The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, by William Kamkwamba

This is not a super new book, having come out in 2015 in its adult format, and even having been turned into a Netflix movie, I believe. This is the Young Readers edition, which often works well for me, as it includes all the pertinent information without the extra 200 pages. In this case, this was the perfect version to read - definitely enough to get the story, and any longer might have made me skip some of the pages or chapters.

The author's story of his life in Malawi, a country in southern Africa, is heartbreaking and amazing all at the same time. To be reminded that people in this world, in this day and age of technology and wealth and resources, live (and die) like this is...terrifying? Maddening? Hopeful? A mix of emotions reading this story, but WOW! if William isn't a brilliant, resilient young man. He overcomes obstacles that would squash many of us, I think - even one or two of his obstacles would have stopped me in my tracks. He perseveres, however, and the story has many happy endpoints!

If you like non-fiction and/or biographies, this one is powerful. It took me a long time to get in sync with the rhythm of William's voice, longer than usual, which made me almost skip some parts. I'm glad I didn't, but if you dive into this book, be patient - the story does come together into a satisfying second half, but you have to get past the quirky first half to reap that reward. 4 paws!