Defend the Defenseless

Defend the Defenseless takes us into the lived experience of the Nigerian Civil War (Biafran War) through the eyes of the author as a young girl and then the struggle for democracy during the military dictatorship as a young woman.

A mantra her father gives her during the Nigerian civil war when their family is torn apart continues to shape her life choices and belief in social justice. Fearful they would never meet again, her father turns to her and says “…you must defend the defenseless.” The memoir exposes the impact and tragedy of war, and how situations or events we are thrust into shapes us one way or another.

It shows the moving account of the heroism of, and love between, her parents during the civil war.

It encompasses war and peace, love and hate, despair and hope, trauma and healing, roots and destinies. It includes nations and non-nations, an ancient Benin kingdom but most of all her father’s lasting legacy...Defend the defenseless…a mission for us all.

Praise for ‘Defend the Defenseless’

In her affecting memoir, Dr. Arese Carrington inspires us with her call for moral action in the face of oppression and human tragedy. She also teaches us, through vivid, memory-soaked prose, how a family of royal African blood and noble purpose, caught in the vice of Nigeria’s civil war so soon after independence, courageously struggled for survival while passing on values with the potential to shape a better future based on democracy and human rights. The love that threads Carrington’s story over decades, including that for her husband, Ambassador Walter Carrington, and the people they have served, is a testament to the author’s large heart and gifts as a writer. Defend the Defenseless is not only a book but a mission we all should embrace.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Author, documentary filmmaker, essayist, literary critic
Peabody Award winner
Alphonse Fletcher University Professor, Harvard University


Defend the defenseless is a magnificent and fascinating account of a woman’s journey, from her childhood experience of a war to adulthood fighting for a cause.
Bernard Cornwell, OBE
Award winning Best-selling Author


This vivid, heart-felt memoir chronicles the tumultuous years after Nigeria's independence, from the Biafran war to the battle for democracy during the years of General Sani Abacha. It's an extraordinary tale of love and loss of innocence, told by a descendant of Kings. This book offers vast insight into the roots of modern-day Nigeria and the forces that have shaped its history.
Farah Stockman
Pulitzer Prize winner
Journalist, New York Times


Defend the defenseless is irresistible, engaging, valuable, and articulate.
Olaniyi Osundare
Award winning Poet and Dramatist
Distinguished Professor of English, University of New Orleans, LA


Defend the defenseless is such a good book! It is a great book, the product of a beautiful mind. It is a lot more than a child caught in a war. It is so much more than a father's request to his beloved daughter. It is a collection of sublime thoughts on a Nation's tragic past and uncertain future, but by an educated and cultured mind shaped by a loving and well nurtured childhood. The reflection does not really pass judgment or make unfounded conclusions, there is no hidden agenda. It is a narrative that speaks beyond the parochial interests of ethnic group, state or nation and seeks the higher ideals of social justice.
Dr. Anthony Akenzua
Consultant Psychiatrist, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, England