This is the accepted road to success in Nigeria. She is a bright and inquisitive child who passes her exams early, goes to boarding school at the age of ten, onto University in Lagos and then gets a job in a bank. This story follows the life of a Nigerian girl, Andougu, from the age of nine until twenty five. (Review by Howard Lipman, pen name PanOrpheus, author of the ‘Delphic Oracle’, 'Songs and Stories’ and 'Mage and Source' series of Science Fiction/Fantasy, visionary/metaphysiacal Steampunk Alternate History books) If your dreams are being discouraged or disparaged in any way you should read this charming, well-plotted beautifully written book.
Through her perseverance she distinguishes herself, always believing in her dreams of relying on her own sense of destiny through wisdom to enlightenment. We can all relate to her-her struggle to find peace and fulfillment is aided by the sense of the ‘divine’ destiny-she sees ‘signs' and we witness the spiritual growth of a young woman who in another time in this part of the world would have been spotted as a potential ‘Oracle’ or ‘Shaman’ of a tribe. Unsatisfying relationships stand in the way of true happiness. We see her development through life’s challenges up to the age of 25. The family is a positive influence, and despite the death of her sister, Adaugo goes on, writing and illustrating books. Descriptions of family life and religion are the background that introduces us to the culture of this part of the world. She experiences and feels a sense of the ‘divine’ within her and speaks to and hears that voice as ‘herself’. This stunning novel, set in Nigeria is a coming of age book about a young girl 9 years of age initially who wants to pass exams early so that she can go on to the next stage of her education. Readers looking for inspirational books featuring women of color, or who are interested in dipping a toe in African literature, will probably find a lot to enjoy in this book. Overall, I found this an inspirational, heartfelt story about a young woman living in a culture most Americans are completely unfamiliar with, presented in a very approachable way. The descriptions of Lagos and the characters' lifestyles are also done in a way that made it easy for someone (me!) who knows almost nothing about Nigeria to follow along and enjoy reading about the culture there. The writing style is clear and simple, but with snippets of Nigerian dialect for flavor. However, she learns to listen to her inner voice and forge her own path. Adaugo is an academically gifted girl who does well in school but ends up finding herself shunted into a dead-end career after college and pressured to marry an appropriate-meaning rich and preferably light-skinned-man as soon as possible. A very sweet, uplifting story about a young Nigerian woman searching for her path in life.
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