Of quests, dreams and power of a story

Last year, the Nigeria Prize for Literature did not award the prize in the children’s literature genre. The Nigeria LNG Limited, which endows the prize, could not find one among the over 100 submissions excellent enough to take home the $100,000.
Having read the 78-page The Quest for the Gem of Arubia by Augusta Mmakamba Okon, it is my humble submission that this book was published a year too late or we would have all been sending her our account numbers, to share in the prize money.
In any case, the world still stands to benefit from the whole endeavour, which I must confess could not have been an easy one for the writer to craft such a compelling tale.
I say this because I am a writer myself and can tell you how lonely the writing craft can get. Also, in my career as a literary critic, I have read many a great book and can say right away that we have gathered here today to welcome another such tome.
I cannot emphasise enough how important this book is not just for children and young adults but also for grown-ups like myself. This is because stories have the power to take us to the nirvana of our dreams and also serve as a springboard to achieving such dreams.
Many of the writers I know, whether they be lawyers originally like Okon who penned this one, or pharmacists or doctors, accountants, etc, they all grew up among books. Yes, look around you, most of the people who genuinely make it in life grew up among books. They learned to take calculated risks, to go beyond when others less equipped quit. They are like moving trains; no one can stop them.
This is why I make sure my daughter reads. This is why everyone here should go away with a copy or two or three of The Quest for the Gem of Arubia by Augusta Okon, that one child can have an opportunity to dream. This will make some children have the requisite background that will put them on a quest for a better life; for clearly, life can be better than how we live it in Nigeria. We need people who will provide solutions to the many problems that bedevil us.
The Quest for the Gem of Arubia may be the story of an albino, but it also reads like the story of Nigeria, her many tribes and the lingering quest for unity that seems to elude us. This book situates our daily struggle to come to terms with our reality as Nigerian citizens in a world that daily loses its borders to globalisation.
The Kingdom of Nsewe has been thrown into confusion over the birth of a strange-looking baby born under mysterious circumstances.
Omorege grows up as a ‘reject’ by the people and is nicknamed ‘Odd Boy’. Dominus, the evil one who was locked up in the valley of Acridon, in the realm of the Aspirathis two centuries ago, escapes and is determined to rule Nsewe, including the seven kingdoms beyond the human realm with an iron rod.
It is written in the ancient scroll of the kingdoms, that once every century, a guardian is born to defend the kingdoms and prevent the evil one from ruling and is called the ‘Chosen One’.
That special person alone has the ability stop Dominus from succeeding. Armed with an ilujo and accompanied by the greatest Riddler of his day, the ‘Chosen One’ must face grave danger while traversing the kingdoms, overcome all challenges, and face his fears in his quest to get the Gem of Arubia to stop the evil one.
So why is it a great book?
The characters, whether major or minor, leap from the pages and interact with the reader. They are friends when we like them and enemies when we don’t – much like real life. The dialogue is lively, almost like from an unforgettable movie just like the setting which comes alive from the very first page to the last. Then there is the storyline, which is out of this world, unforgettable.
If part of the reason for writing this book was to thrill, then Okon succeeds. This comes from her good command of the English language, her storytelling prowess and the sheer beauty of the illustration.
This is one book that should grace every child’s library.
@terhagbedeh