ABSTRACT
Fifty years after the publication of Omenuko, the first Igbo novel, in London, Chinaagọrọm, the first Igbo novel by a female author, was published in 1983 . What Femi Oje-Ade stated about African writing in English, in general, was essentially true of, and applicable to, writing in indigenous African languages—‘male-created, male-oriented chauvinistic art,’ with undisguised biased portraits of womanhood. Onwuchekwa’s Chinaagọrọm is written with a definite sense of mission to enlighten and re-educate readers about critical issues of being a woman in Africa. The essence of African womanhood (specifically in Igbo society and culture) is indeed more than to procreate, listen, and obey; women being educated is inconsequential if not totally irrelevant. This chapter discusses this landmark pace-setter novel by a veteran female Igbo novelist, with particular attention to its artistic highlights, revolutionary message, and far-reaching impact.
