A stone of the heart

by Brady, John

""My father. Where does he end and where do I begin?"". "Ken Saro-Wiwa was executed in November 1995. One of Nigeria's best-loved writers, a successful businessman, and an outspoken critic of military rule, he brought the human rights abuses of Shell Oil and the Nigerian government in his native Ogoni to the world's attention. His death was headline news internationally; his name became a potent symbol in the struggle between indigenous peoples and the forces of globalization. In this accomplished memoir, Saro-Wiwa's eldest son, Ken Wiwa, recounts a saga that has "all the ingredients of a Shakespearean drama," said the (London) Observer.". "Ken Wiwa was born in Nigeria and educated in England. Much is expected of those to whom much is given, and the father expected his son to return home and take up the struggle for which so many had fought, suffered, and died. The son resisted, distancing himself, until his father was arrested and sentenced to be hanged, leaving him no choice but to p