Hope Runs: Hope Runs: An American Tourist, a Kenyan Boy, a Journey of Redemption
Title: Hope Runs
Authors: Claire Diaz-Ortiz & Samuel Ikua Gachagua
Pages:204
Grade Level: 8th/Adult
A Kenyan boy born into poverty and uncertain future. A girl born into wealth and opportunity. What might their stories have in common? Nothing it seems. But this is the unlikely story of how their stories intertwine.
The story starts with a bit of Sammy’s personal history. He writes honestly and clearly of the memories that he has of his childhood. His father died when he was young and his mother eventually abandoned them. They were passed to some relatives, but they weren’t able to care for them. Sammy ends up in an orphanage called Imani Children’s Home.
Claire continues with her story. She tells how she and Lara became friends and ended up traveling around the world. She tells some fun antidotes about their travels as well as shares some personal stories. Their travels bring them to Kenya and they visit the Imani Children’s Home. They are smitten. They develop a love for the Kenyan children and a desire to help them. Their travels must take them out of Kenyan, but they vow to return.
When Claire and Lara return to Kenya. They want to help the children in a tangible way. So they teach computer classes and formed a running club. Through their running club, the children are able to receive new running shoes. The children also train to run a 5K. This is the running club that morphed into the non-profit called Hope Runs.
After Claire and Lara moved back to the US, they kept thinking of Sammy. He seemed like an honest, remarkable boy. They wanted to give him solid future, but they weren’t sure how. By what seems like coincidence, they met a staff member from Maine Central Institute. Maine Central Institute accepts foreign exchange students. They may have a place for Sammy. After much communicating with the staff at Maine Central Institute. The school was willing to offer Sammy a scholarship. Meanwhile, the staff at Imani was working to get Sammy a student visa, so he could study in the US. Eventually all the paperwork came through and Sammy able to attend Maine Central Institute. The books shares how Sammy adjusted to the different culture, and how he excelled and enjoyed his school experiences.
The book continues to follow the lives of Claire, Lara and Sammy. It’s intriguing to see how they continue to invest in each other’s lives, but also the different paths that they have been called too. The book doesn’t end with because their stories end, but it in a sense it ends because a new chapter starts.
The book is a marvelous story of God’s leading people together. Both writers are talented and able. It’s written well. That said: Biographies, especially autobiographies aren’t really my favorite genre of literature. I didn’t personally connect with either of the characters, so I didn’t especially enjoy the book. Frankly, I got bored. I thought the story was a bit slow and the storytelling could have used a bit of finesse. In conclusion, it’s a grand book if you enjoy biographies about inspiring people.
