Rose and the Burma Sky
Nigeria Myanmar

Rose and the Burma Sky

by Rosanna Amaka

War & Conflict Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Romance 2023

Summary

In 1939, in a village in southeastern Nigeria, young Obi dreams of building a better life for himself and his family. When a colonial army jeep passes through his village, the prospect of a uniform and a steady wage appeals to him—not least because he hopes to impress Rose, the woman he loves. But when Rose becomes pregnant by another man, Obi’s world collapses. Haunted by unanswered questions about her lover, he joins the British colonial army and is sent to fight in the brutal Burma Campaign of the Second World War.

As Obi confronts the horrors of war, his heartbreak becomes entangled with a mystery that will have devastating consequences. Through his journey from rural Nigeria to the battlefields of Southeast Asia, Rosanna Amaka brings attention to the often-overlooked experiences of African soldiers who fought for a colonial power. Blending an intimate story of unrequited love with the wider injustices of empire, Rose and the Burma Sky explores sacrifice, racial inequality, and the lasting consequences of choices made in moments of despair.

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Countries
Nigeria
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Myanmar
Asia
About the author
Rosanna Amaka
Rosanna Amaka

Rosanna Amaka is a British-Nigerian writer of African and Caribbean heritage who grew up in London. Her debut novel, The Book of Echoes (2020), explores the lives of people in Brixton and examines how historical injustice, migration, and social change shape contemporary communities. The novel was shortlisted for the Authors’ Club First Novel Award, the RSL Christopher Bland Prize, and the Historical Writers’ Association Debut Crown Award. Amaka’s fiction often gives voice to people and histories that have been overlooked, combining intimate human stories with broader social and historical questions. Her second novel, Rose and the Burma Sky (2023), was inspired by a conversation with her grandmother while they watched a war film featuring white soldiers. The book reflects her interest in recovering the experiences of Black people whose contributions to wartime history have received comparatively little attention. She lives in London.

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Details
Published
2023
Author
Rosanna Amaka