The Trial and Other Stories » (New Edition)

The title story tells the tale of Anayo, a grief-stricken and pregnant widow, who stands accused by her jealous brother-in-law, Ezeji, of poisoning her husband. Anayo faces a dehumanizing and humiliating trial under the clan's traditional laws. An educated women, she stands firm and achieves some concessions, but can do little in the face of entrenched discrimination. Ifeoma Okoye, an Igbo from Nigeria, is a gender activist for the rights of widows. The author describes the purposes of her stories as firstly to entertain, and secondly to raise awareness about widows in Eastern Nigeria and other parts of Africa who are forced to undergo traditional rites, and stand to lose their worth and wealth in brutal traditional cultures which deprive them of their dignity.