Sons of the East

The seven-year apprenticeship of Jasper Okonkwo has finally ended. He sets up a shop in the bustling city of Lagos, aiming to climb the social circles and be reckoned with. But he has not reckoned with his older brother, the envious, greedy, and malicious Zona, who is hellbent on being the lone star in the Okonkwo household. The agitation of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) for independence erupts. The Nigerian government begins to clamp down mercilessly on the dissidents. It is the opportunity that Zona is waiting for. Sons of the East intricately lays bare the dark underbelly of polygamy in an Igbo family in south eastern Nigeria. Beyond the brazen show of material opulence through international businesses, importations, master-apprentice relationships, grandeur titles, lurks the beast of jealousy, chauvinism, covetousness, sibling rivalry and sheer hatred. Zona, the dismal first son is frantic about being the only king installed in the Okonkwo kingdom, yet a delectable widow is on his path. This is a delightful read. Ifeoma Chinwuba remains a chef-d'oeuvre in this engaging narrative. - Unomah Azuah, Poet, Novelist, Activist and Freelance Journalist