Read The World - Zimbabwe - We Need New Names

Book: We Need New Names
Author: NoViolet Bulawayo
Pages: 320
Book takes places in the country: YES (50% of it)
Author is from the country: YES
I have visited: NO

This is my 131st read for the year

This story is about Darling who lives in Zimbabwe with her friends and family.  At 10 years old, she spends most of her days with her friends playing pretend, stealing fruit, and going to school.  Soon - things change in Zimbabwe and it becomes a dangerous place to be.  The schools close.  Darling has a chance to leave it all behind and go to America to live with an aunt.  Her family sends her knowing she will be safe.

After dreaming of America and all that she and her friends thought she would get to see and do there, reality hit her hard.  While her life was better than it was in Zimbabwe, it wasn't what she thought it would be.  She was left witht the struggles of being an immigrant in a foreign land and trying to adjust to what she left behind.

I really liked this book.  I think it is well written and rich in descriptive text.  The author tells the story well from a child's point of view.  It doesn't dig deep into the problems of Zimbabwe, however.  It does tell a poignant story of how a child spent her days with her best friends - dreaming and hoping like all children do.  I did enjoy the part of the book that took place in Zimbabwe more than the half that took place in America, and I was hoping that the author returned her character back to Zimbabwe - at least for a visit, yet she did not.  

Great book.  I highly recommend.

Stars: 4