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THE WOMEN OF BIAFRA
360 pages, Paperback
Published June 28, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 27, 2024
This book was quite possibly the most emotional and heart wrenching I’ve ever read. Most people are aware of the Nigerian/Biafra civil war…. it was estimated around one million people may have died due to the conflict from disease, lack of medicine, murder, pillaging, famine and hunger, with thousands starving to death every day, as the war progressed. The author Onyeka Nwelue has conveyed these horrific deaths in his book “The Women of Biafra” depicting the atrocities that occurred, pulling no punches as to the brutality of war and the intense suffering of the people of Biafra.
The story opens with a horrific scene of the main character Ngozika, being savagely attacked by a Nigerian soldier, as her children listened on in another room. She explicitly relates the physical violence she’s enduring and her emotions as she feels them, making the reader realise this book is not going to be a walk in the park.
As most of the men were being killed in droves, it was left to the women to keep their children safe and at times, rally fellow women around to fight the war themselves. Listening to their grief, when the women learned of their children’s deaths was heartbreaking and I could understand their thoughts on rather being dead themselves than living in their current nightmare, waiting for the soldiers to rape and murder them.
Living constantly amongst dead, decaying bodies, fly ridden and often butchered, just lying in the streets and floating in rivers just added to the inhumane conditions people were surviving in and the lack of food, making them resort to rotten pears and lizards is incomprehensible. Makes you realise how we take our western lives and access to all foods, for granted. The author portrayed all this in detail, making it heart-wrenchingly realistic. The leading character Ngozika, was such a strong woman, with a true and honest heart, and a true inspiration. My heart went out to her suffering.
Not an easy read by any means but I believe it needs to be known. It really does make you stop and think and together with a beautifully printed and designed book, I would recommend to all readers, from teenagers up with strong stomachs.
#TheWomenOfBiafra - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The story opens with a horrific scene of the main character Ngozika, being savagely attacked by a Nigerian soldier, as her children listened on in another room. She explicitly relates the physical violence she’s enduring and her emotions as she feels them, making the reader realise this book is not going to be a walk in the park.
As most of the men were being killed in droves, it was left to the women to keep their children safe and at times, rally fellow women around to fight the war themselves. Listening to their grief, when the women learned of their children’s deaths was heartbreaking and I could understand their thoughts on rather being dead themselves than living in their current nightmare, waiting for the soldiers to rape and murder them.
Living constantly amongst dead, decaying bodies, fly ridden and often butchered, just lying in the streets and floating in rivers just added to the inhumane conditions people were surviving in and the lack of food, making them resort to rotten pears and lizards is incomprehensible. Makes you realise how we take our western lives and access to all foods, for granted. The author portrayed all this in detail, making it heart-wrenchingly realistic. The leading character Ngozika, was such a strong woman, with a true and honest heart, and a true inspiration. My heart went out to her suffering.
Not an easy read by any means but I believe it needs to be known. It really does make you stop and think and together with a beautifully printed and designed book, I would recommend to all readers, from teenagers up with strong stomachs.
#TheWomenOfBiafra - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
March 2, 2025
I'll admit, I was absolutely thrilled to get my hands on "The Women of Biafra". The moment it hit Amazon, I snapped up a copy, eager to dive into what promised to be a powerful and moving story. Sadly, my excitement was short-lived.
First, the physical copy I received was marred by blank pages and missing words – a frustrating start to what I hoped would be an immersive reading experience. But I was willing to look past that, hoping the story would shine through.
Unfortunately, the narrative didn't quite live up to the book's compelling premise. The summary on the blurb left me expecting a gripping exploration, but the actual story felt disconnected and hard to follow.
What disappointed me most was the writing itself. The characters, plot twists, and emotional arcs fell flat, leaving me feeling uninvested and underwhelmed. I longed for more depth, more nuance, and more emotional resonance.
While I appreciate the author's attempt to tackle critical themes, "The Women of Biafra" ultimately felt like a missed opportunity.
First, the physical copy I received was marred by blank pages and missing words – a frustrating start to what I hoped would be an immersive reading experience. But I was willing to look past that, hoping the story would shine through.
Unfortunately, the narrative didn't quite live up to the book's compelling premise. The summary on the blurb left me expecting a gripping exploration, but the actual story felt disconnected and hard to follow.
What disappointed me most was the writing itself. The characters, plot twists, and emotional arcs fell flat, leaving me feeling uninvested and underwhelmed. I longed for more depth, more nuance, and more emotional resonance.
While I appreciate the author's attempt to tackle critical themes, "The Women of Biafra" ultimately felt like a missed opportunity.
August 17, 2025
My rating is not related to the story but to the writing style.
As for the story, it opens another dimension to the things we have heard about Biafra and the Nigerian civil war.
Sometimes, I want to delude myself that these are just stories, but then I am quickly reminded that this really happened, and this makes me really sad.
As for the story, it opens another dimension to the things we have heard about Biafra and the Nigerian civil war.
Sometimes, I want to delude myself that these are just stories, but then I am quickly reminded that this really happened, and this makes me really sad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2024
The story is set in 1967. It's the time of the Nigerian Civil War and during the brutal Biafran genocide. We are with Ngozika, a young Igbo woman, as she takes us with her on her journey a better life. Ngozika must keep her daughter Udoka and son Emeka safe at any cost. Ngozika decides to take her children to where her mother and brother are, a village called Ogwuma. With the help from a Yoruba soldier she manages to take a bus. Not long before Ngozika has to go back to sort things out, but leaves her children with her mother and brother. But things don't turn out right, on her return back to Ogwuma she finds out her brother has been killed and her children are gone. Finding out her children are now in Umuahia, she must get there no matter how hard it's going to be or how long it takes her. This is an emotional story, of not just one woman but of many, showing how The Women of Biafra take control after the husbands are either fighting or dead
August 23, 2024
The Women of Biafra, by Onyeka Nwelue, plunges the reader into the brutality of the Nigerian Civil War in 1967.
In the opening scene, young Biafran widow Ngozika is being violently raped by a Fulani soldier in her own home, but her biggest concern in the moment is the welfare of her 12-year-old daughter Udoka and teenage son Emeka, who are tied up in the next room.
After another, sympathetic enemy soldier intervenes, Ngozika and her children escape by taking a bus to the village of Ogwuma, where Ngozika’s mother and brother live and the three of them will hopefully be safer.
However, events move fast. Ngozika travels back home by herself to get a break from her eccentric mother and take care of some business, but when she gets back to Ogwuma, her brother has been killed and her children have moved on to Umuahia. Naturally, this becomes her next destination.
The Women of Biafra is a short but highly effective novel. Using plain, straightforward language – peppered with some brilliantly evocative similes – Nwelue vividly portrays the atrocities committed against Biafran civilians by Nigerian troops, and one woman’s dogged determination to survive for the sake of her loved ones.
I was particularly struck by the author’s emphasis on the active part Biafran women played in defending their land. As Ngozika proclaims in a rousing speech to fellow widows in her village, with all the men either dead or fighting, it’s down to them to arm themselves and fight back. Later, in Umuahia, she becomes an active combatant herself.
Ngozika’s emotions are in constant flux – sometimes militant, sometimes despondent; sometimes fighting to live, sometimes resigned to dying; sometimes hopeful, sometimes despairing. Three things remain constant, though: her straight-talking, hot-headed manner; her obsession with Ernest Hemingway; and her determination to find and protect her children.
This interpersonal devotion extends to her lifelong best friend, Mama Idu. Quite aside from it always being good to see a positive portrayal of female friendship in fiction, the interactions between the pair add a touch of levity to the story.
In theory, they’re an odd couple – Mama Idu cheerfully describes herself as cowardly (though this belies her remarkable resilience in the face of devastating, senseless loss) and unintellectual – but they complement one another and often laugh together. While they’re running on adrenaline and have to keep moving, the effects of their trauma are on hold, but no doubt they would have each other’s backs when it finally had time to hit.
While this story features a number of graphic and brutal scenes and a heartbreaking climax, these are needed to communicate the reality of a major humanitarian crisis. Also worth mentioning is the British government’s support for Nigeria, which was at odds with the sympathies of the public and prominent, influential figures such as Frederick Forsyth.
The Women of Biafra is vivid, striking, and necessarily brutal.
In the opening scene, young Biafran widow Ngozika is being violently raped by a Fulani soldier in her own home, but her biggest concern in the moment is the welfare of her 12-year-old daughter Udoka and teenage son Emeka, who are tied up in the next room.
After another, sympathetic enemy soldier intervenes, Ngozika and her children escape by taking a bus to the village of Ogwuma, where Ngozika’s mother and brother live and the three of them will hopefully be safer.
However, events move fast. Ngozika travels back home by herself to get a break from her eccentric mother and take care of some business, but when she gets back to Ogwuma, her brother has been killed and her children have moved on to Umuahia. Naturally, this becomes her next destination.
The Women of Biafra is a short but highly effective novel. Using plain, straightforward language – peppered with some brilliantly evocative similes – Nwelue vividly portrays the atrocities committed against Biafran civilians by Nigerian troops, and one woman’s dogged determination to survive for the sake of her loved ones.
I was particularly struck by the author’s emphasis on the active part Biafran women played in defending their land. As Ngozika proclaims in a rousing speech to fellow widows in her village, with all the men either dead or fighting, it’s down to them to arm themselves and fight back. Later, in Umuahia, she becomes an active combatant herself.
Ngozika’s emotions are in constant flux – sometimes militant, sometimes despondent; sometimes fighting to live, sometimes resigned to dying; sometimes hopeful, sometimes despairing. Three things remain constant, though: her straight-talking, hot-headed manner; her obsession with Ernest Hemingway; and her determination to find and protect her children.
This interpersonal devotion extends to her lifelong best friend, Mama Idu. Quite aside from it always being good to see a positive portrayal of female friendship in fiction, the interactions between the pair add a touch of levity to the story.
In theory, they’re an odd couple – Mama Idu cheerfully describes herself as cowardly (though this belies her remarkable resilience in the face of devastating, senseless loss) and unintellectual – but they complement one another and often laugh together. While they’re running on adrenaline and have to keep moving, the effects of their trauma are on hold, but no doubt they would have each other’s backs when it finally had time to hit.
While this story features a number of graphic and brutal scenes and a heartbreaking climax, these are needed to communicate the reality of a major humanitarian crisis. Also worth mentioning is the British government’s support for Nigeria, which was at odds with the sympathies of the public and prominent, influential figures such as Frederick Forsyth.
The Women of Biafra is vivid, striking, and necessarily brutal.
September 3, 2024
🧡💫𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕋𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕊𝕡𝕠𝕥𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥💫🧡
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑩𝒊𝒂𝒇𝒓𝒂 𝒃𝒚 𝑶𝒏𝒚𝒆𝒌𝒂 𝑵𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒖𝒆
AD-PR Product
"Set in 1967 during the Biafran genocide, this gripping narrative follows Ngozika, a young Igbo widow who faces unimaginable brutality. A Yoruba soldier, Sola Adenubi, becomes her unexpected ally in a perilous escape with her twins.
The central question echoes: How long can Ngozika run before the shadows of war catch up with them again?
The women of Biafra is a captivating work of fiction set against the backdrop of the Nigerian Civil War.
With themes of resilience, survival, and the power of maternal love, "The Women of Biafra" offers a compelling exploration of the human spirit amidst the chaos of conflict."
"The Women of Biafra" is set in 1967 during the tragic genocide against the Biafrans by Nigerian soldiers.
The novel follows the harrowing journey of Ngozika, a young Igbo widow who endures unspeakable trauma at the hands of a Fulani man.
"The Women of Biafra" sheds light on a significant chapter of Nigerian history and celebrating the strength and resilience of the human spirit."
Before reading this difficult but necessary book, I knew very little about The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War, which was fought between Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, between 1967 and 1970. Ethnic conflict, economic inequality, and educational disparities were among the factors that contributed to the start of the war, which killed an estimated 500,000 to 3,000,000 people. I certainly knew nothing of the courageous women who were left to fight to keep their children safe amongst unimaginable suffering during the brutality of war.
A vivid, striking, heartbreaking, emotional but essential read.
Thank you @randomthingstours for having me on the tour for this book. Please check out the other posts ❤️
#thewomenofbiafra #nigeriacivilwar #thebiafrawar #biafra #biafrawomen #women #womenempowerment #womensupportingwomen #strongwomen #strongfemalecharacters #nigeria
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑩𝒊𝒂𝒇𝒓𝒂 𝒃𝒚 𝑶𝒏𝒚𝒆𝒌𝒂 𝑵𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒖𝒆
AD-PR Product
"Set in 1967 during the Biafran genocide, this gripping narrative follows Ngozika, a young Igbo widow who faces unimaginable brutality. A Yoruba soldier, Sola Adenubi, becomes her unexpected ally in a perilous escape with her twins.
The central question echoes: How long can Ngozika run before the shadows of war catch up with them again?
The women of Biafra is a captivating work of fiction set against the backdrop of the Nigerian Civil War.
With themes of resilience, survival, and the power of maternal love, "The Women of Biafra" offers a compelling exploration of the human spirit amidst the chaos of conflict."
"The Women of Biafra" is set in 1967 during the tragic genocide against the Biafrans by Nigerian soldiers.
The novel follows the harrowing journey of Ngozika, a young Igbo widow who endures unspeakable trauma at the hands of a Fulani man.
"The Women of Biafra" sheds light on a significant chapter of Nigerian history and celebrating the strength and resilience of the human spirit."
Before reading this difficult but necessary book, I knew very little about The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War, which was fought between Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, between 1967 and 1970. Ethnic conflict, economic inequality, and educational disparities were among the factors that contributed to the start of the war, which killed an estimated 500,000 to 3,000,000 people. I certainly knew nothing of the courageous women who were left to fight to keep their children safe amongst unimaginable suffering during the brutality of war.
A vivid, striking, heartbreaking, emotional but essential read.
Thank you @randomthingstours for having me on the tour for this book. Please check out the other posts ❤️
#thewomenofbiafra #nigeriacivilwar #thebiafrawar #biafra #biafrawomen #women #womenempowerment #womensupportingwomen #strongwomen #strongfemalecharacters #nigeria
September 2, 2024
The Women of Biafra is brutal, it's emotional, it's heart wrenching.
It's the story of the Nigerian/ Biafra Civil War of 1967, during which, approximately one million people died. The story depicts the violence and brutality in a very readable, but shocking manner.
It's a distressing read at times, but it's important this story is told.
It's a story of the determination to survive, of the human will to go on, no matter what atrocities and violence you've witnessed, as we follow Ngozika, a Biafran widow, who's raped by an enemy soldier, but manages to escape with her children.
As the men are being slaughtered, it's left to the women to defend their children, and I must say, it's quite a graphic read, but it needs to be in order to convey the immense, unimaginable suffering experienced during that time.
It's a read that makes you think, it makes you consider your own life and how easy you have it compared to the characters in this story.
It's stories such as this that must be told, in order for us to learn lessons from the past, so as to never repeat them in future.
I read this in two sittings.
A emotional 5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
It's the story of the Nigerian/ Biafra Civil War of 1967, during which, approximately one million people died. The story depicts the violence and brutality in a very readable, but shocking manner.
It's a distressing read at times, but it's important this story is told.
It's a story of the determination to survive, of the human will to go on, no matter what atrocities and violence you've witnessed, as we follow Ngozika, a Biafran widow, who's raped by an enemy soldier, but manages to escape with her children.
As the men are being slaughtered, it's left to the women to defend their children, and I must say, it's quite a graphic read, but it needs to be in order to convey the immense, unimaginable suffering experienced during that time.
It's a read that makes you think, it makes you consider your own life and how easy you have it compared to the characters in this story.
It's stories such as this that must be told, in order for us to learn lessons from the past, so as to never repeat them in future.
I read this in two sittings.
A emotional 5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
September 3, 2024
Wow. This book is beyond expression. It is so deep, so thought provoking and honestly touches a part of my heart that hurts so badly for knowing that any person had to endure what the Biafrans did. Such tragic circumstances should never be liv d out, especially when the pain is from another human.
I am pleased that the author took on the challenge of putting this pain into words bevaise the story of their plight needed to be told, to be shared, so that people could learn from such ways.
I was so hooked on this booked. It was hard because it was gut wrenching and filled me with sorrow, but it was written so well I just could not stop r adding because I needed to know what happened to them, to know their story. I used tears for Ngozika and her pain and what she was made to suffer through. This book is a must read for so many reasons, but esp cially to give a voice to those who lived or suffered through this.
I am pleased that the author took on the challenge of putting this pain into words bevaise the story of their plight needed to be told, to be shared, so that people could learn from such ways.
I was so hooked on this booked. It was hard because it was gut wrenching and filled me with sorrow, but it was written so well I just could not stop r adding because I needed to know what happened to them, to know their story. I used tears for Ngozika and her pain and what she was made to suffer through. This book is a must read for so many reasons, but esp cially to give a voice to those who lived or suffered through this.
September 6, 2024
Set in 1960’s Nigeria this fiction book tells the story of newly widowed Ngozika and her twin children Emeka and Udoka who are living through the Nigerian-Biafran civil war. Hard hitting from the very start this is a difficult read in terms of the appalling and brutal actions of the Fulani soldiers against the women and children. Constantly fearful, constantly starving, they live day to day, wearing rags, searching for food, desperate. Ngozika takes comfort from her love of Ernest Hemingway’s writing helping her with resilience, strength and her maternal instincts. I found this an extremely compelling read and enjoyed the writing style of Onyeka Nwelue who is an author I was unfamiliar with. I will look out for more of his work. I would also note that I appreciated the beautiful cover, the colours are vibrant and eye catching and the illustrations inside, soft pretty flowers juxtaposing the harshness of the war.
August 21, 2025
I wanted to enjoy this book so bad. It's a homage to the women of my ancestors and the history of my people. But I was so disappointed . The story itself - although meant to carry weight on topics of war, famine, and loss - fell incredibly flat. The pacing was off, the writing quite often in-cohesive and boring. There was no plot, the main character floated around the land of Biafra going from one town to the other for no apparent reason ??
I'm disappointed. I was really expecting more depth and a showcase of the author's writing and knowledge of history but that wasn't even admirable
I'm disappointed. I was really expecting more depth and a showcase of the author's writing and knowledge of history but that wasn't even admirable
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews