Currently I'm reading "Dreams in a Time of War" to get ready for my summer in Kenya. I love memoirs, so this book is right up my alley. It's refreshing to read an account of Kenyan culture that is simple and straightforward, told from the eyes of a child. Granted, a very observant and poignant child, but still. So far, the book tells the story of a young boy who promises his mother he will do his best in school no matter what and the dreams and consequences that follow.
I found a review by Marie Arana from The Washington Post that I think sums up the essence of the book and its message.
"But for all these references to the mounting chaos, Nugugi's memoir is not about the world adults had made. "Dreams in a time of War" hews to the promise the boy made to his mother. Young Ngugi carries on his studies, despite all possible adversity. He marches off to school, takes joy in his ability to read, memorizes poetry, sits at the front of every classroom. The picture of Kenya that he presents, in other words, is admirably free of cant or sentimentality, and yet it is enough to make you weep. Here is a child, against the backdrop of a terrible war -- traveling a bloodied land with pen and paper -- thinking a dream can forge a better world."
Although the author and I may not share a similar background, we do share a similar purpose ... to see the state of the world, and document hope where we find it.
The full review can be found by clicking on this link: Dreams in a Time of War
