BOOK REVIEW: BREAKING BARRIERS BY CHRISTINE VIDAL-WACHUKU

Is true love real?

Is true love real?

If you are a young person today, you would most likely have asked this question already. The surprising thing about this question is how global it is. Young people in Asia are asking this question. Young people in Africa are asking this question. Young people in Europe are asking this question.

Well, it is a question worth asking. For indeed, love is the most powerful emotion. It is the most powerful force in the world. More than ideas, more than knowledge, more than power, love is that unconquerable thing, and it is that thing that can conquer everything. When a man is in love, he can conquer the world. That's what happened in this story, literally.

When Vidal Wachuku met a young lady at a Corper's Fellowship, he was sure she was the love of his life. For Vidal, this was the missing rib. Right from that day, he started trying to impress her. The brother began asking good questions and contributing good thoughts during the fellowship. For the lady? Well, she didn't even notice him! Brothers, be encouraged; the first time may not always be the best moment. She would come around to fall in love with him too. She would develop feelings for him in the same way that he had for her. And together, they would have to face the biggest battle of their lives.

Christine was from Northern Nigeria, while Vidal was from Southern Nigeria. Just to give a bit of context, these two regions once went to war due to their differences. A war that led to the death of an estimated 3 million people. Now, these two lovers wanted to cross this chasm and get married. Christine's family was completely opposed to it and refused to entertain or welcome Vidal's family.

Due to frustration, Christine will leave home and travel to her husband in the east. There, they will get married in a church ceremony. Their family troubles did not end with that. Her family's opposition did not change. It would be many years before her family would come around, and they would have to do a traditional wedding some years after the church ceremony.

When Christine and Vidal met, Vidal told her that he would travel across mountains just to win her love. Karma was listening. He did cross those mountains. Or rather, they crossed those mountains together and met at the top of it. Theirs a beautiful marriage. Even as you read this book, you could feel love passing through them. They wrote letters to each other, and Christine shared many of them in this book. Romeo and Juliet didn't reach like this.

This book reads like a thriller. Fast-paced, deeply engaging, and vivid. Christine is an incredible storyteller. She fuses Nigerian pidgin into her writing, which makes me envious of her. She tells you about her culture in an interesting way. Her great achievement is that by the end of this book, you don't see any bad feelings toward anyone. It is just a story that tells how love can change everything. If you need a love story, here is one in flesh and blood.

I strongly recommend this book.

Yes, true love is real, but it is not something you find, it is something you create. This family created theirs.