Summary from Goodreads:
Dreams are today’s answers for tomorrow’s questions.
11-year-old Kofi Offin dreams of water. Its mysterious, immersive quality. The rich, earthy scent of the current. The clearness, its urgent whisper that beckons with promises and secrets…
Kofi has heard the call on the banks of Upper Kwanta, in the village where he lives. He loves these things above all else: his family, the fireside tales of his father’s father, a girl named Ama, and, of course, swimming. Some say he moves like a minnow, not just an ordinary boy so he’s hoping to finally prove himself in front of Ama and his friends in a swimming contest against his older, stronger cousin.
But before this can take place, a festival comes to the villages of Upper and Lower Kwanta and Kofi’s brother is chosen to represent Upper Kwanta in the wrestling contest. Encircled by cheering spectators and sounding drums, the two wrestlers from different villages kneel, ready to fight.
You are only fine, until you are not.
The match is over before it has barely begun, when the unthinkable–a sudden death–occurs…
The river does not care how grown you are.
As his world turns upside down, Kofi soon ends up in a fight for his life. What happens next will send him on a harrowing journey across land and sea, and away from everything he loves.
Review:
As I mentioned on Goodreads, this is powerful stuff. I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone. I have probably loved all of the books I've read so far by this author, but by far this is the most significant. I couldn't put it down last night. It was a stay-up late read -until your done kind of book. And then as the rest of the house is sleeping, your brain can't let it go. And I was up thinking about it... It haunts you, and stays with you and your soul just feels this book.
I knew what this book was before going into it, so there was this bit of dread each time I opened it too. When was the unthinkable going to happen to the character I was growing to love? Kofi is just such pure joy and hope. You can’t help but love him and want him to succeed in everything. I wanted him to beat his cousin in the swim race. I wanted him to succeed in school. I wanted him to have his first kiss with the girl he was in love with. I wanted him to learn everything from his strict teacher. I wanted everything for him and he’s so smart.
Also, there’s this window into a a world/life/culture I know close to nothing about. Reading about this life in Africa was almost like reading a fantasy novel for me; that’s how little I know about this part of history and this way of life. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not one of those ignorant people who never learned the horrors of slavery. I just 100 percent feel there’s this missing component to the education of it. We don’t get the humanity and the culture of the people before the horrors of it. This book is all about life and love and everything that happens before. It was eye-opening. It doesn’t make the horror of what does eventually happen any easier. If anything, it makes it more intense. I was up late crying my eyes out….
Even now, maybe a week later, I still have tears in my eyes thinking about it. This was a powerful, intense, human story that was eye opening and also lyrical. I can’t imagine what the audio book version is like. I almost wish i listened to it instead -but then I’d be a mess in my car. I am so grateful for reading this, and I hope it wins all the awards and recognition it deserves. I give it a 10/10.
No comments:
Post a Comment