Title: Azawani: The Hood of a Mentor
Author: Martins Ejiofor
Publisher: Leavitt Peak Press
ISBN: 978-1-968970-48-2
Pages: 200
Genre: Inspirational / Coming-of-Age
Reviewer: Gabriella Harrison
Pacific Book Review
Author Martins Ejiofor’s Azawani: The Hood of a Mentor tells the story of a Delta-Igbo couple who struggle to have a child for years and become a source of mockery in their community, with people not only calling them barren but also stigmatizing them for being poor. Eventually, they have a daughter, Elizabeth, and appoint their only friend in the community, Azawani, a wealthy and industrious woman, as her godmother. Elizabeth spends her formative years with her parents, being brought up to reverence God and taught to be content. Longing for her to have a better life and learn wealth creation, they send her to live with her godmother, who eagerly welcomes and begins teaching her.
Ejiofor adopts a narrative style reminiscent of moonlight tales where children would gather around the feet of an elder to hear a story, as he traces Elizabeth’s birth to her eventual rise to become a wealthy woman like her godmother. In addition to rising from poverty, she becomes part of the royal family and eventually the queen of her community when she marries a prince who was previously beyond her reach.
Ejiofor sprinkles words of wisdom throughout the book through Azawani, who is constantly sharing life lessons with Elizabeth. Lessons such as “When you save, you become rich, and when you become rich, you rule your world,” and “Always invest as you work hard to earn a living. Life is too short to waste a season.” This, as well as other instances, embodies the essence of the book’s title. That is, Azawani becomes a covering for Elizabeth and transfers her wisdom and assets to her.
Through this story, the author expresses a desire to create hope for the hopeless and stigmatized in society and shows how one’s gloomy situation can change, while encouraging those in privileged positions to step into mentorship roles to impart good into society. As a result of the mentorship Elizabeth receives, she positively transforms her community and puts an end to the stigmatization faced by slaves, abolishing the caste system.
While this is an uplifting story with important lessons, the multitude of grammatical errors are an unwelcome distraction. Nevertheless, Author Martins Ejiofor’s Azawani: The Hood of a Mentor will comfortably fit in the library of readers who enjoy grass-to-grace and uplifting stories. Anyone interested in picking a few financial lessons from a novel will also find this book appealing.
