THE FOREST DAMES
The year was 1969 and it was time to hunt for and abduct
girls and young women found in the enclave; and forcibly convert them to bed
mates. That was no news. All the same, families sought nearby hiding places for
their ‘eligible’ females but these hide-outs were soon discovered through intimidation
from the power of the gun.
Now the news! Two women decided that their daughters were not
going to be made victims. What did they do? They found a ‘safe haven’ for their
daughters - the dreaded Evil Forest, where the roars of wild animals were
continually heard. But that was nothing compared to the brutal termination of
lives and wanton destruction of properties through air, land and marine
attacks; including starvation that was the order of the day, and which placed
the final death mark on the people.
Four in number, the forest dames saw “hell” but survived the
war. One of them decides to tell the unfortunate story of the elasticity of
human suffering. Three of the dames are still alive and can be reached for
further interactions. One of the brave mothers is also still living.
The book tells the story of a young girl who lived with her
parents in the relatively calm and peaceful British colony of Nigeria, where
shortly after independence compatriots went for each others' throats. This soon
exploded into a full blown civil war and from that time onwards, nothing was
ever the same again.
Book available online @ amazon.com and other online marketers. Also in some Nigerian bookshops.
Must be an interesting novel to read.
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