What a Godly Privilege to Be Born a Man
by Tabitha Biel Luak
GENRE: FICTION / African American / General
BLURB:
This book is inspired by true events.
Chosen from among the mob of her boyfriend's girlfriends, married in the most secure, respectful, and honourable way known to the people, Nyayang Jock, a girl born without a brother, won the race, defeating her top co-girlfriend, Sarah, by being the youngest over Sarah born with brothers. At the least, unlike ninety-nine percent of the girls of her generation and how they were married, it is safe for Nyayang to say she was married for love to Chuol Malual, a businessman who was born into a big, rich family.
Nonetheless, unlike the expectation of her in-laws, the unattended attitude of the nature secretly stabbed Nyayang in the back, leaving her to fail and creating the family Chuol and his family fundamentally paid the forty cows for. After waiting for what seemed like a decade for her to get pregnant, she gave birth to a girl, a thing that only fueled the resultant ager. Taking a long time to get pregnant and only giving birth to a girl when she should have birthed a boy called for a quick search for another wife. For Chuol's parents, this was a search for a working womb, but for Chuol it was just a search for wife number two, which he found hard now that he realized most girls showed many of the characteristics Nyayang had shown; however, eventually all displayed some problem.
But that all changed when he accidentally stumbled upon Sarah again, who instantly restored his manhood. Sarah not only filled Chuol's life with the boys he had been looking for, but she had her chance one more time to not only show Nyayang that it is the woman born with brothers who wins, but that the woman who has the ability to birth boys is the ultimate winner. But values-setting, worth-determining, and love are all weaknesses in society. There is only one true winner, and that is the neighbor, the seasonal enemy, the chaff buyer, the Murlen man.
PURCHASE LINKS:
AMAZON.COM ~ AMAZON.CA ~ BARNES & NOBLE ~ SMASHWORDS
Excerpt:
“Have you thought about what we discussed?” asks Mr. Malual as the two still stand. But Chuol, who is reluctant to discuss this mindboggling matter again, decides to remain quiet.
Mr. Malual gently puts his hand on his son’s shoulder and leads him to the “daddy room.”
Inside the room, the two sit down opposite each other. “Chuol,” his father says, “I’m getting old and your mother is, too. You see, my son, all of these come to pass: fame, girls, all of it. But when a man passes and leaves a family behind, there is a legacy. If I pass away today, I wouldn’t worry because I would know I have you. But what if you were to die today, what would you leave?” The tension in the room can be felt.
“I want you to find the woman of your dreams. But I have one thing to say on that matter.” Chuol glances at his father sharply. “You are walking to the girl’s parents in the daytime and telling them ‘I’m marrying your daughter,’” says his father.
“What?” Chuol jumps to the sky. “Baba, you know I can’t do that, I’m a young man. That is for old people.”
“I don’t care,” his father rebukes him. “What makes you think you have to steal at night?”
“It’s not stealing.” Chuol raises his manly voice and is almost at the point of leaving the room.
“Chuol, you know I’m a very respected man in this community. And I have enough to give in return to the girl’s parents you choose. Don’t try to make me feel small among men.” His father slams the arm of the chair he sits on as he pushes the discussion onto the little man’s throat.
Chuol looks at his father for a moment and remains quiet. “So, are we agreeing on this?” his father demands. His son throws his head aside, for he doesn’t want to acknowledge the way this discussion is going against his will. I’m not going to do this, he thinks to himself while frowning.
To him, life’s freedom is about making decisions on one’s own. Especially when you are this young. Having had ten most sought-after girls as his girlfriends, Chuol cannot not picture himself arriving in front of one girl and explaining in detail that he is marrying her in the daytime. He just cannot not wrap his head around it.
“I’m not ready,” exclaims Chuol. But unfortunately, this beautiful notion is not negotiable. It’s a father’s obligation to be involved in finalizing the legacy of his son.
The father drops his head upon hearing his son deceitfully grabbing at a worn-out branch.
The two go quiet for a minute. “So, when are you going to be ready?” asks Mr. Malual. Chuol still makes it his business to be quiet.
“Okay, then. Let’s open up a different chapter.” Chuol brings back his head after hearing his father say this.
“So, if I’m not banned from asking questions. What kind of women do you prefer? Or attributes, I should say.”
“Baba, I told you I’m not ready. I will let you know what I’m looking for in a woman once I’m ready,” he responds to his father in an irritable voice.
Interview with Tabitha Biel luak
What made you want to become a writer?
Before I became a writer, I was and still am writing songs. I used to live voiceless and I needed that to change. I realized that, with all which happen to us individually, there is no person who would tell a story better than the one to whom it happened to. Becoming a writer was about speaking the truth and standing up for those who may not have voices like I was.
What inspired you to write 'What a Godly Privilege to be Born a Man?'
Life itself inspired me to write this book. Like what most people would say, I have my share of human's struggle and of course, laughter. I realized that all bad things are not sent our ways to destroy us but to build our muscles for the purposes of becoming strong. And so I got up.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in 'What a Godly Privilege to be Born a Man?'
Characters are the key players in books. They carry out the desired message within the expected or unexpected behavior. The individualized characters in this book play their roles with respect to the normalized culture. Within different types, the narrative is well contained, portraying exactly the truths and the lies of this man-dominated society. They come in different natures just so their roles are descriptively clear.
You know I think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?
I would say, the author of the book named, 'The Power of Now', Eckhart Tolle, is a favorite author of mine. I love the message he shares in his books.
Can you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have planned for the future?
I have some projects that I'm working on. I do not know as far as the release dates, but I'm so excited about them. I cannot wait to share them with the world.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Writing the whole book was an enjoyable process. But the parts I enjoyed the most are, characters' creation. Their appearances and personalities, I had fun making them.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Tabitha Biel Luak is a South Sudanese-Canadian author. Tabitha was born in South Sudan, Africa. She relocated to Edmonton, Canada in 2011. Tabitha is a mother of two beautiful girls. She is currently taking her bachelor degree in Psychology. She is very passionate about helping her community grow. She is involved with youth in helping them reconnect to their roots by learning about where they come from. Tabitha is a gospel singer who also writes and sings songs about social issues.
CONNECT WITH TABITHA BIEL LUAK
WEBSITE ~ FACEBOOK ~ INSTAGRAM
5 comments:
Thanks for hosting!
Great excerpt and interview.
I enjoyed the interview.
This book sounds really interesting. I enjoyed the excerpt. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the great excerpt! The book sounds very interesting.
Post a Comment