Review by Princess Chisom Igwe
Book Author: EBIDENYEFA TARILA-NIKADE
1. Summary of the Book
The book is about Edevie and the things that happened to her in life. She experienced pain and sadness after losing the very people who were important to her. The death of her fiancé, Ofonime, and her mother made life so difficult for her because of the painful events she had to pass through, making her see a reason not to live.
In the novel, she faced other problems in her relationships and with the people around her. Her friendship with Emeka also became complicated. She also discovered a disturbing truth about her past life, which led her to attempt to take her own life.
2. My Thoughts on the Main Characters
My favourite character is Edevie because, despite all the problems she faced, her story made me relate to the fact that life sometimes brings unexpected challenges.
Emeka, on the other hand, is an interesting character in the novel too, as his relationship with Edevie becomes complicated even as he is married. This situation made me think about setting boundaries and making the right decisions in relationships.
3. The Author’s Writing Style
One thing I found interesting about the author’s writing style is the use of everyday Nigerian expressions, such as “village people,” “This life no just balance,” and “Nwanyioma, come see love now.” These expressions made the story feel more natural and relatable because they are things we hear people say every day.
The story was written in the first-person point of view, which made me feel closer to the characters and their experiences.
4. Themes and Messages
One of the major themes in the book is “love and relationships.” It shows that love can be complicated, especially when trust is involved. This made me understand that love alone is not always enough to make a relationship work.
Another theme is “grief and loss”. I learned that losing someone you love can be painful, but life still goes on even when it can be difficult.
Another theme is “the discovery of the past”. When Edevie discovers the truth about her past life, she struggles to cope with what she learns, which makes her attempt to take her own life. But in the midst of giving up on life, she begins to regret her decisions and wants to live to achieve her purpose in life. She wonders why she should die today when tomorrow beckons.
Overall, the book taught me to be careful and value the people in my life and to be strong when facing difficult situations.
5. Likes and Dislikes
I liked how the author used everyday Nigerian expressions because they made the story feel real and relatable.
I disliked the fact that Ofonime had to take his own life, leaving Edevie to face the pain and emptiness of losing him when they could have talked things through together.
Another thing I disliked was Edevie’s complicated relationship with Emeka, especially because he was already married.
6. Recommendation
When Tomorrow Beckons is an interesting book. It made me think about love, loss, and relationships. Some parts of the story made me sad, especially when it came to the death of her fiancé. His last words before he died and the fact that she also lost her mother really made me sad. She did not have to go through all that.
I also found Edevie’s past life interesting and how it has affected her now.
This novel will interest those who enjoy emotional novels or stories.
Overall, the book is indeed emotional, relatable, heartbreaking, and realistic.
7. Rating
I would rate When Tomorrow Beckons 8 out of 10 because it is an interesting and emotional story that is worth reading.
Though I personally think the story was written in a poetic way, with lots of big grammar which shows that the protagonist in whose voice the story is about likes to speak big grammar. Unexpected events that happened in the story made me curious to know what would happen next.
