Scan barcode
blessing_aj's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.5
In I’m Still With You, Emmanuel Iduma sets out on a mission to unearth the mysteries surrounding the life and times of his uncle and namesake who died during the Biafran War, reportedly. The timeline of his research, begins in 2020, at the peak of the END SARS protests and somewhere along the line, his research also coincides with the Nigerian government’s attempts to clamp down on the IPOB movement in the south eastern parts of the country.
Just as the title on the U.S. publication says, this memoir is a reckoning with silence, inheritance and history and it spoke to me on so many levels. The first being that like the author, I am part of the generation that did not witness the war, but has inherited this uncomfortable silence and general vagueness as a default response to any question regarding that period and is therefore always willing to learn what I can from any available,credible source - Of which this particular book has become one. The second has to do with interpersonal relationships in the family and how that impacts our lives in ways beyond our understanding.
I genuinely loved every passage where he spoke of the tender loving friendship and companionship of his wife, not just because she’s one of my favorite authors in the world but you can almost feel the reciprocity of his affection and just how much he has been blessed by it.
I love that there are so many theories about the inspiration for the title that can be inferred from the contents of this memoir, and that he does steer the reader’s mind towards one, but I also think that it’s beautiful that the title appears to be in conversation with the title of his wife’s debut novel. A conversation as heartwarmingly reassuring as the love they both share.
Just as the title on the U.S. publication says, this memoir is a reckoning with silence, inheritance and history and it spoke to me on so many levels. The first being that like the author, I am part of the generation that did not witness the war, but has inherited this uncomfortable silence and general vagueness as a default response to any question regarding that period and is therefore always willing to learn what I can from any available,credible source - Of which this particular book has become one. The second has to do with interpersonal relationships in the family and how that impacts our lives in ways beyond our understanding.
I genuinely loved every passage where he spoke of the tender loving friendship and companionship of his wife, not just because she’s one of my favorite authors in the world but you can almost feel the reciprocity of his affection and just how much he has been blessed by it.
I love that there are so many theories about the inspiration for the title that can be inferred from the contents of this memoir, and that he does steer the reader’s mind towards one, but I also think that it’s beautiful that the title appears to be in conversation with the title of his wife’s debut novel. A conversation as heartwarmingly reassuring as the love they both share.
csearsthompson's review against another edition
It didn't keep my attention well enough
kgraham10's review
emotional
slow-paced
3.0
Grief and trauma (and this book) are serpentine, fragmented, and impact you even if you have little memory of the events. Author explores death of his mother when he was little, loss of his uncle and Biafra war before he was born, and the more recent death of his father.
bukolayemi's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I personally really enjoyed reading about Emmanuel Iduma’s personal search for the history about the Nigeria-Biafra civil war. His account of his search is filled with a good dose of emotion and facts.
His writing starts with the End SARS movement and ends with it. I couldn’t help thinking that this was like a fresh war.
He writes tenderly about his wife who is one of my absolute favourite authors and Yoruba. It is not lost on me that Emmanuel is writing about a war that was meant to tear Igbo and Yoruba people apart while declaring his undying love for his precious wife and truest companion.
I love the fact that there is a family tree and a map of Nigeria showing both the Original Biafra Border (July 1967 - Dec. 1969) and the Final Biafra Border (Dec. 1969 - Jan 1970).
solenophage's review
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
In "I Am Still with You", Emmanuel Iduma has crafted a compelling blend of personal family history with the broader history and politics of Nigeria. He provides a thoughtful and emotional look into the ongoing effects of the Civil War both on those who experienced it and the next generations.
His story was well-written and well paced, balancing his experiences upon his return to Nigeria and reflections on past. I would recommend it for anyone wanting to learn about this period of Nigerian history or looking for a compelling memoir.
His story was well-written and well paced, balancing his experiences upon his return to Nigeria and reflections on past. I would recommend it for anyone wanting to learn about this period of Nigerian history or looking for a compelling memoir.
More...