What Will My Mother Say

by Dympna Ugwu-Oju

Book Overview

"A wonderful story, at times amazing, always compelling." -Marita Golden, author of Saving Our Sons Dympna Ugwu-Oju is leading two lives. At work, she is a college professor. At home, she is an Ibo... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1566250420
• ISBN13: 9781566250429
• Release Date: March 2004
• Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing
• Length: 414 Pages
• Weight: 1.93 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.5" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Who came of age in America?

I was hoping for insight on how to relate to my parents and extended family as a Nigerian-American, that is, a full-blooded Nigerian raised in America (as I define myself), but I didn't receive that from Mrs. Ugwu-Oju's book. What I learned was that there is no formula and one should respect family and tradition, yet live their own life and stand up for themselves. What I also read is that generations are different and parents have to allow their children to live realities they themselves will not experience. I'm still coming to terms with some of the archaic traditions that still survive in Nigeria, but I'm more aware of what I'm fighting against thanks to Mrs. Ugwu-Oju.

Great book!

This is one of the most fascinating autobiographies I have ever read. Dympna Ugwu-Oju gives a vivid depiction of a culture I doubt I will ever have the chance to experience myself. Even more: although describing a world that is far removed from my own, she made me feel she was talking about my own life in many ways. I admire how she expresses both her love and respect for Ibo tradition and her frustrations and longings to escape its confinements. This book speaks to all women who are negotiating love of family and tradition and a desire for the new opportunities created by feminism.

An Engaging Book

"What will my mother say" is a book about an indivdual,family and culture. The book describes how the author lived within the Igbo cultural system and how getting an education in America gives her a different perspective on that same culture.It also tells of the clash of the individual with the culture she once knew and the pressure and challenges of not conforming to society's expectation.It is an easily recognizable story for those who grew up in Nigeian families and is one that can easily cut across countries and cultures.It is an engaging story and I have recommended the book to my wife and mother. What will my mother say, who knows?

A Revealing Picture of Igbo Life

As an American married to an Igbo woman I would recommend Ms. Ugwu-Oju's book to anyone interested in African culture or the lives of Igbo women in particular. There are a number of academic studies of Igbo life and traditions yet Ms. Ugwu-Oju's book is unique in its unaffected and straightforward manner. This makes the tale she tells all the more touching and effective.

A Nigerian woman talks about being a woman in an Ibo society

Dympna Ugwu-Oju is the youngest female (she has a twin brother) of a large Nigerian family. The story she tells could have been related by numerous women: she talks about abused women in daily life, but also during war-time. What makes the difference with other women's stories though is the fact that at the end of the novel, she is happy to live as other women of her society: submissive, feminine and obedient. As a woman educated in an occidental way, I found her story extemely interesting and I enjoyed reading it. To be feminine and respectful of the status afforded to women does not prevent one from being happy and enjoying a successful marriage. Reading the book was also an occasion for me to know better the Ibo society and have an insight about the Biafra war. Great book. Congratulations to Dympna Ugwu-Oju.