Stowaways, the Ogoni Struggle and 'Kira-Kira' - #BooksoftheWeek: September 9, 2013

 
Looking for a good book to read? Every week, ZODML spotlights three great books from our extensive collection to inspire readers to try out books they might not have previously heard of. The selections fall under three major categories – fiction, non-fiction and children and young adult literature – so there’s a book to suit every taste. All of the books selected are available to borrow at our Community Library. Also check out our archives to see which books have been selected in the past.
 
Fiction: Many Rivers to Cross by Ola Opesan
The only thing on Shola’s mind as he turned his back on Africa was returning home to London to be with Jackie, now pregnant with their first child. As he slipped into the hold of the cargo ship to begin the first stage of his journey, he discovered he was not alone. Several other stowaways hiding among the cargo were as desperate as he was to flee for a ‘better life’. For days, they imagined all was well until they woke to find the ship’s crewmen standing over them, one holding a gun.
Non-Fiction: A Month and a Day: A Detention Diary by Ken Saro-Wiwa
This is the extraordinary and moving account of Ken Saro-Wiwa's period of detention in 1993 and a personal history of the man who gave voice to the campaign for basic human and political rights for the Ogoni people. Arrested on June 21, 1993, ostensibly for his part in election-day disturbances, Saro-Wiwa describes in harrowing detail the conditions under which he was held. He writes of his involvement with the Ogoni cause and his instrumental role in the setting up of the movement for the survival of the Ogoni people. Children and Young Adults: Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata When Katie and her family move from a Japanese community in Iowa to the Deep South of Georgia, it's Lynn who explains to her why people stop on the street to stare. And it's Lynn who, with her special way of viewing the world, teaches Katie to look beyond tomorrow. But when Lynn becomes desperately ill, and the whole family begins to fall apart, it is up to Katie to find a way to remind them all that there is always something glittering – kira-kira – in the future. What's your #BookoftheWeek? Share with us in the comments or by tweeting @ZODML!