I was sent a book copy for feature from BuzzPlant
The Queen of Katwe
by: Tim Crothers
What is a story of hope and inspiration from one girl in the poverty of Uganda, is a story that I am inviting my son at only 8 years old to experience her journey with me. I received a copy of the book, Queen of Katwe: One Girl’s Triumphant Path to Becoming a Chess Champion and we have begun reading it together. I wanted to read it with him so that we can celebrate reading this book together by seeing the movie created from this book and true story, Disney’s Queen of Katwe opening in theaters September 2016.
Her name is Phiona Mutesi and she lost her father at a young age and lives-at times on the streets-with her mother and siblings. In a daily life most of us cannot fathom, she is not well encouraged to feel she can ever rise above the poverty of Uganda. Unless fate would end up having it, she is to stay as all women do and be a producer of babies. That’s the life of a Ungandan women and from day to day it is to find food and just survive. Then one day she sneaks away, following her brother to a church. It is there she meets War Refugee turned Missionary, Robert Katende. In his Sports Outreach program she found her god-given gift. Chess.
It is her gift that allowed her to leave the slums of Uganda and travel and this gift that brought her family income and so much hope for many kids in that area. The book makes you humble and it inspires. The movie I know will be just as great and cannot wait to finish this story off with a trip to the theaters and support Phiona and the children in Uganda with prayer and belief.