Local author releases her first book
Her book, 'All Things Are Possible', is about the love of family, support, growth, strength and the things we take for granted
YOLISA Jijana has published her first book, something she never thought she could ever achieve.
Not because she didn’t know what to write about, nor was it because she didn’t possess the ability to put her thoughts onto paper, but because she didn’t think anyone would want to read about her story.
Jijana (39) released the book, titled All Things Are Possible on November 29 last year through British publishers Author House.
“I never thought of publishing the book until I gave it to someone to read, who then encouraged me to publish it officially,” the former bank teller explains.
The autobiography is about love, family and the struggles she faced growing up. She wrote it under the pseudonym Phronesis Love, at the suggestion of the publishers, because it touches on sensitive matters.
“The book is also about lessons we were taught as children and how we were raised, my siblings and I. It is about the love of family, support, growth, strength and the things we take for granted.”
She grew up in uMthatha, Eastern Cape, where she, her siblings and cousins were raised by women – her single mother, grandmother and aunts.
“One of the lessons we were taught is to love everybody equally, from all backgrounds, hence what we do with the homeless.”
The Kempton resident, who lives with her mother and sister, have a feeding scheme where they cook and serve meals to the homeless once a month. They do this alongside their church, Christ Embassy.
She has always enjoyed reading and writing.
She writes in chapter 2 how her uncle would make her read the newspaper out loud to him. At first she found it irritating, because she wanted to go outside and play with other children, but she slowly warmed up to it and eventually began to enjoy it.
“It changed my life,” she writes. “Now I live to read and be lost in a book for whatever period it takes me to read it.”
This book took her two years to complete, with her starting with scribbling down random memories in 2008 and finally finishing it in 2010. She credits her mother as her biggest support. Her mother read through the manuscript and helped edit it.
Her favourite chapter in the book?
“I think the last one, chapter 11, because it is about my personal spiritual growth.”
The book is available on her website phronesislove.com, on iStore, Playstore and Amazon.com.
The novel is also available in UK and USA bookstores, including Barnes & Noble.
