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.