababio's character clear when he writes:
"A human being was to him nothing better than an obstacle to be tricked, lied to, manipulated and shaped by force or guile into becoming a usable ally in spite of himself. And if that failed, then a human being became simply an object to be destroyed."
Will Densu manage to resist Ababio's temptations and fulfil the path he has chosen?
Themes
Loss
Ayi presents the theme of loss in The Healers in many ways, but the one that stayed with me was when Densu lost a close friend. This loss presents him with nightmares and challenges his will to live. Even the memory of this loss brings pain that he himself wishes not to remember. Ayi thus writes:
"There were also good memories, but now even those made him sad. The memories of the friendly, playful but always rather mysterious Anan, now gone forever, upset him with regret so that his mind fled from them. Memories of days spent with Araba Jesiwa and the prince Appia brought a vanishing taste of joy, then the crushing hopelessness of harsh knowledge."
This theme is a poignant reminder of how human beings are affected by loss and how deeply it can affect their sense of self. Even good memories can become painful when the people with whom we shared them are no longer around. Sometimes, remembering what once brought us joy only reminds us of what we have lost. This shows why deep healing work must be done with patience in order to restore our crushed sense of self after loss.
Traditional African Trials versus the White Man's Trials
When an unfortunate event takes place in Esuano, Densu finds himself a prisoner, awaiting trial according to the customs of the people of Esuano. The process involves the suspect drinking a poison medicine, and if they die, they are considered guilty. This trial is elaborately narrated in the novel. Ayi writes in the conversation between Densu and Anan:
"What trial is there going to be?"
"Who told you of a trial?" Anan asked.
"Ababio."
"So he's been here. It's the poison bark trial," Anan said.
Ayi contrasts this traditional trial with the trial introduced by the white man. The latter is held in a court lined with benches, with a white judge seated on a high chair. Ayi writes:
"A high chair made in the style of the whites was brought from Cape Coast and placed at one end of the hall. Long benches were provided for people to sit on."
Instead of the medicine of truth, witnesses are given the chance to speak and present their evidence, while the prisoner is given an opportunity to defend themselves.
This stood out for me because we see a shift in the way justice is administered, or seen to be administered, before and after the arrival of the white man. The reader is left to ask which system was more likely to see justice served. The traditional trial appears to depend on a dangerous test in which death becomes proof of guilt, leaving little room for the possibility that an innocent person could die. The court system, on the other hand, allows witnesses to present evidence and gives the accused an opportunity to defend themselves.
However, the novel also invites us to question whether the introduction of a foreign system automatically means that justice will be served. The presence of a courtroom and formal procedures does not necessarily guarantee justice, especially in a society where colonial power is taking shape. For me, this contrast raises an important question about justice, the systems through which it is administered, and whether those systems genuinely serve the people.
Unity of All Black People
The major theme in this novel is the idea that black people were once one people and that certain circumstances caused them to become separated. It is not just a tribe or a nation, but rather that each tribe is a remnant of a larger group of black people. Ayi writes:
"There were people who knew stories of a time when the black people were one. But they were not easy to find. Even when found, they were rather silent, as if the question raised in their minds a regret that overwhelmed their tongues."
Because black people have become disintegrated, the healers' work involves bringing them together again. Damfo considers this to be the greatest and highest form of healing work. Thus, Ayi puts it clearly:
"If the past tells you the Akan and the black people were one centuries ago, perhaps it also tells you there is nothing eternal about our present divisions. We were one in the past. We may come together again in the future."
At the end of the novel, as colonialism begins to take shape, one healer, Ama Nkroma, makes a critical realisation. Contrary to what the white man wishes—to drive black people further apart—he is, in part, bringing them together. Here is the passage:
"It's a new dance all right," she said, "and it's grotesque. But look at all the black people the whites have brought here. Here we healers have been wondering about ways to bring our people together again. And the whites want ways to drive us farther apart. Does it not amuse you, that in their wish to drive us apart the whites are actually bringing us healers work for the future?"
This shows us a silver lining amid the brutal consequences of colonialism. The very forces that seek to divide black people end up creating circumstances in which people from different places come into contact with one another. It is an interesting contradiction because the colonisers do not intend to unite the people; yet, their actions inadvertently create opportunities for the healers' work.
For me, this theme raises the question of whether the divisions that exist among African people today are permanent or whether they can be overcome. If these divisions were created through historical circumstances, then perhaps they can also be healed through a conscious effort to restore unity.
Sacrifices
Throughout the novel, Ayi makes it clear in his narration that sacrificial offerings were a widespread practice in traditional Africa. Due to centuries of enslavement and caste divisions between royals and their subjects, there is an apparent division. Privilege belongs to the royals, while their subjects, among other things, are used as sacrificial offerings. There is a particular scene where Densu watches as victims are sacrificed to stop an impending war. Ayi thus narrates the observation:
"A new victim was pushed to the edge of the water with each such prayer. At the words 'Accept, accept,' strong men cast him forcibly down and a sword slashed his throat. His blood poured out to redden the river. His weighted body was flung into the water where, dragged down by its heavy stone, it disappeared from sight. Densu found himself standing tensely upright."
For me, this was a particularly disturbing part of the African practice presented in the novel. It serves as an important pointer to the diseases that had eaten deep into African roots, which the healers aimed to heal. The fact that human beings could be sacrificed to protect a nation or prevent a war raises questions about whose lives were considered valuable and whose lives could be taken for the benefit of others.
It is especially troubling that the burden of these sacrifices falls upon people who appear to have less power and privilege than those making the decisions. This makes the practice more than a question of traditional beliefs; it also becomes a question of power, inequality and the value attached to human life. It shows that the divisions the healers seek to overcome are not merely between different groups of people but also within the societies themselves.
Love
Which novel can be complete without the theme of love? Ayi displays love among his characters in different forms. For example, there is the love between Araba Jesiwa and her childhood sweetheart, whom she finds herself longing for even after her royal marriage. Then there is the love between Densu and Ajoa, where love and attraction are recognised at first sight.
What I found interesting is that love in the novel does not always follow the paths that society expects it to follow. Araba Jesiwa's feelings show that even marriage and social position cannot necessarily erase the emotional connections people formed in their earlier lives. Similarly, the attraction between Densu and Ajoa presents love as something that develops alongside Densu's journey and the choices he makes about his future.
Through these relationships, Ayi reminds us that human beings have emotional lives that cannot always be controlled by social expectations, royal obligations or the desire for power.
Healing
When Asamoa Nkwanta loses someone he dearly cherishes, he finds himself unable to return to his normal self. In his attempt to find deeper healing, he begins to ask himself important questions. Ayi puts it this way:
"If the past was a time of unity, then must I see my entire life as wrong?"
This again points to the crucial theme of the novel: the healing of black people who have been afflicted by the disease of division. Through the character Damfo, Ayi shows how this type of disease is not easily recognised. Thus, when asked about its cause, Damfo responds:
"What do you say caused the disease?"
"You do ask some heavy questions," Damfo said.
The novel goes ahead to show us how the disease came about on the African continent. Ayi writes:
"The events that have shattered our people were not simply painful events. They were disasters. They were strange, unnatural catastrophes. Those who survived them could only survive in part because they found ways to forget the catastrophes. When you're still close to past dangers that threatened to wipe you out, even remembrance pains you. Our people forgot a lot of things in order to survive. We even went beyond forgetfulness. To forget thoroughly the shattering and the dispersal of a people that was once whole, we have gone so far as to pretend we have always been these silly little fragments each calling itself a nation."
This passage stood out for me because it presents healing as something that goes beyond treating the visible wounds of an individual. The suffering of a people can become so great that forgetting becomes a means of survival. However, when the causes of that suffering remain unaddressed, the consequences can continue to affect generations.
The healers' work therefore involves helping people recognise what has happened to them and understand the roots of their divisions. It is not enough to live as separate groups and assume that this is how things have always been. Healing requires looking back, asking difficult questions and confronting the painful truths that people may have spent centuries avoiding.
I found this particularly interesting because Damfo's approach to healing demands patience and a willingness to look beyond the present. It is not work that can be completed by one individual or within one generation. It requires people to understand themselves, their history and their relationship with others.
White Man's Invasion and Brutality
Ayi presents the arrival of the white man as a period marked by violence, intimidation and destruction. Bribes and alcohol failed the white men, but violence did not. One of the white officers became famous for his genius for destruction, exciting immense wonder. This man roamed over the land, burning villages at night, threatening towns with destruction, capturing hostages and terrifying populations if they did not provide labourers for the white road. His name became something to frighten children with: Colonel Colley.
The extraordinary event was the entry of the white invaders into Kumase, the never-violated city. As the sun dipped down in the west, the white general Wolseley came riding—the cripple—on an ass, surrounded by his officers and red, sweating soldiers.
Through these events, Ayi portrays colonial invasion as something that brought fear and destruction to African communities. The burning of villages, the capture of hostages and the use of threats to obtain labour show that the invaders were willing to use force to achieve their objectives. The construction of roads, which might otherwise be seen as development, becomes another means through which African people are coerced into serving colonial interests.
The entry into Kumase is particularly significant because it represents the violation of a city that had never been conquered in this way. The scene illustrates the extent to which colonial invasion threatened existing African political structures and ways of life.
For me, this theme also connects with the novel's central idea of healing. It is difficult to heal a people when violence continues to destroy their communities, undermine their security and create further divisions. The brutality of colonialism therefore becomes another force that deepens the disease the healers are trying to overcome.
Using Christianity to Enslave Africans
Ayi also explores how Christianity was used as a tool of colonial control. At Cape Coast, the whites sent soldiers into homes to capture men. Priests who were supposed to be saving the souls of believers in the white God turned their followers into the white man's labourers. Ayi writes:
"This was another time when even the most credulous understood that the purposes of the Christian god were not so mysterious after all. They were whatever white men decided they should be."
This scene stood out for me because it exposes the contradiction between the message of Christianity and the actions of those who claimed to represent it. A religion presented as a means of salvation becomes associated with forced labour and the capture of African men. Those who were expected to guide people spiritually become part of a system that exploits them.
The novel suggests that religious authority was sometimes used to make colonial demands appear acceptable, even when those demands involved violence and oppression. This raises questions about the relationship between religion and power, especially when those in positions of authority use people's beliefs to advance their own interests.
Near Densu, a voice from the shadows laughs:
"Funny, these whites," the laughing one in the shadows said. "They themselves are busy stealing. But they tell us stealing is a crime and we shall die for it."
This observation captures the hypocrisy that Ayi exposes throughout the novel. The white men condemn certain actions among Africans while engaging in acts of exploitation themselves. The irony is that those who present themselves as morally superior are involved in taking African land, labour and freedom.
For me, this theme demonstrates how powerful institutions, including religion, can be manipulated to justify injustice. It also reminds us that we should examine people's actions rather than accept their claims to moral or spiritual authority without question.
Consequences of Colonial Invasion
Ayi does not present colonial invasion as an event without lasting consequences. Through the experiences of his characters, he shows the fear, despair and destruction that accompany the arrival of the white men.
One particularly disturbing scene concerns Kwamen Owusu, who takes his own life:
"Kwamen Owusu had fired the gun—against no foe but his own self. He had put the muzzle of the long gun under his chin. He had pushed the trigger down toward the butt with his toe—the toe was still caught, twisted in the triggerspace."
This scene reveals the extent of the despair experienced by individuals caught up in the violence and uncertainty of the time. Rather than directing his weapon against an enemy, Kwamen Owusu turns it against himself. His death becomes a reminder that the consequences of war are not limited to those killed in battle; they also include the psychological suffering of those who feel overwhelmed by the circumstances around them.
Another disturbing practice in the novel involves the mutilation of victims' bodies in an attempt to stop the advancing white soldiers. The priests explain that the bodies were not mutilated to please the spirits, who only wanted their blood, but to frighten the soldiers into turning back from Kumase. The bodies were placed along the road, at every junction and every turning, to stop the white invaders.
This shows how desperate the situation had become. Faced with an enemy whose violence threatened their survival, the people resorted to extreme measures in the hope of protecting their land. The invasion had created circumstances in which death and the desecration of human bodies became part of the struggle to defend the community.
For me, these events reveal the destructive consequences of colonialism on both individuals and society. There is the physical destruction of lives and communities, but there is also the despair that comes when people feel that their world is falling apart. These consequences reinforce the importance of the healing work that Damfo and the other healers believe must be done.
Division Among African People
Division among African people is another important theme in the novel. While the healers believe in bringing black people together, some of the characters are more concerned with preserving their own positions and power. This becomes particularly dangerous when the white invaders arrive and African leaders must decide whether to resist them or cooperate with them.
Ayi presents this conflict through a discussion about Asamoa Nkwanta's plan to resist the whites:
"She said if Asante followed Asamoa Nkwanta's plan and resisted the whites, there would be nothing stopping Asamoa Nkwanta from becoming king of the inviolate nation. She said the wisdom of a king lay in knowing at all times what to do in order to remain a king. If what should be done now was to yield a bit to the whites, better that than to lose all power to an upstart general."
This scene shows how the desire to preserve personal power can influence decisions that affect an entire nation. Instead of considering what would best protect the people, the question becomes whether resisting the white men might allow another leader to gain power. Cooperation with the invaders is therefore considered preferable if it helps preserve one's position.
For me, this is one of the most troubling aspects of the novel because it shows how internal divisions can weaken a people when they are faced with an external threat. When leaders prioritise their own interests over the well-being of their communities, they create opportunities for outsiders to take advantage of those divisions.
This theme also connects directly to the healers' understanding of the disease of disintegration. The problem is not simply that different African groups have become separated. It is also that individuals and leaders can become so attached to their own interests that they are unwilling to work towards a common future. In this sense, the healing of division requires more than bringing people together physically; it requires a change in the way they understand power, responsibility and their relationship with one another.
My Reflections
This book is a unique one because it opened me to a different kind of knowledge that I had never read about in any other book—the healers. I found their vocation incredibly interesting and one that is rich, not in material form, but in the fulfilment it brings to its practitioners. The deep work involved in this vocation is equally amazing.
Today, healers' villages are no more. Those who claim to be capable of healing do not actually meet the requirements, as Damfo explains them to Densu in this novel. It makes me think that perhaps, as a society, we need to dig deeper to restore such a vocation.
Because it is such a powerful vocation, it threatens the white man's and the royals' power and privilege. That is why the healers' houses are attacked and burned to ashes in the novel. Their work challenges the systems that benefit from division, ignorance and the concentration of power in the hands of a few.
The question that stayed with me is: Will Africa ever realise this kind of healing?
Strengths
Well-written, interesting story, charming and vivid. Easy to read.
One of the strengths of this novel is how well-written it is. Ayi tells an interesting story in a charming and vivid way that makes the book easy to read. His descriptions of events, people and places bring the story to life, allowing the reader to imagine what is happening and become immersed in the experiences of the characters.
Another strength is the depth of knowledge the author brings to the story. The idea of the healers and their vocation is particularly fascinating because it introduces the reader to a different understanding of healing, one that goes beyond the individual to include the entire community. The author also explores the dangers of greed, ignorance and division without losing sight of the possibility of healing and unity.
Weaknesses
One thing I would have loved to see is what happens to Ababio at the end of the novel. Given his role in creating conflict and his desire for power, I was curious to know how his story would conclude and whether he would eventually face the consequences of his actions.
However, perhaps this is where the author intended for readers to keep thinking about the story, among other things. Although I would have appreciated a clearer resolution to Ababio's fate, the open-endedness leaves room for the reader to reflect on the character and the consequences of his choices. It is the one thing I was left wondering about after finishing the book.
Recommendation
The Healers is a suitable read for everyone interested in understanding African history, particularly the events surrounding colonial invasion and the ways colonialists used divisions among Africans to advance their interests. The novel offers an opportunity to reflect on how greed for power, internal conflicts and the failure to recognise a common identity can weaken a people.
I would also recommend it to readers interested in traditional African knowledge and the different ways societies understand healing. The vocation of the healers is one of the most fascinating aspects of the book because it presents healing as a long-term commitment to restoring unity among people rather than merely addressing individual problems.
Beyond its historical setting, the novel raises questions that remain worth considering today. What causes people who share a common history to become divided? What happens when leaders value their positions more than the well-being of their people? And how can such divisions be healed? These are some of the questions that make The Healers an interesting and thought-provoking read.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the history of colonial invasion while reflecting on the dangers of division and the importance of unity and healing.
Rating
★★★★★ Five stars.
