by Masha Hamilton (Author)
Once a fortnight, the nomadic settlement of Madidima, set deep in the dusty Kenyan desert, awaits the arrival of three camels laden down with panniers of books. This is the Camel Bookmobile, a scheme set up to bring books to scattered tribes whose daily life is dominated by drought, famine and disease. Into their world comes an unexpected wealth of literature - from the adventures of Tom Sawyer to strange vegetarian cookbooks and Dr Seuss. Kanika, a young girl who lives with her grandmother, devours every book she can lay her hands on. Her best friend is Scar Boy, a child who was mauled at the age of three by a hyena. They are joined by Matani the village teacher, his alluring wife Jwahir and the drummaker Abayomi, as well as Mr Abasi, the camel driver, who is convinced that one of the camels is possessed by the spirit of his dead mother-in-law. The only condition of The Camel Bookmobile is that every book must be returned or else the visits will cease. Then one day a book is stolen...
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 312
Edition: First Edition, First Printing
Publisher: W&N
Published: 13 Jun 2007
ISBN 10: 0297851810
ISBN 13: 9780297851813
Book Overview: Highly commercial -- perfect for readers of Alexander McCall Smith as well as more titles such as The Kiterunner. Inspired by the real Kenyan Camel Mobile Library. 'In this vivid, absorbing novel Masha Hamilton transports her readers, even more surely than the camels do books, to the village of Mididima and the struggle between traditional values and western education. Richly peopled, full of conflicts and surprises, The Camel Bookmobile made me think and feel in all the best ways' Margot Livesey 'A lush celebration of the productive - and destructive - power of the written word. With a heartfelt appreciation for the potential of literature to transcend cultural divides, Hamilton has created a poignant, ennobling, and buoyant tale' Booklist Perfect for book groups - asks lots of questions about Western ideas of development as well as being heartwarming read