September 27, 2010

Monday Book Give Away, #52



I'm giving away a well read ARC, of my favorite book from last year.  I've passed this around to many friends and my Tai Chi class.  Most of the members of my Tai Chi Class are readers, yeah for smart active seniors.  Inspite of the many times this copy has been read, it's in very good shape.

Publishers Weekly

Starred Review.
American readers will have their imaginations challenged by 14-year-old Kamkwamba's description of life in Malawi, a famine-stricken, land-locked nation in southern Africa: math is taught in school with the aid of bottle tops ("three Coca-Cola plus ten Carlsberg equal thirteen"), people are slaughtered by enemy warriors "disguised... as green grass" and a ferocious black rhino; and everyday trading is "replaced by the business of survival" after famine hits the country. After starving for five months on his family's small farm, the corn harvest slowly brings Kamkwamba back to life. Witnessing his family's struggle, Kamkwamba's supercharged curiosity leads him to pursue the improbable dream of using "electric wind"(they have no word for windmills) to harness energy for the farm. Kamkwamba's efforts were of course derided; salvaging a motley collection of materials, from his father's broken bike to his mother's clothes line, he was often greeted to the tune of "Ah, look, the madman has come with his garbage." This exquisite tale strips life down to its barest essentials, and once there finds reason for hopes and dreams, and is especially resonant for Americans given the economy and increasingly heated debates over health care and energy policy.

I've been giving away books on Monday mornings for over 13 months.  I've skipped a week, here and there, so this is my 52nd book give away.  Today, I went back and counted the total books I've given away; 72 books, and my bookshelves are still bulging!

If you're interesting in winning The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, leave a comment.  A couple of notes, you are allowed to win more than once, and be sure I have a way of contacting you; this is especially important if you're a no comment blogger.  The winner of The Mullah's Storm is Jan.


4 comments

  1. I am so excited to win. You are the best. I'm stocking up for those long winter naps the girls will be taking...I am praying they nap at all. Thanks again. I'll be waiting at the mail box. Seems I should be sending you something. I have plenty of flower seeds that I have harvested...I will share if you want some. Just let me know. Thanks again!

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  2. I'd love to be entered in your giveaway. A perfect Christmas present for my husband who worked several years in Africa. Sounds like a great book. Wow! 72 books! What a wonderful way to give others not only a book, but your love of reading :)
    nsue21702 at gmail dot com

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  3. Oh my goodness, I would really love to win this book! As I've mentioned in comments before, I have a passionate interest in Eastern Africa (including Malawi), and that's partly becase I worked as a teacher in Africa for several years, and have since worked with African refugee groups here in the USA. I will be reading this book, no matter what! I would certainly love to own my own copy, though, and also to be able to pass it around to others I know who would enjoy it! So a used book-club copy is totally great!
    Congrats on your many book giveaways. Giving books is one of the greatest gifts of all! (And, from what I've heard about this book, access to books via a small local library plays a large part in the author's story and successes.)
    whistlingsong {at} gmail {dot} com

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  4. I would love to read this book. I have several East African friends and woul like to learn more about the educational situation there. One of my friends used to run five miles in the morning and five back to go to school.


    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

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