• Story Number: 1/176
• Date: Thu 02 Jul 2009 18:17

Half a yellow sun a nice one. Is an African novel that reflects on the Nigerian/Biafran war.
The author made an indebt research on the subject matter. She confronted the issue fearlessly
coming from the fictituous mode to portray the real and practical hapenings on the civil war.
For me it is a tear-dropping story. Nigerian/Biafran Civil war was a horrible one suffered
mainly by the Igbo race of Africa. I wrote a term paper on the"Impact of Nigeria/Biafran
Civil war on Nigerian Polity", I found out that the effect was retrogressive. Igbos lost
alot of man powers with their technological know how. It includes also their tecnological and
educational setbacks. Think of their infrasructure destructions,confiscated properties and
their position in the military and civil srvice.? They were a prosperous race in Africa that
was ravaged by the claws of selfish and baseless war fronted by some individuals for reasons
best known to them. THERE WOULD HAD BEEN A BETTER SOLUTION OTHER THAN WAR NO MATTER THE LEVEL
OF INJUSTICE SUFFERED BY IGBOS THEN. Now there is always a question mark on Igbo race when it
comes to some prestigious positions (like presidency, military of defence etc) in Nigeria
politics. WHY? It is still the negative impact of the war. What of state creation, allocation
of resourses and a host of others. I can rather title the war as "The Igbos and the lost
crown".

• Chibuzor Enyi
• Nigeria

• Story Number: 2/176
• Date: Sun 07 Jun 2009 16:32

Half Of A Yellow Sun is one of the best books I have ever read.Being born after the war I knew
very little about Biafra except for the starvation.It has enlightened me greatly and left me
desperate to learn more. Thankyou chimamanda,you have given us all a very memorable
experience.I look forward to reading more of your books.

• Lee-Anne
• Italy

• Story Number: 3/176
• Date: Sun 07 Jun 2009 05:34

In 1967 I was a 19 year old student and vaguely radical. I remember the war and the sympathy
most liberal people in Britain felt for the Ibo nation. I don’t know to what extent any of us
were aware of UK state support to the Federal Government at the time, but I think there was a
sense of shame and failure when Biafra was crushed. Maybe the memory of abdication of British
responsibility for the war in Southern Rhodesia/Zimbabwe by Prime Minister Wilson's
administration made us liable to suspect what we should have known for sure - that business
interests counted more than human suffering, even for a so-called Labour government.
However that may be, it was pure chance that I was working for a company of silver and
goldsmiths in Soho in 1969 and there came into my hands a silver presentation plate, inscribed
to General Gowon and his new wife as a wedding present from Mr & Mrs Harold Wilson. I felt
that I held a piece of evidence of a crime, but one that was already public knowledge. There
was nothing I could think to do with this fact except to remember it.

• Richard Anthony
• United Kingdom

• Story Number: 4/176
• Date: Tue 02 Jun 2009 21:21

I have no memory of the Biafran War, the Biafran war was one of those stories I heard as a
child; like the june 12 crisis (oso abiola). But I share in the pain as my fellow brothers and
sisters who lived through it; the Biafran war only defined a country that needed help, a
country that sought peace the wrong way, and defined freedom as the pain of a fellow brother.
It defined a country that saw leadership and rulership as another form of expliotation and a
game. I have no memory as i said but I have pain, To think that starvation, humiliation,
oppression, and murder of a fellow brother could bring peace or solve a problem. The freedom
that we sought, we can't get because as a country we are suffering from moral bondage. In my
words “I do not see freedom as being free, I see freedom as having peace, professing freedom as
a pledge of brotherhood and unity. For this is the kind of freedom that could hide our cultural
diversities, religious differences and ethnic favouritism... The peace of this freedom could
heal the pain of a force union.” not even a Biafran war can bring this kind of freedom unless
we realise we are Nigerians and we are one.

• Chioma Sylvie Mgbara
• Nigeria

• Story Number: 5/176
• Date: Wed 20 May 2009 14:57

The scars of the Biafran war have not healed completely since the war ceased in 1970. Nobody
who witnessed the war would forget in a hurry the carnage that was brought about by it. Most
painful is the fact that the issues that led to the war are still visible today in our
country. I lost my elder brother in the senseless war and the memory of his loss continues
to linger in my mind every day. How I wish the war never occurred, my brother would have
perhaps been alive today. His loss devasted the family a great deal and so for many other
families that lost their dear ones. Myself, as a little boy had a little experience about
the war. Several times we had to run into the farm in the forest to hide when news filtered
that soldiers were going to kill all of us because we were fraternising with the enemies
(Biafrans). This after the massacre at Asaba. My town is 15 minutes drive away from Asaba.
Chimamanda, I have not read your book but I have listened to your interviews and I do admire
you. I will look for the book in the bookshelf. I am fascinated by the huge successes you
have made in your youthful life. God bless you.

• Emmanuel Alor Odafi
• Nigeria

• Story Number: 6/176
• Date: Mon 18 May 2009 09:14

Half the yellow a sun is book which the unborn will surely read and learn to live in peace and
harmony with their fellow human beings like brothers and sisters.

• James Ubom
• United Kingdom

• Story Number: 7/176
• Date: Mon 18 May 2009 01:47

I should point out that my grand-daughter ,who is half Nigerian, and who is just going into her
final year at Glasgow University watched the programme with great interest and that and Half a
Yellow Sun has hugely increased her interest in the country of her mother and her birth. .

• David McEwan Hill
• United Kingdom

• Story Number: 8/176
• Date: Mon 18 May 2009 01:41

Watched the South Bank Show again with great interest and was much impressed, as always, by
Chinua Achebe, The programme rreminded me that he was V Chair to Aminu Kano in the PRP. Had
they been able to go to election Nigeria would be a different place today. I relate very
well to the white people in Half a Yellow Sun who are given generous treatment in the book. We
weren't all "colonialists" and as a teacher in Nigeria the white people I moved
mainly among were in Nigeria to help and not to plunder. I enjoyed also the short cameo
from Ojuku in the programme. Had Ouku and Bifra won through I believe we would be admiring a
progrssive African country today. It is good that a new generation of Igbo people remember
the dream.

• David McEwan Hill
• United Kingdom

• Story Number: 9/176
• Date: Mon 11 May 2009 23:20

Chimmanda I enjoyed your appearance on the ITV (British) televison's "South Bank Show
" last night and am looking forward to next week's programme. I much regret never
visiting the East in my fifteen years in Nigeria.

• David McEwan Hill
• United Kingdom

• Story Number: 10/176
• Date: Tue 05 May 2009 16:16

Today I read the following account of ex-Biafran soldiers in last Sunday's Tribune. It would
seem the aftermath of the Biafran conflict, which ended some 40 years ago, still causes real
suffering. http://www.tribune.com.ng/sun/03052009/news/news6.html

• John Glass
• United Kingdom