Soulful Return by Fidelis O. Mkparu
Publisher: DX Varos Publishing (November 22, 2022)
Category: General Fiction, Literary Fiction, African-American Fiction, Immigrant Experience
Tour Dates November 2-23
ISBN: 978-1955065603
Available in Print and ebook, 332 pages
Description Soulful Return by Fidelis O. Mkparu
“The hounding voice inside me would not let go.”
Thus begins the emotional journey of Afamefuna Onochie Nwaku, a Harvard-trained medical doctor with a career most can only dream of, a loving wife, and supportive family. Then, he receives a telephone call from his sister who lives in Nigeria that her life is being threatened.
Left with no other fair choice, Afam leaves behind his family, throwing his marriage into turmoil and risking the life he has built in Boston. Instead of the Nigeria that he loves, that he needs, he finds a land and people he barely recognizes waiting for him. Afam decides to stay but realizes that his future in Nigeria is as murky as the River-Niger after a torrential tropical rainfall.
As Afam sets out on a journey to reconnect with the family and heritage that he left behind, he must face new enemies in an increasingly corrupt Nigeria where many people see him as an American intruder. And through it all, he must fight to keep his family together—and alive.
Excerpt Soulful Return by Fidelis O. Mkparu
“As more time passed, I reflected on the day I’d left home and how many years had passed. Memories of my parents overwhelmed me, and the fear of losing Elisha returned. I felt lonely, surrounded by strangers who weren’t cognizant of what I was going through. As much as I tried to forget the enormity of my inherited responsibilities, it weighed heavily on me.
Sitting on the wrong side of the Niger and unsure when I would cross it, my worries sapped all the energy left in my hungry body. It was only a distance of twenty miles going east from the riverbank that separated me from my hometown, but it felt as if we were traveling to the moon. With every sunset, the crime rate in Onitsha increased, and it had been so for as long as anyone I knew could remember. My safety weighed on me too, and I was eager to get home.” Page 100
© Fidelis O. Mkparu
Review Soulful Return by Fidelis O. Mkparu
“I realized that fate had brought me back to Obodo,
where my life had started. It had brought me back to where they'd buried my
umbilical cord to tether me to the African earth for eternity. It had brought
me back to where my soul had remained to roam in my physical absence. There was
no doubt left in me that the land where I stood belonged to me and that I
belonged to it.”
Afamefuna left Nigeria many years ago. Back then, he
left to come to America and earn a medical degree. Now, decades later, he is
turning 60 and being offered the position of CEO at his hospital. Afamefuna's
wife, Elisha wishes for him to accept the position, seeing it as a reward for
all that he has worked for. But Afamefuna is divided. Ever since he came to
America, he has had the intention of returning home to be the patriarch of his
family and manage his father's lands.
Recently, he's been hearing a small voice inside of
his head telling him to go back to Nigeria. This voice only gets stronger when
Afamefuna gets a call from his sister, telling him that she is no longer sure
how long she can protect their land.
Making an executive decision (and somewhat angering
his wife) Afamefuna returns to Nigeria, unsure if he will ever go back to
America. Once there, however, he quickly realizes just how different the
country he left decades earlier has become. Now, he tangles with the police who
come to him asking for bribes and threats from his cousin, Ejike, who has made
it his mission to regain some of the land that he feels rightfully belongs to
him.
Mkparu’s writing leaps off the page, his characters
grab you by both hands into a tug of war to try to get you on their side. I
greatly enjoyed this book and how it touched on the loneliness and grief of
growing older and how it can still be difficult to find your place in the world
even then.
Advance Praise Soulful Return by Fidelis O. Mkparu
Awards and Praise for Fidelis O. Mkparu
2018 EVVY winner, Literary & Contemporary Fiction for Tears Before Exaltation.
Silver Medal: Nautilus Book Awards, Fiction 2016 for Love’s Affliction.
Reader Views Literary Award Winner 2015/2016 for Love’s Affliction.
Finalist 2015: INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award, Multicultural Fiction for Love’s Affliction.
“A must-read, Love’s Affliction is an exceptionally gripping and poignant story. While intense throughout, there is resolution – and not quite what one may expect!”—San Francisco Book Review
“An exceptionally well crafted work, “Love’s Affliction” is an engaging and extraordinary multi-cultural novel that documents author Fidelis O. Mkparu as a talented, first class storyteller. “Love’s Affliction” is very highly recommended for personal reading lists and would prove to be a valued addition to community library Contemporary Fiction collections.”—Midwest Book Review
About Fidelis O. Mkparu
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I an so glad you enjoyed 'Soulful Return'! Thanks for hosting!
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