Nana Aba, traditionally known as Antaba, a Ghanaian poet and writer, has a book coming out this summer. The fictional work is titled “Stolen Heritage.” 

She may be young, but she already has lived a very eventful and unique life. Born in Ghana, Nana immigrated with her family to the United States under the International Organization for Migration Program and settled in Erie, Pennsylvania, at 13.  She later enlisted in the U.S. military in an effort to further find her place in the new world she was in. The experience, she says, brought her both great joy and great sorrow. In “Stolen Heritage,” Antaba opens a window into her eventful life.

Here’s a preview of the book, in her own words.

Life has challenged me numerous times, testing me with all manner of adversaries and taking its pound of flesh. Looking back, I find there is much I have to reflect on, as my own unique life circumstances have gifted me with truths and wisdoms beyond my years.

In my thirteenth summer, my life was forever changed when, after years of living in an African refugee camp and endless interviews and challenges, my family and I were finally chosen to receive refuge under the International Organization for Migration Program. I recall that during one particularly memorable interview, the gentleman asked me.

“Why do you want refuge, and what do you want to do with that opportunity?” Without hesitation I responded: “I don’t want to die here, I want an opportunity to change the world.”

The year 2013 saw me making the decision to join the U.S. military, which led to six years filled with tears, pain, trauma, growth, and discovery. After my time spent in defense of my adopted country, I came to terms with the understanding that I had given enough of myself to others, and it was high time to heal the broken pieces that had been scattered into an abyss of hurt and confusion.

So began my journey to healing.

I spent a fair amount of time figuring out and wondering what healing looks like for me; a proud African woman, a U.S. Veteran who fought to protect the country that brought her peace and security for the first time in her young life. What does healing look like to an African Immigrant with a strong will to survive, torn between her love for two nations.

On the surface, the truth is this: it looks Painful. It looks Uncomfortable, it looks heartbreakingly like Fear. It looks like Anxiety, Depression, and Hopelessness. However, on the other side of that, there’s a Bold, Beautiful, African Queen who isn’t afraid to give a voice to the voiceless, whose screams of frustration and pain echo silently in the abyss that hers had gotten lost in for years.

I am Nana Aba. Nana Aba, with a fierce determination to survive that pushed me beyond my limits and has enabled me to chase my wildest dreams and begin a voyage of not being afraid of my thoughts or my voice. A voice that was once silenced, but never again.

My book, “Stolen Heritage,” was birthed from pain during trying times when my spirit was broken beyond what I thought was repairable. I forged the personality of my heroine, Asha, as an exact replica of the strength I always knew I had but could never seem to keep a strong grasp. I gave her the opportunities to shine through every obstacle she faced and the power to choose her own destiny. I crafted her character to emulate strength. She is a revolution. She is me, and I am her.

I always understood the passion I had to join the military, and despite the painful lessons I learned, I hold dearly the pride and sense of accomplishment that I gained being a Sailor for the US Navy.

And when I wrote: “Queens don’t cry, they prevail,” I’m speaking for every single woman who has to fight daily to keep her crown; she may cry through the process as I did, she may break and fall down a few times, but she will keep her crown on and prevail. Always!!!

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