Lisa Sanders, with Cathy Bruning and Blake Sanders. 12 Days in Africa: A Mother’s Journey. WestBow Press, 2013. See here to buy the book.
12 Days in Africa is about Lisa Sanders’ time in Uganda. She talks about the people she met and the experiences that she had, both happy and sad. At times, the book contains first-person testimonies by people in Uganda who were helped by an organization. Children received an education, for example, which allowed them to contribute to their nation.
The book reads fairly smoothly in terms of prose, but not so much in terms of structure. It is informative in that it sheds light on the struggles that people experience in Uganda, and the barriers that inhibit them from surpassing them. Although parts of the book seem like an infomercial, it was good to read about positive contributions that people are making. At the same time, the book sometimes conveyed a tone of Western saviors swooping in and helping helpless Ugandans. The occasions when the book talked about Ugandans helping Uganda were rare, as I recall, but they were valuable. There was not a whole lot of theological reflection in the book, until the very end. The end was also when Sanders shared some of her own vulnerabilities and characteristics, and that was endearing. I especially liked her story about how her son wanted to work in Africa for a semester rather than finish up that year of college, to the consternation of his practical engineer father!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through BookLook Bloggers. My review is honest!
12 Days in Africa is about Lisa Sanders’ time in Uganda. She talks about the people she met and the experiences that she had, both happy and sad. At times, the book contains first-person testimonies by people in Uganda who were helped by an organization. Children received an education, for example, which allowed them to contribute to their nation.
The book reads fairly smoothly in terms of prose, but not so much in terms of structure. It is informative in that it sheds light on the struggles that people experience in Uganda, and the barriers that inhibit them from surpassing them. Although parts of the book seem like an infomercial, it was good to read about positive contributions that people are making. At the same time, the book sometimes conveyed a tone of Western saviors swooping in and helping helpless Ugandans. The occasions when the book talked about Ugandans helping Uganda were rare, as I recall, but they were valuable. There was not a whole lot of theological reflection in the book, until the very end. The end was also when Sanders shared some of her own vulnerabilities and characteristics, and that was endearing. I especially liked her story about how her son wanted to work in Africa for a semester rather than finish up that year of college, to the consternation of his practical engineer father!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through BookLook Bloggers. My review is honest!