HIDDEN ROOTS

Story Description - Hidden Roots

Hidden Roots follows Aleena, a university student in London whose life takes an unexpected turn after she becomes involved in an academic scandal that brings shame and disappointment to her family. Believing distance and discipline are the solution, her father sends her to Nigeria a country Aleena barely knows and does not consider home.

Arriving in Abuja, Aleena struggles with culture shock, unfamiliar expectations, and the feeling of being an outsider among people who insist she belongs. As she settles into life in Nigeria, fragments of her family's past begin to surface secrets long buried, sacrifices never explained, and choices that shaped her life in silence. What starts as resentment slowly turns into curiosity, and then understanding.

Along the way, Aleena forms unexpected connections, experiences her first real sense of emotional vulnerability, and begins to question the version of herself she left behind in London. Torn between two worlds, she must confront her mistakes, her family's truths, and the meaning of home.

Hidden Roots is a coming-of-age novel about identity, accountability, and the quiet power of self-discovery. It explores how being sent away can sometimes be the very thing that leads you back-to your roots, your truth, and yourself.