The Chibok Girls: The Boko Haram Kidnappings and Islamist Militancy in Nigeria

"In rescuing the Chibok tragedy from 'mythic status, ' Habila's unusual primer quietly yet powerfully revives the call to take notice."--The Atlantic

On April 14, 2014, 276 girls from the Chibok Secondary School in northern Nigeria were kidnapped by Boko Haram, the world's deadliest terrorist group. Most were never heard from again. Acclaimed Nigerian novelist Helon Habila, who grew up in northern Nigeria, returned to Chibok and gained intimate access to the families of the kidnapped to offer a devastating account of this tragedy that stunned the world. With compassion and deep understanding of historical context, Habila tells the stories of the girls and the anguish of their parents; chronicles the rise of Boko Haram and the Nigerian government's inept response; and captures the indifference of the media and the international community whose attention has moved on.

Employing a fiction writer's sensibility and a journalist's curiosity, THE CHIBOK GIRLS provides poignant portraits of everyday Nigerians whose lives have been transformed by extremist forces. Habila illuminates the long history of colonialism--and unmasks cultural and religious dynamics--that gave rise to the conflicts that have ravaged the region to this day.


Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Columbia Global Reports
Published: 12/05/2016
ISBN: 9780997126464
Pages: 128
Weight: 0.30lbs
Size: 7.40h x 4.90w x 0.40d

Review Citations: Publishers Weekly 10/03/2016
Kirkus Reviews 10/15/2016
Library Journal 12/01/2016 pg. 107
Shelf Awareness 12/27/2016