Beyond My Dreams

Beyond my dreams is a debut novel by Jumoke Adenowo. An award winning architect and a Christian minister. I read this book along with Lolade’s book club- a book club I’m a member of where we read Christian fiction. I loved this book for its portrayal of Nigerian Christian youth. Warning, mild spoilers ahead…

 Things I liked about the book: The way a relationship with God was portrayed in a Nigerian novel as an actual relationship and not some dos and don’ts and cultural beliefs. It made me want to get closer to God. 

The love Kaniz had for Rola. I’ve always said I wanted my husband to love me with the love of Christ but their book showed how that would look. Every relationship is different and I’m not saying that yours must look like Kaniz and Rolas but it was sweet and most importantly sacrificial. 

The way Rola’s love for Kaniz grew from receiving and expecting, to giving. The way she started to understand him and make sacrifices for his well being taught me that love is not all about receiving. 

Sex in a Christian Relationship. I love how she didn’t downplay the attraction they had for one another. It was real and they had to figure out ways to remain sexually pure while still admitting and showing each other just how much they were sexually attracted to each other. When they eventually married, I respect and applaud the journey she portrayed to a healthy sex life. Kaniz had to give Rola time when she needed some and she had to learn that sex meant different things to him than her and it wasn’t just all about her needs. Again, the sacrificial nature of Christ’s love shined here because they both had to learn to give and not just receive. 

The last thing about the book that was special was the political climate and how Jumoke Adenowo gave a vision of what Nigeria could be. 

Memorable line in the book: “Everything has a purpose. I think Femi is the way he is and was still chosen for you for a purpose.”

Read if: You want an example of a healthy romantic relationship between two young Nigerians. You’d like an example of how a simple decision to act with integrity can influence a whole nation.