A debut novel
Afia Attack
by Ujuaku Nwakalor‑Akukwe
A novel of the Biafran War, and the women who crossed the blockade to keep others alive.
From the opening
Asabe called my name from outside the door. I quickly opened the door without hesitating. She entered quickly, her face tense.
“Good evening Sir. Good evening ma.” She spoke quickly, almost whispering. “Please Ogbenye, you all have to leave.” She said hurriedly as she looked at me and my family.
“Musa has asked about you, Ogbenye. He’s ready to help you get to the train station. They say your street has been marked as one of the places the Hausa boys will come to kill Igbo people tonight. Please prepare, I am waiting for him to come.”
“M’ga agba aka we la? Will I leave empty‑handed?”
from the opening
About the book
A novel about the women who kept a people alive.
Afia Attack follows Ogbenyeanu and her family as they slip out of a city marked for slaughter and enter the dangerous war economy of survival. Across thirty months of hunger, fear, trade, and impossible choices, the novel traces the women who became traders, smugglers, witnesses, and lifelines, carrying food, memory, and grief back home.
For readers of Half of a Yellow Sun and Homegoing.
Drawn from oral history and years of fieldwork.
The Author
Ujuaku Akukwe
Award‑winning documentary filmmaker and the voice of a generation.
Ujuaku Akukwe has spent over a decade unearthing the hidden histories of the African experience. With a background in documentary filmmaking, impact storytelling, and a passion for oral history, she has documented the survival stories of the Biafran War with unprecedented depth.
Afia Attack is her debut novel, a culmination of years of research and a deep personal connection to the heritage of resilience.
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