New literary fiction explores the challenges facing an African scholar navigating romance across continents, cultural expectations, and family obligations
February 6, 2026- Author Festus Peace Ozor released the publication of Love Across Cultures: A Story of Love, Emotional Turmoil, And Indecision, now available on Amazon. The novel presents a literary examination of how cultural identity, family duty, and romantic commitment intersect when personal choice conflicts with communal expectations.
The narrative follows Ikenna Eze, a scholarship recipient from the fictional Igbo village of Umuaku in southeastern Nigeria, whose academic journey to England leads him from law studies to medicine. During his time abroad, Ikenna develops a relationship with Evelyn Brocklebank, an Englishwoman whose background differs significantly from his own. The novel examines the tensions that emerge when Ikenna must return to Nigeria to fulfill his scholarship obligations, confronting the complexities of maintaining a cross-cultural relationship while honoring commitments to his community.
"The book addresses a question many individuals from traditional societies face when pursuing opportunities abroad," Ozor stated. "It explores the emotional and practical challenges that arise when personal relationships develop across cultural boundaries, and when those relationships must be reconciled with family expectations and community values."
Love Across Cultures draws from detailed research into Igbo traditions, examining how modernization and globalization impact communities that maintain strong connections to customary practices. The novel incorporates authentic cultural elements, including traditional ceremonies, family structures, and the decision-making processes that occur when Western education and traditional values intersect.
The work explores several thematic elements that resonate beyond its specific cultural setting. These include the psychological impact of geographic separation on relationships, the role of family and community in individual decision-making, and the negotiations required when partners from different backgrounds attempt to build a shared future. The narrative examines how race, tradition, and cultural identity influence romantic partnerships, particularly when those partnerships cross national and ethnic boundaries.
Ozor situates his characters within recognizable contemporary contexts. Ikenna's scholarship obligation reflects the common practice in which developing nations invest in promising students with the expectation that they will return to contribute to national development. His relationship with Evelyn represents one response to the increasing mobility of educated Africans, and the novel examines both the opportunities and complications that arise from such connections.
The author presents these conflicts without offering simplistic resolutions. The novel acknowledges that choices involving love, duty, and identity rarely have clear answers, particularly when those choices affect not only the individuals involved but also their families and broader communities. The narrative invites readers to consider how cultural preservation and individual autonomy can coexist, or whether such coexistence is possible under certain circumstances.
Love Across Cultures is designed for readers interested in literary fiction that engages with cultural specificity while addressing universal themes. The novel provides insight into Igbo society for readers unfamiliar with southeastern Nigerian culture, while offering a story about difficult choices that transcends its particular setting. The work joins a growing body of African literature that examines the continent's relationship with the West through personal narratives rather than political or economic frameworks.
The novel is available now through Amazon in Kindle format. For additional information about Love Across Cultures or to request review copies, please contact the author through the book's Amazon page.
About Festus Peace Ozor
Festus Peace Ozor is a Nigerian author whose literary work examines cultural identity, tradition, and the choices individuals face when navigating between different value systems. His writing is informed by an understanding of Igbo society and the broader African experience of education, migration, and cultural change. Love Across Cultures: A Story of Love, Emotional Turmoil, And Indecision is his debut novel.
