'War Stories' a haunting memoir
War Stories: a Memoir of Nigeria and Biafra, a collection of stories about the Nigerian civil war of 1967-1970, is a poignant look at the war that divided a nation and pulled on the heartstrings of the rest of the world. The author, John Sherman, was a Peace Corps volunteer in the Eastern region of Nigeria before the civil war broke out. After hurriedly fleeing Nigeria, he returned to work with the starving children of Nigeria and Biafra, the seceding area of Nigeria. As an International Committee of the Red Cross volunteer, Sherman helped distribute food and medicine to the severely malnourished children caught in the conflict. He tried to re-enter the area he taught in, but it was impossible to enter Biafra during the fighting. Instead, Sherman volunteered to help the children of Nigeria recover from a severe malnutrition disorder called 'kwashiorkor.'
