122. Half of a Yellow Sun

I totally concur with James Mustich's assessment that this should be on the list of 1000 Books to Read Before You Die. The writing is exquisite, and it gives one a peek into the history of an area of the world we know little about. It is a piece of historical fiction that tells the story of the Biafran War (1967-1970) in Nigeria through the voice of three people: Olanna (the twin daughter of an influential Igbo businessman) Ugwu (the houseboy), and Richard (a British expatriate). 

Much of it is about the tension between the Muslim Hausa people and the primarily syncretic Christian Igbo people. I think this same tension has manifested itself more recently in Nigeria as Boko Haram (the group that kidnapped the 276 girls in Borno State in 2014) even though the people groups may be a little different. As I learned in Of Virgins and Martyrs: Women and Sexuality in Global Conflict by Jacob Davidson, much of Islamic terrorism has more to do with tribalism than Islamic ideals:

Simply put, Muslim societies are somewhat less violent than their non-Muslim counterparts if we factor out the presence of tribalism. However, when increasing Muslim population is combined with high levels of tribal patriarchy, religiously motivated violence is more likely to be exported across national borders. (p. 118) 

This would explain the conflicts in Nigeria very well. 

The title Half of a Yellow Sun comes from the symbol on the flag of the Republic of Biafra:

This is a well-crafted story and worthy of being read (warning: sex and violence abound), but it is no easy read. It prompted me to pray for these people who still suffer from the effects of this war. The world was deaf to this conflict in the 60s, and we still continue to not hear them today. That is why these kinds of stories are so important.