December 5, 2019
by Catherine Onyemelukwe
5 Comments

Racism on the Train

Racism Alive and Active on the Train My Nigerian friend Ike Anya posted a story on Facebook this morning which made me laugh but also made me sad. He was on a Cross Country train in UK. He says the … Continue reading

November 19, 2019
by Catherine Onyemelukwe
Comments Off on Ancient Iron Smelting and Modern Books

Ancient Iron Smelting and Modern Books

Ancient Iron-Working in Igbo Village A fascinating article in Sun Nigeria related the story of the village of Lejja, part of the town of Nsukka, in northern Igboland. Apparently the site has been studied for decades. “Dr. Opata, who is … Continue reading

June 28, 2019
by Catherine Onyemelukwe
2 Comments

Education: Powerful But Too Often Neglected

Reading with my Book Club I’m in two book clubs. One is called Baker’s Dozen; I’ve probably mentioned it before. Three women have just joined and all are white friends from church. I invited two of them and another member … Continue reading

February 24, 2019
by Catherine Onyemelukwe
2 Comments

Election Still Undecided

Nigerian Election Still Underway I followed Nigerian election results on Twitter last night, right before going to bed. President Buhari’s wife Aisha was the first to vote in their polling unit, and the president was second. According to the Nigerian … Continue reading

December 8, 2018
by Catherine Onyemelukwe
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Becoming – Michelle Obama’s Memoir

Michelle Obama’s Memoir Becoming I’m almost halfway through Michelle Obama’s memoir, Becoming. She’s a wonderful, entertaining writer. As she shares stories about meeting Barack and then falling in love, she gives us insight into both her character and his. She’s unpretenious … Continue reading

October 27, 2018
by Catherine Onyemelukwe
Comments Off on Women in Power, Coming Too Slowly

Women in Power, Coming Too Slowly

Ethiopia Elects Woman President The presidency in Ethiopia is a ceremonial position. Power resides with the Prime Minister. Still, this is a milestone. I read about Sahle-Work Zewde‘s election first in a Nigerian online newspaper that referred me to the … Continue reading

October 19, 2018
by Catherine Onyemelukwe
8 Comments

Names Have Purpose

What’s In a Name? I read a fascinating piece in The New York Times about names. The current writer of Dear Abby’s column, Jeanne Phillips, advised parents to avoid unusual names for their children. They should use names that are easy … Continue reading

September 13, 2018
by Catherine Onyemelukwe
4 Comments

Books on My Mind

Building Mountains from Dust I was asked recently if I would be part of a virtual book tour for a memoir about cancer. Four reasons I agreed: Our daughter is an oncologist, i.e. cancer doctor I like to read memoirs … Continue reading

September 5, 2018
by Catherine Onyemelukwe
4 Comments

Freshwater, an Autobiographical Novel

Autobiographical Novel A new autobiographical Nigerian novel called Freshwater is making news. It’s already out in the US and I’m eager to read it. I saw a note about it in Ainehi Edoro’s blog and then learned more from Africa … Continue reading

July 19, 2018
by Catherine Onyemelukwe
Comments Off on So Many Books

So Many Books

So Many Books to Read I’ve mentioned The Hate U Give before. It’s a novel by Angie Thomas about a sixteen-year old Black girl named Starr. Her best friend, a Black boy, is killed, or as she correctly says, is … Continue reading