Ifenne
by
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Her tears left me trembling like the ugu leaves on a kitchen knife. Because I felt bad that such memories were bygones ‘til I came along, I relived the day that Nneoma died.
She had fainted. Titus found her face down on the terrazzo. I remembered, very clearly, running to the faraway hospital, my mind fogged with fear. What if she died? Who would drive with Titus in their mint Mercedes car?
When I arrived, they were crying. Titus told me, and my heart hit the floor. I took a spot on the sand and wept for hours. I cried until Odera said, “Your eyes are bigger than the bellies of the starving children we see on TV.”
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About the Book
Nkolika is just a teen in Nigeria when her life starts to change. Like most females in her African nation, her rights are very limited, and decisions are made for her. One such choices is female mutilation.
Before she becomes the powerful woman she would grow to be, Nkolika sold oranges. As an eyewitness of the horrors bestowed upon females by savage traditions, haunted by the memories of lost friends, and personal trauma, she fights back. Not wilting beneath a patriarchal society, through the internet, peaceful demonstrations, nongovernmental organizations and the press, she becomes an influential figure in the fight for feminism.
To resolve gender inequality issues, she battles the repetitive indoctrination that females are inferior to men. She remains a self-esteem dynamo who revitalizes female confidence. Not only does Nkolika thrive in her male-dominated society, she teaches other women to do so.
About the Author
Jill Okpalugo-Nwajiaku’s fiction has been read in Identity Theory, Pif and Eclectica. Her work bothers on female gender issues, and her debut novel, Ifenne, was a finalist in the 2015 Les Figues NOS contest. The graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, lives in Virginia with her family, and practices as a pharmacist. She is the author of several short story collections.