This is not simply a war memoir. It is a deeply human story of love, sacrifice, survival, and hope told through the eyes of a child who witnessed the Nigerian Civil War—and the adult he later became.

Set against the devastating backdrop of the Biafran War, the book follows Momsie, a courageous mother struggling to protect her children as violence, hunger, displacement, and uncertainty consume the world around them. With her husband absent and danger closing in from every direction, she must rely on resilience, faith, and sheer determination to keep her family alive.

Blending memory with reflection, Ikechukwu “Ik” Ngene tells an intimate and emotionally powerful story that goes beyond the battlefield to reveal the untold experiences of women, families, and ordinary people trapped in extraordinary circumstances. Through unforgettable characters such as Aunty May, Mama Nkechi, Uncle Joe, and Mamawetaego, the novel paints a vivid portrait of community, endurance, and the quiet heroism often overlooked by history.

At its heart, The War My Mother Carried is a tribute to the strength of African women and a reminder that even in the darkest moments of war, the human spirit can still choose courage, dignity, and hope.