"Emeka and Barbara had met before but only for a moment. When they ran into each other again eight years later and married, Emeka felt he had married the loveliest and most dependable woman. However, after their daughter, Jyoti, died of sickle cell disease and Emeka discovered he did not have the sickle cell gene; he began to have second thoughts... was Barbara really the epitome of virtue he took her for and if she was not, then, who was the covert father of the girl he had always believed was his daughter...?
Latent Error is an ironic story of love ideals and individuality versus the more imperfect facts of actual life. It centres on the ""old fashioned"" principles of its main character, Emeka Obiora, and how these survive within modern life, having first to deal with the slyness of his friend and housemate Mickey and then with the question of paternity - what is more important, the bloodline or real personal attachment? This allows an affecting discussion of the nature of the bonds between human beings.
This is a well-executed piece of writing that presents its ideas in an accessible but thought-provoking way. The narrative flows easily, with good rendition of tension and atmosphere all the way to the ending, while the different motivations of the central characters and the contrasting ways they have of fitting in with the human world are acutely drawn.
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