Book excerpt: My Roots, My Love, My Destinyis the story of two strong women, told across an epic and rich canvas painted by two wars and two unique destinies. In her ninety-six years, Ogeri, author Beatrice Akpu Inyang Eleje's mother, experienced danger, heartbreak, and great love. Her journey spanned most of the twentieth century and was dictated by the societal norms, values, and traditions of the Nigeria of her time. Lovingly reconstructed, these are a few of Eleje's most beloved and revered memories of her mother. For the daughter, her journey was spent attempting to navigate rapidly changing waters. Caught between two colliding civilizations-the Western civilization and African culture and Nigeria-two cultures, and two world views, her path was less certain. While one world encouraged independence, the other demanded absolute filial obedience. Rebellion was inevitable. As Eleje listened to her mother speak of her life, the similarities emerged. Both women survived their husbands, and both knew the heartache of illness, loss, and uncertainty-as well as the joys of love in the most unexpected places. But through it all rings a life-sustaining truth worth celebrating: no matter how dark the tunnel, there is always light just around the corner ... if you can just lift your head to look. Designed to inspire younger women to persevere in the face of seemingly in-surmountable odds, the story of these two women proves that no matter what, you just need to take the next step-to-ward hope.