The Moon Will Not Burn Us
The Women Who Helped Win One of Africa's Longest Liberation Wars
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Cassava Republic Press
Published:24th Sep '26
Should be back in stock very soon
'A tale that deserves to be known far beyond West Africa.' — Ari Shapiro
The untold story of the women who helped win Guinea-Bissau's independence.
At just thirteen years old, Joana Gomes is thrust into Guinea-Bissau's brutal war for independence after the murder of her father. As the conflict intensifies, she joins a growing movement of women who take on vital roles as fighters, organisers, nurses and political leaders. Their work proves instrumental in securing victory against Portuguese colonial rule.
Drawing on years of reporting and firsthand testimony gathered over nearly two decades in the region, Ricci Shryock brings these stories to life with vivid detail and emotional clarity, revealing the courage, complexity and sacrifice behind the fight for independence. At the same time, she shows how the war reshaped not only a nation, but the role of women within it.
A powerful and deeply human account of resistance, The Moon Will Not Burn Us uncovers a vital history, placing women at the centre of one of Africa's most significant liberation movements under the leadership of the PAIGC and Amílcar Cabral.
'A meticulously researched account of Guinea-Bissau's hard-won freedom.' — Ayesha Harruna Attah, author of The Hundred Wells of Salaga and The Deep Blue Between
'Ricci's lyrical storytelling brings to life the liberation struggle.' — Yinka Ibukun, senior reporter at Bloomberg News
'Ricci Shryock brings alive women's vital role in Guinea-Bissau's liberation.' — Sean Jacobs, founder of Africa Is a Country
'A tale that deserves to be known far beyond West Africa.' — Ari Shapiro, journalist and bestselling author of The Best Strangers in the World
'An engrossing and illuminating book.' — Alexis Okeowo, staff writer at The New Yorker and author of Blessings and Disasters
'This is the gripping and important tale of a remarkable group of women key to winning that war — and one in particular, Joana Gomes — whose stories have never been told.' — Ruth Maclean, West Africa Bureau Chief at The New York Times
'Part love story, part historical corrective, this is a deeply personal story told from the heart that peels away the traditional macho narrative of liberation struggles to reveal the women who made them possible.' - David Pilling, Africa Editor, Financial Times
ISBN: 9781913175863
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
208 pages