The Satanist

The Satanist is the story of Hyder, an anthropologist living in Lagos, Nigeria with his wife Maryam. While Maryam, a young Pakistani woman who is trying to acclimatize herself with the earthy habitat of Nigeria is faced with domestic challenges bigger than Diaspora - physical abuse, misogyny and a disloyal spouse. Hyder, a disillusioned man cannot find psychological satisfaction anywhere but in Vikki, a younger lover and a Satanist. Through course of their relationship, Hyder struggles with the idea of Satanism but is constantly coaxed by Vikki to enter the Dark realm. For Hyder, the journey of accepting or rejecting Satanism runs through the novel. The story embodies and explores the theoretical presence of Satanism in every society irrespective of race, creed and geography. The story also encompasses the natural beauty of Nigeria and the earthiness of the common Nigerian through Hyder and Maryam's son Harris and his relationships with his buddy Obiyara, friend Zainab, Zainab's mother Binta and his school teacher Malam Yakubu - all of whom become his family more than his real one. The Satanist is Sana Munir's first novel. She is an avid bookworm, is fond of traveling, reading and listening to biographies of celebrities and commonplace people alike, psychology and poetry. The Satanist is set in Nigeria, a place she remembers from her childhood.