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WORK TITLE: A Pardon for Tommy
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY: Pearland
STATE: TX
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: Nigerian
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in Nigeria; married; children: two.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author and nurse.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Nigerian-born author and nurse Patricia Nmukoso Enyi lives, works, and writes in Pearland, Texas. a suburb of Houston. She is the author of the children’s stories Marcus the Magician: At the Beach and A Pardon for Tommy, as well as the young-adult novel The Prodigal Daughter.
The Prodigal Daughter
Enyi’s YA novel evokes the author’s African heritage. “In … The Prodigal Daughter, we meet Loyce, a beautiful and intelligent young woman from an upper-class Nigerian family living in Houston,” stated Diane Ninsiima in the Africa Book Club. “Her family, the Amaechis, have been following certain religious norms and traditions for generations. Loyce and her siblings have been brought up well and are expected to follow these traditions.” Many of the traditions that affect Loyce directly are related to the family’s strict and fervent Catholicism. Loyce is expected to remain a virgin until marriage; she is expected to wear the custom wedding dress the family has made for her; she is expected to have a Catholic ceremony; and she is expected to marry a man who is not only Catholic, but who has been brought up in the Church and whose family has been Catholic for generations. When Loyce falls in love with an unsuitable boy on her eighteenth birthday, however, her family responds by exiling her to Nigeria. There she meets a girl of her own age who is in a similar situation. Loyce’s new connection helps strengthen the Nigerian-American girl’s resolve to resist her family’s blandishments.
“The author offers generous explanations of the lifestyle in the 80s,” wrote an Online Book Club contributor. “Descriptions ranging from architecture to fashion and pop culture ensure that the reader has a good idea about the setting of the story. The author also includes detailed explanations about the practices and social values of both the Nigerian and American cultures.”
A Pardon for Tommy
Enyi’s children’s book A Pardon for Tommy is set mostly in New Orleans, Louisiana, following the devastating effects of the storm known as Hurricane Katrina. Just before the storm hit, Chelsea Malibu’s father Max has gotten his big break—a new job as a magician–and celebrates by capturing a turkey in a turkey scramble held at a local rodeo. Rather than eat the young bird, however, Max adopts him as a pet and names him Tommy. Chelsea quickly becomes attached to Tommy, especially after Katrina hits and the family is forced to evacuate. In the process Max disappears, swept away by the storm. Chelsea is swept away as well, but she is reunited with her family in the makeshift shelter arranged at the Superdome. Tommy also survives, escaping with Chelsea in her backpack.
Skipping ahead six years, Chelsea is partway through her freshman year in college, and the family is preparing to return to New Orleans for the first time since the storm. However, Chelsea strongly resists the move: she does not want to live in the city where she lost her father. It is only her attachment to Tommy, who is quite elderly and is dying, that causes her to reconsider. “Readers will take a journey with Chelsea as she faces her fears of the past and comes to terms with loss,” said Lisa Michelle Umina in a blog post for Halo Publishing. “Chelsea’s mother also has her own experiences when coming face-to-face with her long lost brother, a family member previously ostracized, who now longs to have a place in the family.” “In [A Pardon for Tommy],” declared a Kirkus Reviews contributor, “Enyi tells a thoughtful story about what happens to people after they survive a disaster: specifically, she shows the ways that they can be selfish and cruel, or self-denying and brave.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, October 15, 2017, review of A Pardon for Tommy.
ONLINE
Africa Book Club, https://www.africabookclub.com/ (November 20, 2012), Diane Ninsiima, review of The Prodigal Daughter.
Halo Publishing, http://halopublishing.com/ (June 5, 2017), Lisa Michelle Umina, “YA Novel ‘A Pardon for Tommy’ Offers Hope in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.”
Online Book Club, https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/ (November 22, 2016), review of The Prodigal Daughter.
Patricia Nmukoso Enyi was born in Nigeria, West Africa. She lives in Pearland, Texas with her husband and two children.
Patricia Nmukoso Enyi was born in Nigeria, West Africa. She lives in Pearland, Texas with her husband and two children. Patricia is a nurse and over the years she has cared for the sick and infirm of all ages. She specializes in caring for the elderly and one day hopes to open a family nursing practice in Nigeria that will care for patients of all ages.
Nmukoso Enyi, Patricia: A PARDON FOR TOMMY
Kirkus Reviews.
(Oct. 15, 2017): From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Nmukoso Enyi, Patricia A PARDON FOR TOMMY Halo International Publishing (Indie) $10.96 5, 12 ISBN: 978-1-61244-537-3
A pet turkey becomes a lifeline for a girl who loses her father and home during Hurricane Katrina in this middle-grade novel.
In August 2005, Chelsea Malibu, 12, lives with her family in New Orleans' 9th Ward. (The family's unusual surname is Igbo Nigerian in origin.) Chelsea's father, Max, has just successfully interviewed for his dream job as a professional magician, a big step up from working the night shift in a hospital laundry room. The family celebrates by going to a rodeo and turkey scramble, where Max captures a young tom turkey for Thanksgiving. Despite being warned not to get too attached, Max soon dubs the bird Tommy. When the nearby levee breaks during Hurricane Katrina, Chelsea makes it to the balcony with Tommy in a backpack but gets swept away by swirling floodwaters--and her father does, too. Chelsea undergoes several frightening experiences before reuniting with her mother and brother, Chip, in the Superdome, but her father remains missing. The family relocates to Houston, but it's not an easy transition for anyone. When Chelsea tries to run away with Tommy to keep him from becoming Thanksgiving dinner, her story hits the media, leading to happy news. Six years later, now in her first year of college, Chelsea is still bedeviled by bad memories and refuses to set foot in New Orleans. Only Tommy, now dying, could make her return. In her debut novel, Enyi tells a thoughtful story about what happens to people after they survive a disaster: specifically, she shows the ways that they can be selfish and cruel, or self-denying and brave, and how difficult it can be for them to start over in a new place. The book doesn't, however, consider some deeper issues related to the plot, such as climate change, and the parts that deal with Max's disappearance are a bit soap-operatic in tone. As Houston still bears the brunt of Hurricane Harvey in real life, it adds a layer of poignancy to this fictional story; one wonders how Chelsea would have handled seeing her adopted city face
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the same kind of destruction.
An all-too-timely message of hope.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Nmukoso Enyi, Patricia: A PARDON FOR TOMMY." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Oct. 2017. Book
Review Index Plus, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A509243990/GPS?u=schlager& sid=GPS&xid=3eeead49. Accessed 20 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A509243990
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The Prodigal Daughter (by Patricia Nmukoso Enyi)
November 20, 2012 By Diane Ninsiima 3 Comments
The Prodigal Daughter (by Patricia Enyi)In the The Prodigal Daughter, we meet Loyce, a beautiful and intelligent young woman from an upper class Nigerian family living in Houston. Her family, the Amaechis have been following certain religious norms and traditions for generations. Loyce and her siblings have been brought up well; and are expected to follow these traditions. She knows she has to complete college before she can think of dating or even marriage. When Loyce turns 16, peer pressure comes in and in most cases she clashes with her parents in a bid to make her friends happy.
On her 18th birthday, her friends organize a birthday party for her and it is on this night that she must prove to her friends that she is lovable- she has been set up with a stranger to lose her virginity. Fate has a different plan- Loyce and Quintin (the stranger) fall in love. The joy of their newfound love is cut short when Loyce’s family rejects Quinton on the basis that he is not catholic and lacks ambition. In the Amaechi family, it was unheard of to marry a non-catholic. “When an Amaechi child got married, certain traditions had to be followed. Her mother had kept a list of must-haves for an Amaechi wedding. Four things were expected to make her wedding complete. She would have a custom design gown. She was expected to remain a virgin. The church would be a catholic church. Then, most importantly, the right man would be not just catholic but cradle catholic, a child born to catholic parents”.
It therefore comes as no surprise when her parents reject Quintin and she is sent back home in Nigeria in the hope that she regains her ‘senses.’ In an act of desperation she abandons the church and the faith she was taught (hence being called “the prodigal”); for where was God when she needed Him the most? If God is love, then why couldn’t she be with the person she loved the most? What has religious denomination got to do with love? And will their love conquer all so they live happily ever after? Her time in Nigeria is trying, but her friendship with Sherry, a girl in an almost similar predicament, gives her courage to fight on.
The author’s story telling is very unpredictable which makes the book quite fascinating. So many other stories are interwoven in to help the readers understand Loyce’s character better. We will feel Loyce’s pain, confusion and fears in her quest to do right by her parents but at the same time find true happiness. She is a courageous young woman, even when all her young sisters get married; and her father tries to hook her up with potential suitors, she stays put to her principles –an important lesson to all of us to always stand by what we believe is right even when people around us tell us otherwise for “Life’s lessons cannot be as predictable as the season’s changes. But Life’s principles are built on the expectation that life often deals us a hand not foreseen.”
Filed Under: Fiction, New Releases Tagged With: Patricia Nmukoso Enyi, The Prodigal Daughter
About Diane Ninsiima
Dianah Ninsiima is an Environmentalist, currently working with a Non Governmental Organization involved in healthcare promotion and community development. She also reviews books (African literature) for Africa Book Club (www.africabookclub.com). She can be contacted at dianendaba@gmail.com.
Official Review: The Prodigal Daughter
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Official Review: The Prodigal Daughter
Post by VinuW » 22 Nov 2016, 15:28
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Prodigal Daughter" by Patricia Nmukoso Enyi.]
Book Cover3 out of 4 stars Share This Review
Written by Patricia Nmukoso Enyi, The Prodigal Daughter is a novel that revolves around the life an elite teen who strives hard to achieve perfection. This is a story that illustrates how the consequences of our actions mould our future, while highlighting the importance of decision making.
Loyce Amaechi is a bright, dark-skinned beauty who is brought up in the lap of luxury. She looks forward to marriage and a family of her own, but as a member of a well-reputed family, she is expected to follow a set of rules: “She would have a custom-designed gown. She was expected to remain a virgin. The church would be a Catholic church. Then, most importantly, the right man would be not just Catholic, but a cradle Catholic, a child born to Catholic parents.” However, Loyce falls in love with a “bad boy” and her parents oppose her plan of marrying this non-Catholic, and her perfectly crafted world begins to fall apart. In her despair, Loyce decides to refrain from going to church, turning away from God and her beliefs. Life goes on for Loyce, and as the story progresses; the reader starts to wonder if Loyce would ever find her way back to God.
A large part of the novel is set in the 1980s, the age of electronic rhythms and loud makeup. Through the eyes of Loyce, the author offers generous explanations of the lifestyle in the 80s. Descriptions ranging from architecture to fashion and pop culture ensure that the reader has a good idea about the setting of the story. The author also includes detailed explanations about the practices and social values of both the Nigerian and American cultures Loyce is part of, making the novel an interesting read. Although the novel is set in a seemingly perfect world, it deals with serious issues like parental and peer pressure. The novel elucidates the repercussions of unrealistic expectations and harsh social values, providing the reader with useful knowledge and principles.
Although the setting and the plot are well thought out, the narrative voice does not appeal to me. A formal language is used, and although it’s not something I dislike, I feel that it made the conversations seem dull. The story is fast-paced, and time passes in a flurry, but the pace slows down when an important incident occurs. This difference in pace is glaringly obvious, and it makes the storyline seem jagged and forced. However, towards the end of the novel the author seems to have found a comfortable pace, and this drastically improved the narration. The narration lacked uniformity, and this is why I decided to rate this novel 3 out of 4 stars.
I’d recommend this book to young adults and new adults who enjoy reading books set in a different time than ours. Since the plot relies heavily on Catholicism and religious principles, I would not recommend this book to a reader who does not enjoy books with religious themes.
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The Prodigal Daughter
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YA Novel “A Pardon for Tommy” Offers Hope in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
children's book
Lisa Michelle Umina June 5, 2017
Books
children's book, Patricia Enyi
rom the opening paragraph young readers will be drawn into the story of Chelsea and her family. Although the devastating storm was several years ago, the aftermath and emotional turmoil of Hurricane Katrina are still very real for Chelsea, who experienced the loss of everything that was important to her on that faithful weekend.
“I was a nurse in Houston at the time of Hurricane Katrina and we treated hundreds of displaced New Orleans residents,” said Patricia Nmukoso Enyi, author of A Pardon for Tommy. “I had the opportunity to get to know so many families and listen to their stories of loss, courage and hope and was inspired to write this book based on so many of those who endured this natural disaster.”
Chelsea was only twelve when her family experienced the storm. She, along with her pet turkey Tommy, witnessed unspeakable damage and yet through it all, found the courage to move forward. In this engaging chapter book readers will come to see the turkey, Tommy, as a symbol of hope as well as a little bit of conflict and just a touch of humor.
“As a Christian, we learn that God tell us to give thanks no matter what life hands us,” said Enyi. “Certainly those who have endured natural disasters, financial loss and/or other family difficulties understand the power that giving thanks and having hope offers. My wish is that readers will understand that by working together and believing in possibilities we can do amazing things and survive even the unimaginable.”
Readers will take a journey with Chelsea as she faces her fears of the past and comes to terms with loss. Chelsea’s mother also has her own experiences when coming face-to-face with her long lost brother, a family member previously ostracized, who now longs to have a place in the family. How will Chelsea and the rest of her family react?
“Patricia has a way of telling a story that captures the reader’s attention right from the beginning,” said Lisa Umina, founder and president of Halo Publishing International. “In her latest book A Pardon for Tommy she deals with real life fear and loss in a way that is encouraging and hopeful.”
A Pardon for Tommy is Enyi’s third book. Her first book, Marcus the Magician is a children’s story aimed at kids who are feeling bored and unhappy. Enyi is also the author of a young adult novel entitled The Prodigal Daughter. In this story, the main character, Loyce, is as beautiful as she is intelligent. Like the girls in her close-knit group, she looks forward to college, marriage and a family of her own. When Loyce’s friends arrange a surprise party for her, it has a life changing consequences. All three of Enyi’s books are available for purchase from Amazon.
Screen Shot 2017-05-12 at 1.45.54 PM tommy cover“A Pardon for Tommy” is now available at Halo Publishing, Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It is available in paperback for $11.95 and in an e-book format for $2.99.
About Patricia Nmukoso Enyi
Patricia Nmukoso Enyi was born in Nigeria, West Africa. She lives in Pearland, Texas with her husband and two children. Patricia is a nurse and over the years she has cared for the sick and infirm of all ages. She specializes in caring for the elderly and one day hopes to open a family nursing practice in Nigeria that will care for patients of all ages.