The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind

I read The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind for the Sakai Reads event. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind takes place in Malawi, Africa in a time of hardship and poverty. Young William Kamkwamba is the son of a poor African farmer. During a Man vs Nature conflict he drops out of school but as a result finds his confidence in himself and learns that he has an incredible scientific mind. He is a very curious and ambitious person and is not afraid to try new things. Through his extremely noteworthy scientific inventions he brings a bright and hopeful future to his family and many other Africans. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind begins with William Kamkwamba accepting the concept of science after having been failed by the old magic of Africa. Later when he is in his early teens his country and much of Africa is swept by horrible disease and famine, leaving his family hungry and penniless. Eventually the school year starts and, unable to pay his tuition fees, he drops out of school. Now his life is only work and boredom. In

This book really gives you a good viewpoint on the everyday life of a poor farmer and their many struggles. I would give this book four out of five stars because it is very interesting and makes you feel up until the last few chapters, which are happy but unexciting. For example, towards the middle of the book, one of William’s best friends is starving and is swelling from lack of protein and when he finally gets food it’s satisfying and happy for the reader, too. In the end the story swings to his travels and belated education and leaves out my favorite characters from William’s village. This big swing makes you feel like you’re reading something else and there’s no story to it. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in engineering or wants to see a new perspective about the