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In the town of Uzari, girls are crudely circumcised and twins are given to the gods of the forest where they die from exposure and starvation. In this gripping true story set in a tumultuous African town, a young African girl, Nina, is circumcised by a wicked sorceress, Ada, whose evil deeds are inspired by the gods of the forest, the oracle of the hills. . . and greed. Through superstition, voodoo, and intrigue, Ada rules Uzari with an iron fist, and is feared by men and women alike. She convinces the entire town that the birth of twins is a bad omen that will bring disease and disaster to the living. She also declares that circumcision is beautiful and every girl’s rite of passage into womanhood.
Nina grows up a world-class sprinter, a record setter unsurpassed in the 100-yard dash and the 220. She travels to England where she studies medicine. She returns to her home town to run a new hospital and to attempt to abolish some of the outdated practices that endanger the lives of women and innocent children. She is the voice of change. Her passionate concern for people and her intense desire to grasp the meaning of life lead her to explore the secret depth of evil practices. She quickly discovers that Ada and the local chief are lining their pockets through the practice of circumcision. Discovered in their perfidy, the chief and Ada set out to do away with Nina, who has challenged their supremacy. Trapped between good and evil, Nina faces a public trial for blaspheming against the gods of the forest and the oracle of the hills. If convicted, she will be blindfolded and forced to leap 100 feet into the raging torrent of the gorge of the oracle, from which no one has ever emerged alive.
This fast-paced, suspense drama is an insider’s portrait of the tumultuous life of children and women in a small African town. It takes the reader into the depth of a crude culture, and a women’s fight to free herself and her people from their past.
Sammy Astrow is a graduate of the Howard University in Washington, DC, with bachelors in Political Science and a minor in English Literature. The story of Nina and Nneka were passed on to him through his mother and father.
Winesir_sam@yahoo.com
