Nationwide (chistell.com) – Denise Turney’s novel, Long Walk Up,
showcases the leadership strength that women possess. Readers of this
fictional story get an up close look at Mulukan, a six-year-old orphan
who overcomes grief, loss and homelessness to become Africa’s first
woman president. Actual history saw Ellen Johnson Sirleaf become
Africa’s first woman president when she was elected to lead Liberia in
2006. Indira Gandhi (India), Margaret Thatcher (United Kingdom), Sheikh
Hasina Wajed (Bangledesh), Simonetta Sommaruga (Switzerland), Jacinda
Ardern (New Zealand) and Mia Mottley (Barbados) are included among the
other women who have served as president or prime minister.
Mulukan’s innate leadership strength and her unshakeable courage are on
display from the start. It would have been remarkable for this young
girl to have survived. But, Mulukan’s journey extends far beyond
survival, venturing into areas that few push toward. “Long Walk Up came
to me in an unusual way,” the book’s author, Denise Turney, shares.
“While driving to Princeton, New Jersey, I was given specific
instructions about the young girl and her destiny,” Turney continues.
“Never before has a story come to me that way. Mulukan’s strength is
truly inspiring.”
“Today Long Walk Up is incredibly timely, particularly with the numbers
of women leading nations and remarkably so,” Turney shares. “Of course,
Kamala Harris has made history in the United States after being elected
as the country’s first woman vice-president.” Because Mulukan’s
fictional story of leadership starts when she is a young girl, her story
may prove easy for young girls to connect to. That shared, the story has
found its place in the homes of mostly adults, as it captures much of
Mulukan’s early adult years.
And, although Mulukan was orphaned after her father, then her mother
returned to the ancestors when she was only six, she does find help.
That helps comes in the form of a man who’d worked with his wife to take
in African children orphaned due to AIDS. Assistance also comes from
Desta, a kind hearted woman who takes Mulukan into her home, allowing
Mulukan to live as if one of her children, however briefly. Yet, it is
under the tutelage of an influential African leader that Mulukan earns
her leadership wings. After being elected to lead a nation, hardship
continues to find Mulukan. But, this courageous, insightful woman is fit
for the role.
Long Walk Up is available in ebook and print format. Denise Turney is
the author of the books Spiral, Love Pour Over Me, Portia, Awaken
Blessings of Inner Love and Rosetta The Talent Show Queen. She has
interviewed New York Times bestselling authors, movie producers and
editors at Off The Shelf Books Talk Radio. Visit Denise Turney’s
official website at chistell.com.
