Obi Okonkwo, grandson of deceased village leader Okonkwo, is returning to Nigeria from England after earning a proper British education. He quickly finds his world is riddled with bribes and corruption, but Obi is determined never to accept an illegal payment and never compromise his principles. But as his black-and-white world becomes grey, he must wrestle with who he truly is versus who he’d like to believe himself to be. Does his African culture and Western lifestyle render him a hypocrite, and if so, which world is to judge him, the black world or the white?

This week, we follow one curious and imaginative young girl down a rabbit hole and into a strange and surreal world called Wonderland. In Wonderland, she encounters a cast of eccentric characters, including the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, and the Queen of Hearts, and experiences a series of absurd and nonsensical events. Throughout her ordeal, the girl must learn important lessons about growing up, identity, and the power of imagination.

One decorated military commander falls in love with and marries a woman whose love and devotion to him are only exceeded by the hatred and jealousy held for him by his closest companion. Ultimately, madness and isolation will lead the commander to make the most regrettable mistake, sacrificing his world and killing his happiness.

The setting is 19th-century Russia: Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the countryside. Noblemen and women are eating, drinking, marrying, and living. Among these aristocrats stands one woman who personifies beauty and grace. This woman catches the eye of an equally attractive officer. Driven by an undeniable chemistry, the two start down a path of deception and destruction from which neither may recover. 

Continue reading →