Rave reviews for
NRI WARRIORS OF PEACE

By Chikodi Añunobi

"You will find [Nri people] wherever they are hiding all over the world while digging for gold or setting traps for cowry. You will remind them who they are and of their agreement with Chineke (Creator God) and with Anyanwa (God of Light) and with Agbala (Perfect and Holy Spirit) to bring peace to the earth and make Aja-Ana (Earth Goddess) proud [see Nri Gods and Cosmology] . That Holy Land that he talked about is the image of the true Nri that our ancestors sought to manifest. That place is not for Igbo alone. It is a land for all people because the interest of one will become the interest of all."

-- from NRI WARRIORS OF PEACE

"Before there were nations and borders and the tragedies of the modern, industrialized world, there were kingdoms and civilizations. The ancient world described in NRI WARRIORS OF PEACE is both magical and joyous and melancholy and immortal."

-- Shawn Wong, Professor, Department of English, Director,
University Honors Program, University of Washington.
Author of American Knees and Home Base.

"NRI WARRIORS OF PEACE is a wonderful addition to the growing collection of novels and stories about earlier people, their traditions and culture but it is much more than a great story. Chikodi Añunobi adds a powerful voice to those who are making sure that ancient ideals are still available today for those who will read and understand."

-- David Matheson, author of Red Thunder

"A marvelous creation and ingenuous work...It is bold, educating, enlightening and courageous, a good material for movie making....I recommend it for Nris at home and in diaspora and students of Nriology."

-- His Majesty Eze Nri Obidiegwu O. Onyesoh MFR JP.
(NRIENWELANA II)

Author's Comments

"This is more than an Igbo story or an African story. This is a human story, for there is something inherent in a human being that propels him to reach for the ideal," says Chikodi Añunobi, author of NRI WARRIORS OF PEACE (Zenith Publishers Trade Paperback Original; $19.95; January 10, 2006), a novel about the Nri kingdom of Southeastern Nigeria , the cradle of Igbo culture.

In this stunning debut novel, Añunobi chronicles a people whose civilization and immutable spirit have endured and thrived for more than a millennium, yet their origin is still the subject of much speculation.

With the information he gathered from four years of extensive research and the knowledge he gained growing up in Nigeria and hearing the oral history of Nri civilization and observing its rituals, Añunobi presents a dazzling and unforgettable vision of the people and culture of Nri.

About the Book

NRI WARRIORS OF PEACE follows several generations of Nri, focusing on the time of two Eze Nri (kings) - Igwe Nwadike, the beloved elder statesman and his reluctant successor, Okoye, a successful trader of common birth. Set long ago in a place far removed from most readers' lives, this story is a tale of mysticism and commonplace pursuits, of treachery and honor, of actions and their consequences. Añunobi celebrates and embraces the life of a people and a culture, whose interactions with each other and with the natural and spiritual world, can open new perspectives into our own lives.

NRI WARRIORS OF PEACE is an enriching literary experience that underscores and affirms the universality of human experience and will inevitably generate more interest into the Nri civilization. As readers delve into the lives of this colorful cast of characters and learn more about the choices they faced and the lives they led, they will surely recognize that they're not very far removed from this seemingly exotic culture. Indeed, we share many of the same traits, and we can learn many powerful lessons from the Nri people.

About the Author

Chikodi Añunobi is a descendant of Nri from Enugwu-Ukwu Nri in Anambra State , Southeastern Nigeria. He works as a Software Test/QA Engineer in Redmond , Washington and is a graduate of the University of Washington at Bothell , Washington, USA . He lives with his wife and two daughters in Bellevue Washington.

See also the Author's biography.

For further information or to schedule an interview,
please contact Rachel Tarlow Gul at
Over the River Public Relations:
201/503-1321,
Rachel@otrpr.com.

NRI WARRIORS OF PEACE

by Chikodi Añunobi

Zenith Publishers Trade Paperback Original; January 10, 2006
$19.95; ISBN 0-9767303-0-8; Fiction; 372 Pages
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