By Progress Godfrey

ABUJA – A Nigerian author, Dr Faith Chiejina, has urged couples, particularly husbands, to view marriage as a collaborative partnership rather than an individual burden.

Speaking at the launch of her debut book, “Rachel”, in Abuja yesterday, Chiejina explained that the book was inspired by her late paternal grandmother, who lived an industrious life of resilience, overcoming severe marital adversity and tribulations before passing away at the age of 90.

The author stated that the narrative serves as a lesson in patience for modern couples facing struggles, warning that many young people fail to achieve their life purpose due to a lack of perseverance during periods of hardship.

“In fact, the problem most homes are having is the issue of husbands not supporting their wives. We have had situations where a man marries a woman who is working, and you insist that she should resign before the marriage can succeed.

“The story of Rachel tells us that every man should support their wives to achieve. Because in the wife achieving, she is also lifting a lot of burden off the man. She is lifting a lot of burden off the family. She is making the children to also succeed in their life dreams because marriage is difficult when it rests on only the man.

“Responsibility is a lot of work when it rests on only the man, only the husband. So, my appeal is that every man who is married should support their wives so that they can achieve and meet their purpose,” she said.

Chiejina clarified that while men and women possess inherent differences, institutional cohesion and mutual financial stability can only be built when young husbands encourage their wives to realise their full potential.

The author’s husband and co-presenter of the book, Sir Chika Dada Chiejina, noted that the publication addresses critical societal challenges undermining modern marriages, specifically focusing on the destabilising impact of infidelity and impatience.

He highlighted the historical pressure faced by the protagonist who endured over a decade of childlessness, only to lose her first child a week after birth.

“In today’s society, how many marriages will stay for 13 years? Are people willing to be patient? And then we saw how the woman thought she was going to solve the problem by bringing her best friend because she thought she couldn’t conceive to marry her husband, to be able to remain in that family.

Can that happen today? Those are issues. But in the overall, it’s a great book, shown in the way it was concluded; that if we are patient, in most cases, God will always show up at his own time,” he said.

He advised contemporary men confronting domestic trials to maintain absolute faith in spiritual intervention, noting that every marital problem has a divine solution if handled with patience.

Reviewing the book, an independent reviewer, Angel Fortune praised Rachel’s unwavering self-definition and refusal to be limited by societal expectations, whilst maintaining industry and receiving vital spousal support during her trials.

The reviewer emphasised that reading remains a vital tool for personal development and recreation that allows individuals to absorb critical life lessons without personally undergoing painful experiences.

“Your vocabulary is increased. You don’t have to go through experiences because characters in books go through those experiences and then all you have to do is learn the lessons. So, reading is still a form of recreation and I encourage everyone to read and buy more books.”

Chief Executive Officer of AS Management Agency, Rhoda Kusimo Iloba, described the book as an accessible, beautiful narrative of survival that offers vital emotional strength and grace to modern women navigating marital humiliation.

Iloba added that Chiejina’s emergence as a first-time creative writer at the age of 63 serves as an inspiration to the literary community, demonstrating that profound storytelling has no age barrier.