Where the children take us How one family achieved the unimaginable

When CNN anchor Asher was five, a terrible tragedy befell her family. During a road trip in Nigeria, Asher's father and brother (actor Chiwetel Ejiofor) were involved in a car accident that left her father dead and her brother badly injured. Asher's mother, Obiajulu, was suddenly a single parent, raising four children in a dangerous neighborhood in south London. A survivor of the Nigerian Civil War, Obiajulu was no stranger to displacement and uncertainty, and she dedicated all of her considerable energy to ensuring that her children would excel despite the blow their family had been dealt. Asher writes of her mother's role in her professional success, and she tells her mother's story alongside her own, from the courtship with Asher's father in war-torn Nigeria, to the Brixton pharmacy where she fought to make ends meet for her four children, to an invitation from Queen Elizabeth to a ceremony at Buckingham Palace. At its heart, Where the Children Take Us is a love letter to the author's mother, in all her strength and determination.

Asher, a CNN International news anchor and sister of Oscar-nominated actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, has written a moving and inspiring memoir about her mother, Obiajulu Ejiofor. Born in Nigeria, as an Igbo she suffered starvation and displacement during the Biafra War of the late 1960s. In her teens, she found an enduring love with Arinze Eljiofor. Together they immigrated to England with the hope of achieving medical degrees and returning to their homeland to start badly needed schools. On the cusp of success, tragedy strikes when Arinze is killed and their son Chiwetel is seriously injured in a car crash during a trip to Nigeria. Asher describes how her grief-stricken mother harnessed the determination she learned from her own mother's experience of loss and resolve. She instilled in her children pride in their Nigerian heritage and helped them succeed in school despite the racism they faced. Asher writes that drawing on their mother's strength propelled her and her siblings to careers in business, journalism, acting, and medicine. VERDICT An inspirational story of resilience that will appeal to readers interested in memoir, parenting, mid-20th century Nigerian and British history, and actor Chiwetel Ejiofor.--Laurie Unger Skinner

Homage to an indomitable woman and her remarkable journey. CNN anchor Asher makes her book debut with a vibrant memoir of her "tough-love" immigrant family, headed by her resolute mother--"breadwinner, nurturer, disciplinarian, cook, cleaner"--who instilled in her children a "succeed-at-all-costs" mentality. Obiajulu Ejiofor and her husband, Arinze, moved from Nigeria to London in the 1970s, having survived a brutal civil war and a two-year famine. While Arinze pursued a medical degree, Obiajulu enrolled in the pharmacy program at the University of London. When she graduated, the couple obtained a loan to open their own pharmacy, a business that supported them and their children. In 1988, however, tragedy struck: While Arinze and their 11-year old son, Chiwetel, were visiting Nigeria, they were involved in a horrific automobile accident; Arinze was killed and Chiwetel, severely injured. As an immigrant in South London, with three children and pregnant with a fourth, Obiajulu faced a daunting future. But despite her grief, she made an unwavering commitment to raise her children to become "ambitious, talented, and disciplined." Chiwetel is an Oscar-nominated actor; the author's sister is a physician; another brother is a successful businessman. For Obiajulu, education was paramount. To make sure her children were well prepared for their assignments, Obiajulu devoted every evening to study sessions, and she gave the children reading lists and quizzed them on their comprehension. When 9-year-old Asher seemed to be floundering, her mother sent her back to Nigeria for two years, where children showed adults "unquestioned obedience." She hung photos of famous Nigerians around the house to serve as role models. When the children were distracted by TV, she sliced the cable. To keep them from wasting time on phone calls with friends, she installed a pay phone. Refusing to be undermined by poverty and racism, Obiajulu, writes the author, "fought with every fiber of her being for her family." Asher delivers a well-written chronicle of absolute determination and familial devotion. A wholly inspiring portrait of an extraordinary immigrant family. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.