From the bright lights of London’s Holland Park into the power cuts and very rural life of Lagos state in Nigeria, all in the blink of an eye. This is the true story of a family torn apart by International Parental Child Abduction.
In September 1973, Yemi was just seven years old when he and his younger sister were taken away from England by their dad without their mum’s knowledge or consent. They lived and grew up in Nigeria for over fourteen years, where the only communication they had with their mum was by letters.
Without social media, computers or mobile phones, how does a mother track down her missing children? How do the children adapt to the sudden change of lifestyle?
This is the story of the events through the eyes of that seven-year-old child, from the moment he realised he was in a different country.?Yemi relates the stark change of culture, the new family and the voyage of self-discovery. The book covers his roller-coaster young life of apprehensions and ecstasy, his rebellions, and his loves. It follows his anger as he grew from boy to teenager and his eventual reconciliation with himself and his parents.
What kind of man would that boy grow up to be? Time Will Tell.
Conveying the message from “Time Will Tell” (Revised Edition).
At the time when I agreed to have my manuscript “Time Will Tell” published, even I was oblivious to the universal and controversial issue that is International Parental Child Abduction.
As the name indicates International Parental abduction occurs when one parent takes their child or children to live in a foreign country without the knowledge or consent of the other parent. This happened to me when I was just a 7 year old boy. I had lived all 7 and a half years of my young life in England with both my parents and my sister, until one day in September 1973 when my dad took both me and my sister to Nigeria without so much as a goodbye to our home, toys, friends or most of all our mum.
We lived in Nigeria for a total of 14 years and I only returned to live in England as a 22 year old man. The pains and emotions of those years inspired me to eventually write my manuscript. Before the book was even published, I appeared on The BBC Breakfast News Show to discuss my experiences, and then I talked to Sky News Radio and some other media houses.
Once the book was published I went on to do interviews with The Daily Mirror Newspaper, my local newspapers and a few other magazines. I also presented my book, and experiences to a group of solicitors who subsequently invited me back as a guest to speak to over 200 barristers & solicitors. I have done speeches at colleges and helped a university with its research into the effect of parental abduction on the child. I have worked with and contributed to various charity organisations including Reunite International and Abducted Angels.
According to new research released by the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO**) in 2011, a British child is abducted by a parent to a country which has not signed the Hague Convention on international child abduction every other day. In practice this figure is likely to be even higher as many cases are simply not reported. New figures in 2012 reveal that the number of parental child abduction cases dealt with by the Foreign Office has risen by 88% in under a decade. It is now a worldwide issue with the Foreign Office and Reunite International working on cases that relate to 84 different countries.
Figures from the United States are even more astounding. I never knew this before the publication of my book.
I am astonished at my growing fan base on Facebook and the demographics it covers.
I receive so many humbling messages from friends, and people from around the world who have read or are reading the book. They all tell me how they couldn’t put the book down once they started reading it, how they could visualise the villages in which I grew up, how they felt that they were with me on my rollercoaster of emotions and most importantly from those left behind parents caught up in the trauma, how my book has helped them and given them hope.
Time Will Tell has opened my eyes to the extent of the issue of Parental Child Abduction and I hope it continues to help all the parents, charity organisations, mitigation solicitors and government agencies in their efforts. As a very personal character, it has been strange but very worthwhile telling the story of a period of my life to anyone who wants to read it.
I am excited to be working with Troubador Books on the project of publishing this revised edition of my book.
https://www.facebook.com/YemiTimeWillTell
5.0 out of 5 starsA truly heart wrenching story about a little boy's struggles after being abducted and whisked away to a begin new life12 January 2017Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseA truly heart wrenching story about the trials and tribulations of Yemi growing up in Nigeria after being abducted by his father when he was a very young boy. After reading the book I feel as if I know Yemi, his Sister, Father and the rest of his family personally, as the well written book details his daily struggles to cope with a new Country, Culture, Language, Extended family, Education etc. The book makes you go through these struggles with him through his own eyes and thoughts. A truly gripping roller coaster ride.
Yemi should be proud of his achievements in life despite the harsh realities endured, You have kept your dignity and respect throughout. A true inspiration to us all.
I highly recommended purchasing this book.
16 November 2014Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseAn amazing well written book of a truly inspirational man and his life to date. At every point the ups and downs of Yemis life will grip and turn you and draw you further in. I would recommend this book to all ages in what teaches humanity many lessons... Thank you for sharing your story with us and highlighting such a sensitive issue!!!
4 June 2018Format: PaperbackFor anyone of Nigerian heritage who was born in England and taken "home" to Nigeria, many of the incidents in this remarkable true story will resonate and it is a "must read". It is a moving account of the aftermath of a cruel separation, and of having to adjust to life in a new country.I felt empathy and admiration as I read Yemi's description of the trials and tribulations he went through at his various schools and his relationship with friends, girlfriends and family, particularly his father and sister. His account of events is relayed vividly and with emotional sincerity and, at times, humour. Its been a while since I sat and read a book cover to cover over a long weekend, which is testament to how much i enjoyed it.
I came across this book by British author @Yemster1 while writing my dissertation on International child abduction in Nigeria. I was so intrigued to read about someone else’s experience on parental child abduction & I just couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy.
What i find most interesting and unique about this book is the fact that it’s told from the perspective of the abducted child as opposed to the left behind parent’s perspectives you get from other books.
December 18, 2011Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseI could not read Yemi's story all at once It took time. I had to put the book down to digest what appears to be a deceptively simple story. It is not a simple story. However, it is an all-too-common story. This book presents an very intimate look, through the eyes of a child, the life of a young boy, ripped from his country, friends, school, and mothers. He was taken to a foreign land where he was forced to navigate a new school, culture, and language, with few answers to his questions. Emotionally abandoned, the young boy grows into a man. He survived, but the boy's loss echos shadows on every page.
