Awakened Faith: How a Grandmother’s Wisdom Made All the Difference by Clayton, Shiko

As a child, Shiko Clayton made regular trips alongside her siblings to visit her grandparents, in the countryside on the far slopes of Mt. Kenya. In awe of her grandmother, Cucu Julia, Shiko would routinely seek her counsel as she grew up. This was guided by her faith in God, wisdom from her life experiences, her knowledge of nature, and her cultural informal education. Shiko implements her grandmother’s nuggets of wisdom that helps shape her approach to education, work ethic, finances, dating, friendship, marriage, and parenting.

A daughter, wife, and mother, Shiko retraces her roots and shares her faith journey to inspire you to consider faith’s role in your own life. Shiko’s trail-blazing narrative offers the reader a unique perspective blending the knowledge of an African upbringing, culture, and experiences with the structured dynamics of American values.

The reader’s takeaway is: to better understand faith’s wider application-faith not only in God, but also in oneself, in others, and faith in the process; to inform on how culture impacts our life and influences our decisions; and to better understand the complex American immigration details-including the financial and timeline breakdown-based on marriage, through the spousal visa process, among other lessons.