Other People’s Children and Other Stories

About the Book

The Nigerian Civil War left behind unsung heroes—women and children. Some of them had befriended soldiers to ensure the survival of their families. These children and others born out of wedlock constitute a community of people who have identity crises rocking their lives. Also, veterans of the war, abandoned by the authorities, were left as ordinary individuals to contend with the war’s destructive impact. This is the focus of the title story, “Other People’s Children.” “Homeless” captures the helplessness of isolated communities that are ill-prepared to battle the insurgency in northern Nigeria. “Habiba’s Triumph” tells of the phenomenon of forced marriages, even in literate families. Literacy, however, offers a victim the freedom of choice, which people of previous generations did not enjoy. “Broken Lives” exposes the pain of broken relationships on college campuses. While a young man walks away unscathed to enter another relationship, a young woman is left to nurse the wounds for a lifetime. “The People’s Court” is a reflection of people’s rush to Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja, in search of greener pastures. Some leave home only to compete with rodents in settlements that are constantly demolished without adequate notice or compensation by the authorities so as to ensure conformity to the city’s master plan.

About the Author

Cecilia Kato is a confident and determined voice from Kagoro in Kaura, the local government area of Kaduna State in the northern part of Nigeria. She is a senior lecturer in the Department of English at the University of Abuja, where she teaches African poetry and creative writing. She has done extensive research on poetic form and its impact on the interpretation and understanding of poetry. Kato has published articles about poetry and related areas of African literature in magazines and reputable journals. She is currently researching the subject of poetic form in African poetry. Her publications include Desires (1999, poetry) and Victims of Love (1999, poetry). In the pipeline are Let Me Cry to Your Hearing (poetry), Rebirth and Choices (poetry), and A Woman’s Song (poetry).