Rose and the Burma Sky by Rosanna Amaka

This year I´ve read more historical fiction than in the last 3-4 years and I am enjoying the magic of being taken to worlds from other times telling me stories. Besides the magic of storytelling, there is something else that keeps me interested in this genre that unfortunatelly I neglected too much before: it is the curiosity to discover new historical episodes or events that I was not at all aware of. Thus, such lectures nurture my historical interests and guide me towards researches in my usual field of professional interest.

Rose and the Burma Sky by Rosanna Amaka was my latest historical fiction read whose story and background era fascinated me at the same time. Obi, that will evolve from a schoolboy to an old experienced diplomat at the end, is one of the forgotten soldiers from the African continent who fought during the WWII. He is caught into an impossible love story with Rose, his childhood darling, a story also complicated by the colonialist struggles and the historical circumstances. 

I´ve found very interesting how Amaka weaved both the intense historical timeline - there is a lot of food for thought about the ways in which British colonisation in Nigeria changed the traditional structures, including through education, and forced the population to be part to a war that was not theirs - with the tragical love story. 

Both Obi and Rose are clearly portrayed and the historical entanglements that do cut short their love story do make sense within the story rationale. 

The first person personal account - as Obi is the main storyteller - brings you, as a reader, within the story in a very emotional way, particularly when it comes to the ups and downs of the relationship between the two. I felt very invested into the story, really wanting their relationship to succeed, but also starting to see this very much forgotten episode with completely different eyes, as well as global wars in general.  Obi was brought into the war by the desire to achieve a better financial and social status, although the promises were largely betrayed. The war promises wealth, but not many were able to survive in order to see how much they were lured into other people´s revenges. It is a thoughtful meditation on war that reminds actual.

As the story is focused the most on the two main characters, there are other figures presents in the story that I wished to see them more involved in the narrative, especially Little Rose, Rose´s daughter that although is growing up under the protection of Obi´s family, she is rarely present and hard to seize as a character. 

I´ve very much loved the story and I will be very curious to read out more about the Africans who fought during WWII. There is a recent interest in the soldiers from the French colonies who were active in the WWI - particularly in the French historiography - but it is so much to be written about the second world war as well.

A recommended read to any historical fiction lover interested in a new challenge, while following a very moving love story.

Rating: 4 stars