Customer Reviews

The Way People Live - Life Among the Ibo Women of Nigeria

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In this book, young readers can learn quite a lot about Igbo-speaking women in southeastern Nigeria. The author has taken care to introduce her audience to the realities facing contemporary Igbo women as well as to a picture of Igbo women's lives in the years immediately before colonialism.

As an anthropologist who works with Igbo-speaking peoples and who is interested in gender studies, I was pleasantly surprised at the diversity of topics covered in this short text. For example, the author discusses women's roles in indigenous religious practice as well as in the Christian churches so prevalent in southern Nigeria today. She also is not afraid of addressing the problems of contemporary women as they struggle for more equal access to schools, the law and economic success.

Well-chosen photographs abound, although sadly in black and white, showing Igbo women's contribution to the arts, their fabulous fashion sense (both in the past and in the present day), and their general importance for all parts of Igbo society. There are also several useful maps, and a series of side boxes which contain quotations from primary and scholarly sources. The bibliography will be key for any student who wants to write a report on Igbo social life, or a nice resource for librarians who wish to help middle and high school students begin research on Nigerian topics.

My only quibble is the use of the old spelling "Ibo" in the title and throughout the book. Otherwise, this is highly recommended! The author has done us all a great service.

this book is very interesting for those who would like to know more about the general aspects of ibo culture. this book tells about the language, education, work, and marriage rituals of women. totally recommended for people who would like to learn more about africa