Walls to Bridges A Novel

Numa Noto, a young Biyerian from Wouria, goes to the United States of America amidst great expectations from relatives to live the American dream, only to face the realities of the typical African migrant in his new home. His irrepressible desire to help his family and to uphold his integrity lands him on a spot where he must not obtain documents to stay in the land of his dreams the way other immigrants did. To succeed in his new society, he has to cope with people and their different peculiarities – age, race, gender, sex, and professional orientation amidst rumours of degenerating socio-political unrest in Wouria, Biyeria. He spends his time trying to bridge walls amongst different factions of society – African Americans students, Africans, Biyerians, inmates, and all who come by him. His activities reform not only Alicia with whom he so unrepentantly falls in love, but the rest of the society both back at home in Biyeria and in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where the story’s action takes stage. Like a vision that gives strength to other weakened enterprises, Numa rescues Norah, but when he tries to save himself from Alicia’s complicated love nest, his whole existence in the United States is threatened. He is unjustly imprisoned, an event that becomes a brow raiser to the injustices suffered by people of his status, and other minority groups in the United States. Then come assassination attempts, the last of which the reader is left to decide whether he survives or not. Even as the young, intelligent and inspirational character dashes to the ground from a gunshot, his words stay strong amongst his fans – Genuine Love can break down the walls that divide us.

Henry A. Mesappe, Ministry of Secondary Education, Cameroon