June 9, 2008 3:16 PM
My reading odyssey through Africa
I am still not feeling 100%. You know it's bad when I lie around for hours reading - which I did yesterday. Of course, I'd love to do that more often, but normally I'm way too busy to read - even when sick - until bedtime. And then I'm usually asleep within 20 minutes.
So here's what I finished reading yesterday:
This is Dave Eggers' fictional biography based on the life of Valentino Achak Deng, who was separated from his family when his village was attacked by Arabs and became one of "The Lost Boys" of Sudan. This was the title of orphans who in the 90s faced starvation, lions, and violence on their long march through Ethiopia and Kenya, where he came of age in a squalid refugee camp before eventually being invited to come to America to begin a new - but still difficult - life.
Actually, I have read several autobiographical books on Africa in the past year:
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I enjoyed each of these books immensely.
That may sound strange - enjoyed them immensely - since there is so much personal tragedy involved in each of these highly absorbing and well-written books.
Let me explain: I enjoyed them because reading about a country does not really teach us as much as we learn from the personal involvement we feel when seeing the larger cultural/political through the eyes of an individual.
And I enjoyed them because they illustrated the indomitability and resilience of the human spirit - something God has been so generous in building into us so that we can survive the incredible odds we sometimes face in our experience on Earth.
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To find out more - because I'm not up to writing mini-reviews right now - click on the images to read reader reviews at Amazon. This is actually how I decide whether or not to read a book - by what actual readers think. If I like a book, I also use Amazon similar links and recommendations to find the next book.
Comments
thank you for sharing these book titles. I was surprised with how much I enjoyed Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza which I did for the same type of reason you mentioned. I think I may need to add your suggestions to my "to read" list.
Posted by: Marie C | June 10, 2008 3:05 PM
I was so excited to find my library had all of these. I am fascinated by Africa.
I'm now reading Infidel- what an amazing story about how reading truly changed her life. She was too fond of books and boy did it turn her head!!
Don't you think reading is becoming a lost art? I'm finding it hard to find people who read (other than online) to discuss good books with.
Posted by: stacie | July 9, 2008 11:45 AM
Oooooooo, thank you!! I was just about to ask on my Ethiopian adopt board for some good books on Africa!
Another great one I just finished is Camilla Gibbs' Sweetness in the Belly. Beautifully written, very different - I really enjoyed it.
Posted by: Missy @ It's Almost Naptime | October 7, 2009 1:01 AM
