Apart from being a skincare enthusiast, I am an avid book reader. Imagine my joy when a friend (Victor) gave me a copy of Amara Van Lare's book. (It has been on the top of the wishlist for quite some time). I love and stalk her blog: www.amaraofficial.com because it has been a blessing to my personal life.
When
I started reading the book, I couldn't stop. When I got to
the middle, I started crying (I'm an emotional person) and at the end I
became angry (lol).
I
became angry because I live in a society where marriage is the final
destination for a girl. A girl is encouraged start looking for a husband once she clocks 20. After endless reading in school,
you are told, your duty lies in the kitchen and 'the
other room', to stay in a shop and dump your certificate because that is
what your husband wants . Hence, girls are often given out to the highest bidder or richest suitor who can take care of the whole family. We
are taught that a wealthy home is a happy home, hence if you ain't
married to an already wealthy guy, you are more or less at the bottom of the social ladder..
Last
week, my cousins introduced a guy to my mum, because he was very
rich, an importer and would solve all our family's monetary problems. He
was looking for a tall, young and beautiful lady. He saw my sister's
picture and he liked her... Just like that..
Well,
my sister is quite headstrong, she refused and told them out-rightly,
she wasn't interested in the guy. Period.. End of question.
To
me, this book 'A Raging River' is an eye opener. It talks about so
many issues affecting the girl child, especially in Africa and Nigeria.
It's a book, every single/married woman has to read and every mother has to
give to her daughter(s).
It's
a true life story about a girl who went through hell and emerged a
better, stronger woman. It addresses issues, most women face in
marriage. I couldn't have imagined that these things happen in
marriages. (God knows I won't be able to withstand half of what she went
through)
I now have a better understanding of what
to expect, when I finally want to settle down I listened to Kelly
Clarkson's 'stronger' reading this and the words of that song, summarized
the whole book.
'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger '.
I love this book and I don't see it leaving my shelf anytime soon.
Thank you, Amara for this book. I learnt so much from it.
A copy is sold for 3,000 Naira and can be gotten from me. Trust me when I say, this is a perfect gift for this season..
