To Love and To Cherish is Gabriel Oluseyi Akinyemi’s first published book.
It is a short book, dedicated to women enduring domestic violence in their marriages and to people who are struggling with childhood traumatic experiences.
It is a simple book. Simple in an uncomplicated, refreshing quick read that does not hide behind anything convoluted to share its clear messages. Great for reading on a rainy afternoon curled up with a cup of warm coffee.
The author is Nigerian, clearly a gentle, loving man and his clear values come through loud and clear. The main character Cherish is a straight forward girl, who believes in love and loyalty. Her journey is one many will recognise through stages of life and how people treat her will resonate with numerous readers.
Although it is a quick read, it does leave many questions. I feel it is ripe for expansion by the author into a longer narrative, a full novel. Each character has enough depth to be part of a series. It left me wanting more, which for me is always a positive thing when reading a book.
The writing style shows great promise and is quite endearing… you feel you are actually reading a true story written by someone who was there or is in the narrative. There’s a raw, unpolished heart on sleeve approach to it, which I really warm to.
If you like short prose, and are looking for some inspiration on how to be a successful married couple, then To Love and To Cherish will appeal. The author claims it teaches forgiveness, accountability, and karma in a relative form. I can’t argue with that.
As we go back into lockdown and face a whole range of new challenges, this book is definitely worth a download to your kindle. You’ll find it on Amazon….