Summary

Isaiah Achebe was raised by his uncle Udoh who was one of the first Christians in Nigeria. Isaiah Achebe, Chinua’s father, was well-educated and an early Christian. His wife, Janet, often joined him on his missionaries. Chinua and his five siblings learned to love education and the pursuit of knowledge from their parents. He followed the Christian religion but was always intrigued by the religious beliefs of his Igbo ancestors. Their tenets were easier for Chinua to grasp than some elements of Christianity. He learned from both religions and they both were important to his future career as a writer. Christianity was brought to the Nigerians by the Europeans. Since it was the Europeans that enslaved his ancestors he retained a measure of skepticism about their religion, a feeling he did not share with his devout father.

Chinua excelled in school and, after...