The Only Way is Up: The Journey of an Immigrant

by Folake Taylor MD

This book features the author's experiences and views on pertinent life issues as an immigrant to the United States. The objective is to empower women though the greater part is of relevance to a general audience. The book provides insight and solutions for a variety of common issues in our society including issues with identity, weight, health, nutrition, finding a mate, relationships in general and gender roles. It also gives insight into borrowing from other cultures.

168 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was utterly delighted with this book. It was written as I thought it would be. Author Folake Taylor, also an Internal Medical Doctor; takes readers on a private journey, hailing her experiences as a Nigerian/English transplant. Folake expounds on controversial social, racial, and economical differences, in a diplomatic and informative matter.

Never let it be said that only pain can bring forth wonderful inspirational writings. Happiness is just as powerful, if not motivational!

[African Americans on the Move Book Club · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mrs. Taylor sets the tone for her book in the introduction by saying that the book is not an autobiography and she is not an authority on any subject. She further explains that the book is just her viewpoint on the issues addressed in the book. That being said, I found the book to be fairly interesting. Mrs. Taylor is straightforward, which she also warns in her intro. That point is refreshing, but perhaps some may find it a little off-putting. Some of that may be contributed to the gap between Blacks that are of African descent and African-Americans. At times, I found myself encouraged by many of the author's words because they reinforced things that I already knew. There was a certain comfort in seeing that I am not alone in many of my thoughts. Those moments are what I found most interesting about the book. Another point of interest was reading about the way the author grew up in the United Kingdom and Nigeria. She exposes many of the differences between our cultures and in doing so, creates some points that may be confusing to some. In my opinion, socio-economic status may have a lot to do with how the book is perceived.
Mrs. Taylor paints the picture of having a very happy childhood in Nigeria, despite having no electricity at times. Although juxtaposed to the concept of having house servants, to many, it will just be one of the customs where she grew up, but to some; it may be a stopper. Even though she explains that after a certain age, the house servants didn't do her chores anymore. For self-help purposes, Mrs. Taylor's frank approach may be hard for some to swallow, but many will look past the approach and appreciate what she is trying to do, which is encourage readers to act, think and do things in a positive way and thus promote positive outcomes! She emphatically claims her Christian values and keeps those values in mind when dispensing advice.
I believe the mindset of the reader will have a lot to do with the way the book is received. A person with more of a world view may appreciate her journey from foreign lands to America with only three hundred dollars in her pocket and achieving success. Her anecdotes and use of popular American television, radio shows and personalities help to emphasize her viewpoints.
However, some may find the book hard to embrace if they are looking for a rags to riches, pull yourself up from the bootstraps type of story. Although she warns early on, that hers is not the typical rags to riches story, she's far from the impoverished person that may want to read her book to find strength and encouragement. Mrs. Taylor speaks of coming to America with only three hundred dollars in her pocket and makes the assumption that if she can make it, anyone can.
Although she had little money, she came to the country with a medical degree and had a rent-free place to stay and was offered financial help as well as a car from various individuals and organizations. Although there are programs available here, in the U.S., they are not all that easy or lucrative to attain. Suggesting visiting other cultures is a great idea, but it comes across as something easy to do and most times Mrs. Taylor traveled abroad with her parents. Many readers may have the desire, but may never get the opportunity to do so.
In closing, it is hard to really understand who should be Mrs. Taylor's audience. I enjoyed parts of the book, although I did not read it straight through. I was able to get a glimpse of Mrs. Taylor's upbringing, which was interesting and a lot of her views are probably shared by many. It is believable that her concept is to enlighten and give some useful advice and not to seem haughty. However, it is also understandable that some may misconstrue her self-confidence with arrogance, which was what she was a little afraid of as mentioned in her intro. I wish she would've made a clear distinction between how much time was spent in the United Kingdom and how much was spent in Nigeria to get a clear distinction of cultural influences. After reading the title, I had the impression that the book would be about a woman who came from an impoverished country and became a success after arriving in the U.S. with little money and nothing else. However, that is not this story and perhaps that perception is mine alone. But, that mindset had me looking for a totally different slant for the book and influenced the way I perceived her thoughts and advice. In the end, her wish is that someone would gain some useful insights from her words and I did! I was just looking for something a little different, but in fairness, Mrs. Taylor did state that these were just some of her viewpoints on some of the issues prevalent in today's society, especially affecting the African American

Kim Beverly
AAMBC Reviews

[Joey Pinkney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Folake Taylor’s The Only Way is Up: The Journey of an Immigrant gives interesting perspectives on various topics from a woman who is not native to America but is well versed in American culture. Born in Nigeria, raised in the U.K. and living in the U.S., Folake Taylor’s viewpoint on things such as being a Christian, obtaining and maintaining a healthy weight, and the positive effects of traveling around the world, comes from the wisdom of experiencing different cultures up close and personal. This can be very relevant to the American reader seeking to gain a better understanding of what can be achieved in life in on American soil.

What makes The Only Way is Up such an easy read is Taylor’s voice. I didn’t feel like I was sitting in a creaky, wooden desk while Taylor points at me with a ruler telling what’s wrong with me and what’s right with her. Instead, I felt like Taylor was sitting on the couch with me sharing her wisdom. When she shares her experience with motherhood, I didn’t feel like she was trying to teach me anything. Instead, I learned from Taylor as she expressed the joys and challenges of raising her beautiful daughter. Although I’m a married man, Taylor’s advice on being a single woman and finding a potential husband was very enlightening. During this section and the one about her childhood in Nigeria and the U.K., Taylor gives a glimpse into the possibilities of growing up outside of the U.S. Those same recollections of her past also serve to show how the difference in environment and experiences leads to a different outlook from the average American reader.

A great way to know who you are as a person and to better understand your culture is to travel to another country. Many times, Americans in general and African-Americans specifically, can not see the forest for the trees in terms of their place in the world. We can not see the barriers we set in front of ourselves because of being wrapped up in our day-to-day activities. The beauty of reading The Only Way is Up is being able to read about the experiences and perspectives of a person who is not from here. Taylor has a way of ebbing and flowing between reminiscing and advising that blends so well together that the reader might get wrapped up in the literary ride and learn a thing or two.

This is an abridged book review. Click here to read the book review in its entirety on JoeyPinkney.com

[Myne Whitman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took my time reading this one because there were so many gems contained in it. Folake Taylor wrote this book in a bright and cheerful conversational manner that makes it a breeze to read. Topics covered include life principles, juggling work, family and motherhood, a chapter for single ladies, nutrition, exercise and weight, the importance of exposure to various cultures other than our own, all sampled from her own life and her work as an MD. She does not shy away from addressing the topical issues in the African-American debate including single mothers, the desire to hook athletes and lack of study/scholarly drive among the youth. The issues of of racism and racial insensitivity is also discussed.

The only reason I give this a four star instead of five is because I felt the arrangement of the discussions within the chapters was not as tight as it could have been. Some read like scattered thoughts written just as it came to the author. It would have been nice to have the different strands organized in a more coherent manner.

[Dawn Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was a great window and I took it for what it was,(a wonderful book about a wonderful woman's life) and enjoyed the book to the fullest. I think that if more of us walked the path that Folake did, we may not come out with the same outlook on life.

[Dawn Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful and very moving book. I am very proud to have a signed copy in my library.