This is one of the most powerful books that I have read because of the way that William Kamkwamba tells his story of growing up as a curious young boy in Malawi Africa. He grew up in an area that spent a lot of time in fear regarding “curses” that might befall them. In the midst of all of that, William had several influences around him that consistently reminded him that “God will provide.” As you can guess, this is a story of William figuring out a way to build a windmill that radically changed things for his family and his village…but it’s much more than that. It’s a story about curiosity and passion to learn and grow beyond what is right in front of you. As the Lord worked in William’s life, through some very difficult circumstances, he was able to see past himself into a greater vision of how he could serve others for the glory of God.
There are various editions of this book…a young reader edition as well as a kid’s version. My 3rd grade daughter is very passionate about science and loves to figure out why things work the way that they do. She is reading this book now as well. I’m excited to think about what conversations might ensue! Added to this is the fact that our son is adopted from Africa. After my husband and I took our first trip there…and then our daughter joined us on the second trip to bring our son home…there are many things about this book that were easy to picture because of the experiences that we had. William’s writing was full of excellent imagery both in describing the lowest of lows he experienced as well as the triumph of the first time his windmill began to spin in the breeze.
This is an excellent book and I’d recommend it for anyone. It’s a great first book of the year because it talks about blazing a new trail and seeing God do amazing things for His glory and the good of His people!