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| The Tor Petal on display |
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| Teresa Oyibo Ameh, author. |
Book Review
The Torn Petal by Teresa Oyibo Ameh (Aunty Talatu)
Reviewed by: Ojonugwa Sapphire Abu
As seen through the eyes
of a young teenager, The Torn Petal is a narrative of the experiences of Husseina
spanning the period the horrors of terrorism claimed the land in which she
grew up, the land she knew and loved, and some of the ripples these experiences
leave on her entire existence in the aftermath.
Debunking the general
misconception of ethno-religious intolerance in Northern Nigeria and Nigeria as
a whole, Husseina and her siblings are born into an inter-religious marriage, a
Christian father and a Muslim mother and they live happily, in a healthy,
thriving environment, their family bound by love, respect and pure adoration.
The drums of the carnage
and pain caused by the effects of terrorism are heard from faraway lands, first
as whispered rumours, mentioned in passing but becoming a harsh reality that
draws closer and closer, bringing in its wake death and loss, pain and misery.
The reverberations of the music threatening to topple the essence of life as
Husseina knows it.
Worse than the physical
loss and pain is that which cannot be seen with the eyes. The psychological
damage to the people, both young and old, from those wallowing in pain and fear
in their homes to those, living with loss and fear as neighbours, as refugees
on the IDP camp.
Faced with the choice of
right and wrong and seeing nothing but a chance at survival, Husseina makes a
decision that would change the course of her future forever. The little things
she always took for granted became the cornerstone on which her survival
depends.
This story stirs up in me
a sorrow untold. Above the vivid pictures and images brought to life in my
heart is the numbing pain settling in the bottom of my being. Anyone could be a
victim, and those in the eye of the storm are there, not because of any lack of
proper judgement or special sin but for circumstances beyond their control.
The story, written in
present continuous tense and so carefully detailed in illustration captures the
essence of the era and sheds light on the amount of creative control employed
by the writer as such a tale, so potent in its semblance to reality, with the
amount of emotions it evokes more words than can be writ, even in the largest
of volumes.
The font size is large
and catchy, engaging the target audience, and the volume of the book is
sizable; light enough to be easily carried around and big enough to allow for
the captivating illustrations.
I wish the story was a
happy one, with an enduring happy ending, where no life was lost and the
innocent children to whom the book is mainly targeted would not experience the
horrors of such information, alas, this is the entire existence of some of
their peers not just in Northern Nigeria but in many, war torn, ravaged
regions, nations and communities in the world.
The story gives a subtle
message in the undertones, that when the drums of war and disaster reach a
land, it is usually not the strong or even the warring that are casualties, but
the poor, the vulnerable, the 'Hassans' and 'Husseinahs'. Those who should
enjoy our protection become the worst hit, nursing wounds, sometimes forever.
This book is totally
rounded, educative, informative, nicely illustrated and sound.
I certainly recommend it
for young readers as we should from an early age instill in the next generation
the realities of cause and effect, and the impact of terror on the populace, in
both the immediate and far future.
