Unemployment made me re-evaluate my life.

On image: Ingrid Arlington, author of the book called Kinky Roots.

Ingrid Arlington - the author of this month book recommendation, was born in South Africa but raised in both Zimbabwe and South Africa for different periods in her life. She is currently living in the UK and has been there for 4 years with her husband, father-in-law and two dogs. She currently has Diploma’s in Coaching and Information Technology – Programming and Certificates in Project Management and Systems Engineering.

We asked her to share the name of her book and what inspired her to write this memoir and this is what she said, “The name of the book is Kinky Roots: A Memoir. The title came to me while I was writing a chapter called Identity (don’t worry, no spoilers). The title describes not only the relationship between my hair and who I am but also how hair can form part of our identity as a person. Kinky Roots was the beginning of a BIG change for me. I started writing it 4 years ago, a few months into living in the UK when I came face to face with the realities and challenges of immigrating to a new country. What inspired it was a television show but more on that in the book”.

What kind of challenges you faced when you started writing it and prior publishing – was it easy to fund it? “Initially the challenge was deciding what to write but more importantly, what not to write. There were internal struggles around what my family and people close to me would think about me telling the truth of my story and journey. There were fears of judgment and shaming. Revisiting painful and emotional events to be able to narrate them in the book was particularly difficult because it was like experiencing everything all over again. But this was all part of the process and necessary to bring you the book today and the closure that I needed. I used my own resources to write and fund the book. I can’t say that it was easy, but it certainly required some sacrifice”.

Please share with us what the book is about: "Kinky Roots is very much a memoir on growth, healing, and the ruminations of growing up in Southern Africa and moving to the UK. It is an uplifting, poignant and reflective journey alongside the author. From a tumultuous upbringing in Zimbabwe, where violence and sexual assault was rife – to Ingrid meeting her husband in South Africa before starting an arduous new life in the UK. It’s a story that explores how identity, excuses, religion, relationships, self-worth, and family heritage all ultimately lay life’s crazy pathway.

Lastly, when not pushing and talking KINKY ROOTS, what else do you do? “I am a Cybersecurity Consultant by day. I work with businesses to improve their Cybersecurity posture and ensure that their IT infrastructure is as secure as possible. If I am not working, I am writing or looking after my two little dogs”.

Connect with me here:

Facebook: Kinky Roots

Instagram: Ingrid Arlington

Website: https://linktr.ee/ingrid_arlington

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