Nwanganga Shields Examines Arranged Marriage

Women today enjoy opportunities that were unimaginable decades ago but the battle for equal rights is far from over. From sexual abuse to gender pay gaps, issues rooted on gender discrimination still pervade societies all over the world. In her debut novel, "Ejituru", Nwanganga Shields examines the inequalities that women face in light of the experiences of her title character, a woman who tries to overcome cultural limitations and societal pressures in order to make her dreams come true.

The story introduces Ejituru, an 18-year-old girl from Nigeria who dreams of becoming a medical doctor one day. Coming from a developing country, the young woman finds it difficult to realize her ambitions but an opportunity soon presents itself in the form of an arranged marriage to an older man, Ignatius.

Ejituru's father thinks that Ignatius is a successful immigrant in the United States and convinces his daughter to give her hand in marriage to him. Pressured by her father and desperate to have a U.S. education, Ejituru agrees and her decision sets into motion a series of events that will change her life forever.

A window into the life of African immigrants in the United States, "Ejituru" follows the journey of a woman who would do anything to live her own life. It is an insightful, brilliantly wrought tale of culture, family and the indomitable spirit and what happens when these three forces collide.

"Ejituru" will be featured at the 2014 New York Library Association in Saratoga Springs, NY, which will run November 6 - 7, 2014. For more information, log on to http://www.Xlibris.com.

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About the Author
Nwanganga Shields was born and raised in Arochukwu, Nigeria, and currently resides in Bethesda, Maryland. She retired from the World Bank and has four grown children and eight grandchildren. Shields studied at University of St Andrews and American University. Inspired by authors like Orhan Pamuk, Julian Barnes, and Robert Harris, she hopes to give her readers something to think about with her own writing. "Ejituru" is her first novel.

Ejituru * by Nwanganga Shields
Trade Paperback; $19.99; 293 pages; 978-1-4836-0180-9
Trade Hardback; $29.99; 293 pages; 978-1-4836-0181-6
e-book; $3.99; 978-1-4836-0182-3

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