Against All Odds

Description

Iloeje begins his narrative with a story of his parents, his family, and the humble circumstances of his birth at a time, when according to him, babies were born just at the back of the family mud hut. He takes us through his upbringing, first with his parents and later under the care, love, and tutelage of his eldest brother Brother Nnukwu, who as he proudly recalls was the best grit of sand that made his oyster produce a pearl. We accompany him through his student days at Umuahia, Nsukka, Cornell, and his post-doctoral at Oxford; then his war years in the Biafran Army; his careers in the university and polytechnic system; his bereavement and painful years as a widow and single parent; and his subsequent renaissance. His narrative is beautifully laced with insightful poems and richly garnished with the wisdom of traditional African proverbs, mixing poignancy with his trademark wit. It is more than a tale of love and war; hardship and hard work; success and fame; resonating a marriage of history and memoir: a memoir that chronicles the story of his climb against all odds: a climb powered by the hubris injected by his long-ago 1958 conversation with his mother. “Uwaezuoke.””Yes, Ma.””you see all the people coming to our house to greet us and greet your big brother? You see all the pride he is bringing to our family? All the education he has acquired from the Whiteman?”Yes, Ma; it’s nice, and I like it.”Well, it’s up to you. It’s not just your liking it with youth. It’s your liking it with your brains; studying hard, passing all your exams, going overseas to do battle with the Whiteman, and coming home with many degrees; just like your big brother, eh?” “Yes, Ma. Mama, I will do just that. Wait and see. I’ll do just like my big brother.” “God bless you, my son.”These memoirs chronicle his odyssey in pursuit of that promise.