Skip to main content

Prof. Douglas W. Cooper's Notes on the Prisoners of Hope

Chief Editor's Notes

We are all going to die, eventually. Even though we are hoping for heaven, we are not eager to die immediately. We still have much to do while here on Earth, and we hope it will meet with favor in God’s eyes. We are strengthened by hope and yet confined within the limits our hopes and beliefs set for us; we are “prisoners of hope,” in author Fortune Nwaiwu’s captivating phrase.

In this well-crafted novella, minister and teacher Fortune E.C. Nwaiwu tells of the last days of respected Elder Levi, a man whose faith inspired many of his fellow church-goers, a man doomed to a premature death due to lung cancer and pneumonia, likely caused by his smoking habits. During Levi’s last days, much occurs, including the sexual abuse of a God-fearing woman, the making and breaking of marriage plans, and a shoot-out between the police and some murderous kidnappers. In the end, the wisdom of her parents is confirmed for one of the central characters. Fortune Nwaiwu writes easily, clearly, wisely, and prolifically. I have been pleased to edit his book to fit the format expected by American readers, which I hope will be attractive to others all over the world.

─ Douglas Winslow Cooper, Ph.D. Former Faculty Member, Harvard University WriteYourBookWithMe.com Walden, NY, USA.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Chapter One of Prisoners of Hope by Fortune Nwaiwu

CHAPTER ONE I  was awakened by a barrage of strange voices in the middle of the night. I lifted my head off the pillow, ears straining to decipher what was happening, but I couldn’t parse out any clear words in the midst of the different voices simultaneously talking, weeping, and groaning over each other. But the rapid footsteps made clear that all was not well. I tracked the footsteps going first to the church compound, then to the parsonage, where whoever was out there banged on the door.  “Sir Peterson, open the door,” the voices cried out to me.  I remained inside the church, peeking out through one of the glass windows to see what was happening. Surely, none of them knew that I had been sleeping in the church. If they had been kidnappers, I could have escaped them.  One bishop I knew of had been aroused by a crowd of people claiming a member was critically sick, but as the man of God came out to pray, he was abducted. For this reason, I never let anyone know wh...

A Brief Critique of Prisoners of Hope by Fortune Nwaiwu

    Prisoners of Hope tells the story of Levi, an elder in the Saint Philip Church who is diagnosed with lung cancer and memory loss due to his smoking and snorting snuff habits. Despite medical experts predicting that Levi only has a few days to live, Levi hopes to see his Creator face-to-face before he dies. Venerable Peterson encourages and prays for Levi during his illness. Levi realizes that fraud and the curse placed on him by his former boss are the root causes of his problems. Though Levi is discharged from the hospital and expected to die soon, he receives divine healing after delivering a powerful sermon. However, Levi is later abducted and killed during a shootout between the kidnappers and the police. Though Levi dies twice before being fatally shot, his hope of seeing his Maker gives him the chance to reconcile with God before his death.   -----------------     "Prisoners of Hope" by Fortune Emarence Chinemerem Nwaiwu is a compelling...

Dedication

DEDICATION Dedicated to Tina Su Cooper, a U.S. woman whose husband, my editor Douglas Winslow Cooper, in his article entitled “Like a Plaintive Melody” wrote [in 2014] the following words expressing his profound grief though full of love to Tina Su Cooper, his wife: Most mornings I sing to my beloved wife, as she lies immobile in the hospital bed we have at our home: You were meant for me. I was meant for you. Nature patterned you and when she was done, You were all the sweet things rolled up in one. You’re like a plaintive melody That never lets me free, For I’m content the angels must have sent you And they meant you just for me. ****************** “You Were Meant for Me (Broadway Melody of 1940)” by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed; lyrics © EMI Music Publishing Co. ****************** This song captures the bitter-sweet nature of our cur...