my take: Civil war, Nigeria. hmmm. That could be super depressing. As much as this is a story about the Biafra uprising in Nigeria, it’s mostly a love story. About complicated relationships. Okay, it was kind of depressing.

After I got done, I wondered if the author intended to write an allegory … did the story of the couples speak to the history of Nigeria? was I supposed to read something more into it? was I on the verge of being clever? During her talk at the FF&W she in essence said, no. She was writing a love story. Attempted intellectual analytical observation thwarted.

It was fun to see the author in person. She has a great personality and a beautiful African/British accent. She seems to be the physical model for one of the main characters in the book.

A friend recently moved to Nigeria, so it was also interesting to read some history and be able to ask her questions about culture.

my source: Festival of Faith and Writing

my verdict: very good. worth a read.