Verdict of the Gods by Janet Ekaney

Janet Ekaney. Verdict of the gods. Cameroon, Buma Kor Publishers Ltd. 2008, 208 pages.

The book Verdict of the gods tells in lurid detail and with lyrical description how royalty, custodians of the traditions of the Bakossi people embraced Christianity.

The 208 page novel divided in 26 chapters tells the story of Chief Elome II’s vision for his people that ended in tragedy because he defied tradition and embraced the Whiteman‘s education. In spite of the lustrous academic performance of his heir abroad, he ends up in sheer disaster because the mystical forces of the village elders pursue him there....


The controversial end of the Novel depicts the triumph of evil and the forces of retardation over good and progressive forces. The story shows the triumph of superstition and witchcraft over modern religion and science, the triumph of darkness over enlightenment, and the triumph of self – destruction over self-construction.

About the Author

Janet Ekaney, a senior English Language tutor in Government Bilingual Practicing High School Yaoundé and wife of the recently appointed Cameroon High Commissioner to Britain, Nkwelle Ekaney, is a among the few female literary luminaries in Cameroon. Her recently published novel Verdicts of the gods is one of the highly appreciated books in the Cameroon writers series.

Click here to read complete review.

Click here for an interview with Janet Ekaney.

Lemonade Street by Bernice Angoh

Bernice Angoh. Lemonade Street. Publish America, 2007. 200 pages

Intense, real, obsessive, heart-wrenching and shameless are just a few words to describe Lemonade Street. With no reservations, poems like “For Daddy,” “Would You,” “Fly Away,” “Forgotten,” “Songbird” and countless more will strike a cord with the strings of your heart. Others like “Secret of Life,” “Could It Be,” “Dear Love,” “The Wedding Chant,” “Mother’s Hands” and many more will uplift and inspire you.

Click here to go to the Lemonade Street website.

Profile: Bernice Angoh

Bernice Angoh was born in Buea in Cameroon, West Africa and came to the United States of America in 1999. Bernice has a four year old daughter, Nina and, together with her husband and business partner, Rick Lakota, operates and runs www.langoh.com, part of Langoh International which is a proud sponsor of the Easter Seals Charity and Breast Cancer Society. She is also the Editor-in-chief of Ladies’ Success Magazine, located at www.ladiessuccess.com. Her articles and writings have enjoyed rave reviews.

The eldest of five children (Georgette, Dion-Albert, Sharon and Daryl) she claims being a big sister can sometimes be intimidating. Her mother, Diana Ara, she says, has been the most influential person in her life and the best mother anyone could ask for. Bernioce’s role models and mentors are Bruce and Debbie Taylor, Campbell and Diane Haigh and most especially Larry and Pam Winters. Others who’ve inspired her are Oprah Winfrey, Mother Theresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Khalil Gibran, Robert Frost and her most beloved poet Sara Teasdale. Bernice is an aspiring photographer, a novelist, children’s book author and a songwriter. She enjoys dancing, exercising, singing, watching movies, decorating, making hand-made cards, traveling (her dream is to visit the River Jordan) and spending time with family and friends.

Bernice has been writing since age 10, yet even her earliest works are full of wisdom and a maturity that surpasses her. She started out writing and illustrating short stories for family and friends. Her inspiration comes from very interesting and tumultuous life experiences, some very traumatizing. “Sometimes it’s as if the words were being whispered into my ears for me to write them down. I sometimes write five poems simultaneously. I write my songs and music that way too. It is called being in the zone, I suppose.”

Bernice’s book of poems, Lemonade Street, was published in 2007.

Click here to read a sample of Bernice's poems.