Rose and the Burma Sky

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

For fans of Yaa Gyasi, Esi Edugyan and James Baldwin - gripping and intimate historical novel of a black soldier's experience in the Second World War - a rare, moving and authentic tale of love and sacrifice by the acclaimed British-Nigerian author of THE BOOK OF ECHOES.

ONE WAR, ONE SOLDIER, ONE LOVE

1939: In a village in south-east Nigeria at the brink of world, young Obi watches from a mango tree as a colonial army jeep whooshes by, filled with soldiers laughing and shouting, their buttons shining in the sun. To Obi, their promise of a smart uniform and regular wages are hard to resist, especially as he has his sweetheart Rose to impress and a family to support.

Years later, when Rose falls pregnant to another man, his young heart is shattered. As the Burma Campaign mounts, and Obi is shipped out to fight, he is haunted by the mystery of Rose's lover. When his identity comes to light, Obi's devastation leads to a tragic - and wholly unforeseeable - chain of events.

In ROSE AND THE BURMA SKY, Rosana Amaka weaves the horrors of war, the pain of unrequited love and the possibility that following your heart might not always be the best course of action. Its gritty boy's-eye view brings a spare and impassioned intensity, charging it with universal resonance and power.

© Rosanna Amaka 2023 (P) Penguin Audio 2023

Critics Review

  • Part love story, party mystery. Superb

    GLAMOUR, Best Books for February

  • [H]er narrative soars … Amaka’s perspective is refreshing. She vividly conveys how the historical injustice of colonialism continues to reverberate down the decades.

    OBSERVER

  • An emotionally resonant and lyrically written story of one young man’s heartbreak, set against the trauma of a world falling apart

    IRISH TIMES

  • Tackling themes of war, colonialism and first love, this novel follows a boy from a Nigerian village on the cusp of the Second World War.

    COSMOPOLITAN, The Best New Books Out in February 2023

  • Amaka’s evocation of Nigeria’s part in the war is wholly beguiling and this spirited novel animates some shamefully unknown history

    THE TIMES

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