The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind, 2009, WIlliam Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer ****

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is one fine book that I strongly recommend. It is the story of William Kamkwamba, born into a rural family that depends absolutely on farming to remain alive. They survived the most devastating Malawian food crisis ever. However, he had to drop out from school, primarily due to lack of food and lack of resources too. In the throes of dearth, William, at the very tender age of fourteen longing to be educated, frequented the village library. From a photograph and a text book he built an electricity producing windmill with recyclable materials and spare parts, most of which he collected from the pile of garbage in his village. Few years later, as luck would have it, through the Malawian Newspaper he was featured in the blogosphere through which he caught the attention of TEDGlobal. And, hence, he gained international fame.

This is one book everyone should read, it is encouraging and inspiring, it should be in the library of very school and should be translated into as many languages as possible. Nothing is impossible, you just have to try. Kudos to Bryan Mealer for doing a wonderful job in reference to the writing of the book. 

I have to admit that I am late in the reading of this non-fiction since its publishing in 2009. It was a phenomenon of a book. A lot has been published about William Kamkwamba, below are some official links.

• The blog where he was first published Hactivate by Mike McKay
• He was featured on the Daily Times: School dropout with a streak genius
• His first appearance on TED: How I built a windmill
• A documentary was made: William and the Windmill
• William's blog: William Kamkwamba

This book won the German Corine Literature Prize. As I have already said, I highly recommend. Thank you to the MS/HS Library for lending me this book, now I can kindly take it back after having it for so long.

Another inspirational non-fiction from Malawi is I Will Try by Legson Kariya

The Secret Life of Baba Segi's Wives, 2010, by Lola Shoneyin ****

I just finished reading this book, luckily for me it is a Saturday morning I am at home and I can write my review right away. I really liked it and I give it 4 stars. Lola Shoneyin first novel, she tried, it was longlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction 2011.

The storyline is very interesting, it tells the story of a polygamous family, a very extended issue in Nigeria (I believe in the rest of Africa), how the wives related among themselves, how each of them felt when their husband brought in their household wife #2, wife #3, wife #4. This book also tells the story of what impulsed the women to get married to their husband (first wife) already having families at home. This book for me is a sort of intro into the Yoruba community and I have to say they are not different from the Igbos even though the story is fiction.

One of the theme talked about in this book I liked (most probably because I am indulged in health science) is the role of the doctors and nurses in the Nigerian hospital, how they treated their patients putting aback all traditional belief, but focusing on scientifically proven medical evidence even on a very low budget and with most of the disbelief of their patients.

Lola Shoneyin was trying to give a voice to all of her characters, there are many of them and all with so many to talk about from their past and present that made them predict the future at the same time. This made the book so confusing, sometimes I don't know whose story I was reading, even if I did, I was  not so sure if the character was talking about his/her past or his/her present, and if  I knew who was telling the story, I still have to find out if he/she was telling his/her own story or that of someone else.

I recommend this book most especially to adults (yes, I said adults), sex was talked about in a very harsh straightforward way of which some people might consider offensive.

Por favor haz click aquí para leer en español.

The Space Between Us, 2006, by Thrity Umrigar ****

The title of this book describe its content at its most. This novel tells the story of the relationship between 2 indian families (especially between the women). One is a middle-high class and the other is a low class and she lives in the slum and works as a cleaner for the middle-high class woman.

It tells their story separately and it unite them but still made it clear there was still a space between them.

It is an entertaining story, sometimes slow but worth reading till the end. I recommend it.