2 Books Published by African Heritage Press on AALBC — Book Cover Collage

The play is set in the metaphoric state of Hungaria. Nagging questions and concerns fuel the struggles of rising militant and radicalised women and youths in a dramatised revolutionary struggle for change and challenge to tradition. The relegated women take centre-stage to air their grievances and project their cause to the international community in an effort to destabilise the multinational forces and class interests which have oppressed them for so long. They ask, how long can a people whose land produces the richest oil and gas resources, which control local, national and foreign interests, continue to exist in silence, abject poverty and hunger, and sugger acute fuel, water and electricity shortages? The author has won the Association of Nigerian Authors’ Drama Prize three times for Shakara: Dance-Hall Queen, Tell It To Women, and The Desert Encroaches.

"’The Missing Face’ is Beholding…In this meticulously paced play, Ida…a true optimist about love, family and her culture, takes a great leap in rearing her son, Amaechi…until she decides to leave the masculine formation of her young man-child to his father, who is domiciled in Africa…’The Missing Face’ offers a rich illustration of music…ritual and tradition that is noble in looking back and seizing the moment."- ?Laura Andrews, Amsterdam News, New York?? ??"The Missing Face has many interesting characters and proactive ideas…The conflict between Ida and Odozi is refreshing and funny; it’s fascinating to see and hear an African-American lecture an African about…[his] own culture, and then to hear his bemused response…Odozi’s colorful language, full of jokes and elaborate metaphors, is intriguing…There are many fine moments in the play concerning African culture and the relationship that modern African-Americans and Africans have with it."?- Nrooke Pierce, Theater Mania, New York Show "In all her work, Onwueme has shown daring in her exploration of ideas, even when they lead to subjects and themes which may seem taboo. She has a way of using images to express very crucial ideas. For example, in Legacies [or The Missing Face] where lkenga is split into two halves-she explores important pan-African themes and sums up the historical tragedy of the first major division of Africa into continental and diasporan entities. Wholeness will come when the two halves come together."- ?Ngugi wa Thiong’o, foreword to Onwueme’s Tell It To Women