Justin C. Nzekwe

Set in the late 60s, during the Nigeria-Biafra Civil War, ‘Flashbacks of Turmoil’ gives an account of the struggles of the Dikes, headed by Obiefula, a well-off farmer, and his brother, Thaddeus, a post office worker. Through the lenses of these two brothers, the ripples of the war are honestly depicted: from Thaddeus’ unfortunate job loss, to the coercive enlistment of Obiefuna’s son, Uche, into the army, the death of Monica, his wife, and the harsh reality of the displacement of Kamsi, his daughter. Like the marauding Nigerian troops, the Igwes who adopt Kamsi, clearly represents the ironical saviours on a mission to enslave. Obiefula and Thaddeus must forfeit their grief and reassemble the littered shards of their household, for only the dead sees the end of a war. Here is an extraordinary account of tragedies and triumphs, a narrative with real-life war experiences, of horrific details that shed more light on war, love, sacrifice, displacement, and loss; a product of thoughts on the quest for truth and reunion.