The gifted Nigerian-British author of Bride Price and Second Class Citizen now tells the true story of how she did it all: came from Lagos to London pregnant and with four children in tow, to be with her husband who then renounced the entire family. Having had a fine education and a good government job in Nigeria, Buchi cannot imagine the setbacks and the racism she'll encounter in the Great Britain of the 1960s. Finding housing and schools, trying to get financial support from her husband, and dealing with everyday discrimination is difficult enough. But the most miraculous part of Buchi's story is her struggle to study for an advanced degree in sociology - which most of us probably see as a gut course. In the process, she works at agencies designed to assist young black men and feels mostly defeated by the enormous obstacles. Even reading about the years leading up to publication of her fiction leaves the reader exhausted. It's a lot easier to enjoy Buchi's fine fiction about her Igbo upbringing than to suffer her memories along with her. ( )

interesting - very simple style ( )