Official Review: When Faith Meets Opportunity

[Eunice Geres]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "When Faith Meets Opportunity" by Yolanda M. Palmer-Clarke.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Coming from the sunny country of Jamaica, Yolanda embarks on a journey to acquire a doctoral degree in Canada. Yolanda knew that studying abroad won’t be an easy feat even with her international teaching backgrounds. However, with her strong faith in God, she is prepared to overcome everything that might get in the way of her pursuit to her dreams.

When Faith Meets Opportunity by Y.M. Palmer-Clarke is an inspiring autobiography detailing the author’s struggle of being an international student. Written in the first-person point of view, the readers get to peek inside the mind of a student adjusting in everything that she encounters. The feeling of homesickness, being an outsider, wanting to fit in and stand firm are all written with such great detail that makes the reader experience every emotion that the author felt during that time.

Everything in this book is astoundingly pleasing. I loved the artistic depictions in the illustrations, the author’s articulate way of writing, and the short poems. I find myself hanging onto every chapter and every word of the author. I am not studying abroad, but I related to this book more than I thought I would. The poem about being an outsider hit me harder than necessary.

This book is also very informative. The author narrated in great detail the process when she acquired her student visa and other legal procedures. The cultural differences and how she adjusted to a new and very different culture are also written immaculately. There’s nothing I disliked about this book. I’m surprised at how attached I am to this book given that it’s not even more than 200 pages long.

I would rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. This book is wonderfully written and edited. I noticed only one error, and there are no vulgar words. It’s suitable for all religions, though I think Christians would relate more since there are multiple Bible verses. However, I believe the faith portrayed in this book can be interpreted in all religions as a strength reservoir, and not as a directive aspect about influencing others to the said religion.

I would recommend this book to people planning to study abroad, especially in Canada. I think this would give a little insight into the process of acquiring and maintaining a visa. I would advise researching still, though. It’s dated way back to 2011. I would also recommend this to college students. As a college student, I related to everything the author has said about financial status, adjusting to the style of learning, and difficulty in fitting in and standing out.

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When Faith Meets Opportunity
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[Krista Ash]

This sounds like a useful book. I'm not planning on studying abroad, but this would be an informative read, and I appreciate the lack of vulgar words. I'll have to look into getting it... Thanks for the helpful review!

[Magnify3]

Sounds like an interesting book. I can already relate having been an international student at one time. Thanks for this review.

[Eunice Geres]

Sounds like an interesting book. I can already relate to having been an international student at one time. Thanks for this review.

Because of this book, I have realized all the hardships that an international student went through. You must be so resilient.

[EnobongGold]

This brings back memories of ones experiences in the college. The rigors of trying to adjust and fit into a new environment to learn is not a very pleasant experience especially outside one's domain. Thank you for the insightful review.