46 pages 1 hour read

Ben Okri

In the Shadow of War

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1983

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Reading Questions & Paired Texts

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Reading Check

1. How do Omovo and his father get news about the war?

2. What makes Omovo curious about the woman with the black veil?

3. What does Omovo learn about the activities of the black-veiled woman?

4. What happens to the black-veiled woman?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does Omovo feel about the soldiers when he first talks to them? How do you know?

2. Why do the other children say that the black-veiled woman has no shadow and walks without touching the ground?

3. What is the soldiers’ reason for coming to Omovo’s village, and how do they try to accomplish their mission?

4. What happens when Omovo tries to tell his father about the incident with the black-veiled woman, and why do you think Omovo’s father reacts as he does?

Recommended Next Reads

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

  • During WWII in Nazi Germany, Liesel lives with her foster parents outside of Munich. Liesel experiences many events similar to those in “In the Shadow of War” as the destruction of war comes to Germany.

Related Titles

By Ben Okri