Any resem blance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Publisher harper collins, april 2007 in the camel bookmobile, masha hamilton tells the story of a restless american librarian searching for more meaning in her life who travels to africa to help start a library carrying books to remote settlements on the backs of camels. Hamilton is the author of four other novelsstaircase of a thousand steps, the distance between us, the camel bookmobile, and 31 hoursand the founder of both the camel book drive and the afghan womens writing project. To her credit, hamilton did not allow herself to be blinded by the inspirational aspects of bringing books and ideas to readers who had. Masha hamilton is a united states journalist and the author of five novels. This document is an extract of the camel bookmobile. The camel bookmobile by masha hamilton book resume. Masha hamilton establishing a bookmobile in a destitute kenya village, wellintentioned fiona sweeny inadvertently renews a decadesold tribal feud involving a camel powered bookmobile and prior efforts to promote.
She founded two world literacy projects, and has worked as head of communications for the us embassy in afghanistan and the ngo concern worldwide us. Masha hamilton faculty profile gotham writers workshop. Masha hamilton, author of the camel bookmobile, on librarything. The camel bookmobile extract fiiona sweeney shoved a pair of rolledup jeans into the corner of her purple duffet bad. I had a sense that people in war zones are perfumes of themselves. Ham a new york librarian who needs to do something meaningful with her life travels to kenya to start a traveling library that will bring literacy and knowledge to the tribes living in the african bush. Introduction fiona sweeney wants to do something that matters, and she chooses to make her mark in the arid bush of northeastern kenya. Can the camel bookmobile be seen as an allegory for whats still taking place in the world today. Masha hamilton s the camel bookmobile was inspired by the real camel library that is headquartered in garissa, kenya, and which uses camels to carry books to and from readers who live in the remote areas of that country. Pulling back her dark, frizzy hair and securing it with a clip, fi moved to the living room and plopped onto the. Four times a week, in sweltering temperatures, librarians and camel drivers travel from garissa and wajir to accompany the camels two to three hours into the bush. 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. Reading guide for the camel bookmobile by masha hamilton.
Evocative, seamless, and haunting, the camel bookmobile is a powerful saga that challenges our fears of the unknown the camel bookmobile is masha hamilton s third book following her excellent 2004 novel, the distance between us. Nature versus culture the narrator of the book the camel bookmobile by masha hamilton, struggles with bringing new ideas through her bookmobile to a traditional african culture. Cookbooks, novels, parenting booksthey all matter to fiona fi sweeney, a librarian from brooklyn searching for fulfillment atop a bookladen camel in the arid and dangerous bush of kenya. Its the summer season in chilson, michigan, and the town is packed with tourists ready for a fabulous fourth of july fireworks show. Just click the edit page button at the bottom of the page or learn more in the synopsis submission guide. This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. Give additional information about the main character surname, nickname, family composition 4.
Looking for adventure, american librarian fiona sweeney travels to northeast kenya to travel by camel bookmobile, bringing books to nomadic peoples caught between the tug of tradition and. The distance between us, 2004 named one of the best books of the year by library journal, the camel bookmobile, 2007 also a booksense pick, and 31 hours, named. Fiona sweeney shoved a pair of rolledup jeans into the corner of her purple duffel bag. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the camel bookmobile. Read free book excerpt from the camel bookmobile by masha hamilton, page 1 of 2. The camel bookmobile faculty book excerpt gotham writers. Though fi is passionate about bringing western classics to the seminomadic, illiterate peoples of the rural african bush, she soon finds that. Their mission was to provide the written word to remote villages and city suburbs that had no libraries.
Today, she would not be disturbed by thoughts of uncles whose minds resembled mud pools, or lurking husbands or pointless chores. Masha hamilton s long experience reporting all over the world informs her work. The camel bookmobile vibrates with the life and landscape of africa. Though fi is passionate about bringing western classics to the seminomadic, illiterate peoples of the rural african bush, she soon finds that she has just as much to learn as they do about the complexities of the world. Reflection on book the camel bookmobile essay example. Buy the camel bookmobile by hamilton, masha from amazons fiction books store.
In masha hamiltons latest novel, an idealistic american takes a job in kenya delivering library books by camel. We invite you to remember these forgotten fourwheelers of the past. Richly peopled, full of conflicts and surprises, the camel bookmobile made me think and feel in all the best ways. The camel bookmobile hardcover tattered cover book store. The story centers around a camel bookmobile that delivers books to villagers in a remote area of kenya. In this text we discover what fionawant do in her life, and we know she want to. Jul 04, 2007 i come across this oneofakind project.
The homepage of novelist and journalist masha hamilton, author of staircase of a thousand steps, the distance between us and the camel bookmobile. The camel bookmobile is a novel by masha hamilton about a woman named fiona sweeney, or fi, who leaves her family behind to travel to kenya, on a quest to make a difference in the lives of those in need by creating a traveling library. The actual camel bookmobile brings books to seminomadic people in northeastern kenya who live with the most minimal of possessions, suffering. The camel bookmobile by masha hamilton 2,171 ratings, 3. The bookmobile serves families who have difficulty getting to a library, children and teens in afterschool programs, and many new immigrant families. In this text we discover what fionawant do in her life, and we know she want to go in kenya for help the population. Deeply moving and thoughtful, with brave, wise characters with moral. A compelling novel that shows how one life can change many, in spite of dangerous and seemingly immutable obstacles. The camel bookmobile by masha hamilton thriftbooks.
Analyse what personal benefits the main character hopes to derive from this kenyan experience. The bookmobile divides the seminomadic people it intends to serve. The distance between us, 2004 named one of the best books of the year by library journal, the camel bookmobile, 2007 also a booksense pick, and 31 hours. And i saw fi, the idealistic american who hopes to help enlighten a people of the bush but finds that she is the one who learns the most. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Veteran reporter and twotime novelist masha hamilton s latest book takes readers into the remotest areas of the african continent to explore what happens when modern western traditions are introduced into the very fabric of a third world, traditionally nomadic society.
A friendly feline and a feisty librarian merrily roll along in the newest bookmobile cat mysteryuntil murder stops them in their tracks. Masha hamiltons compelling third novel, the camel bookmobile, leaves no room for doubt. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. Fiona sweeney wants to do something that matters, and she chooses to make her mark in the arid bush of northeastern. Mar 06, 2009 and if youve got a teen, he or she might want to check out the book, from author masha hamilton. Those errie manmade moans were part of new york citys wallpaper, a signal of troubble commonplace enough to pass unnoticed. Masha hamilton used this service as a background for her 2007 novel the camel bookmobile. The camel bookmobile by masha hamilton browsers corner. Learn more about the real camel book drive and how you can contribute. The camel bookmobile follows an american librarian who. Hamilton s captivating third novel after 2004s the distance between us follows fiona sweeney, a 36yearold librarian, from new york to garissa, kenya. Read how and why i invented the mosquito quotes for this book. I saw jwahirs husband, the teacher matani, with his commitment to the same bookmobile his wife rejects and his desire to father a son. She felt she needed to know more about the world and people.
Hamilton worked as a foreign correspondent for the associated press for five years in the middle east, where she covered the first intifada, the peace process, and the partial israeli withdrawal from lebanon. Indeed ranks job ads based on a combination of employer bids and relevance, such as your search terms and other activity on indeed. As a journalist, she spent five years in the middle east working as a foreign correspondent and news editor for the. Its about a camel book drive mobile library for kids who dont know how to read or write. The camel bookmobile by masha hamilton reading guidebook. The website of the camel bookmobile by author masha hamilton home page. Based on actual events, the camel bookmobile tells. Gothams masha hamilton desired to write fiction, but she didnt feel thick enough. The camel bookmobile masha hamilton, 2007 harpercollins 336 pp.
It looks like we dont have a synopsis for this title yet. Here she acknowledges the mundane reality that things do fall apart, but it is effort and intention that make the meaning of things. Masha hamilton, a journalist and novelist and, until recently, the director. A superb novel of a travelling library, the kenyan landscape and the threat to a fragile way of life. Indeed may be compensated by these employers, helping keep indeed free for jobseekers. Long before amazon, audible, and other digital book distributors, bookmobiles were bringing literature to peoples doorsteps. See more ideas about mobile library, books and little free libraries. The unique mobile library operates in the northeast province near the border with somalia. Basically, the author of the camel bookmobile masha hamilton and her colleagues are attempting to. Author masha hamilton has accompanied the camels on library trips through kenyas isolated northeastern province. Perfect for fans of alexander mccall smith deep in the heart of the dusty kenyan desert a train of heavily laden camels wind their way slowly through the bush. The camel bookmobile is a triumphant tale of the indomitable human spirit similar in feeling and themes to the immensely popular slumdog millionaire. The camel bookmobile follows an american librarian who travels to the arid bush of northeastern kenya to give meaning to her life, but ultimately loses a piece of her heart. By helping to start a traveling library, she hopes to bring the words of homer, hemingway, and dr.
The camel bookmobile this month sees the release of gotham novel teacher masha hamilton s third novel, the camel bookmobile. She would begin the morning with the speed and joy of a wellaimed spear, and that would make the moments fly faster until the camel bookmobile and miss sweeney arrived. Camel bookmobile discussion questions galesburg public library. The quote that compares mosquito love to human love signifies that struggle. The camel bookmobile made its first run almost a decade ago. This ingenious library is boxed and strapped to a camel. Seuss to farflung tiny communities where people live daily with drought, hunger, and disease. Please email or write store for pricing and availability information.
Hamiltons captivating third novel after 2004s the distance between us follows fiona sweeney, a 36yearold librarian, from new york to. Pulling back her dark, frizzy hair and securing it with a clip, fi moved to the living room and plopped onto the floor across from devi, who sprawled in a long skirt on the couch. The camel bookmobile was conceived to educate the people of the bush in africa, to introduce them to teading and opening their minds to a greater world. Aug 26, 2007 pulling back her dark, frizzy hair and securing it with a clip, fi moved to the living room and plopped onto the floor across from devi, who sprawled in a long skirt on the couch. Three dromedaries trudged through dusty, arid northeastern kenya near the border with somalia to bring a library to settlements so tiny and farflung theyd become nearly invisible. This document is an extract of the camel bookmobile who was written by masha hamilton in 2007. For more information about the camel bookmobile, check out the camel book drive. Im thinking a trip to the library might be in order no camel required. Based on true events, author hamilton creates fiction in a place where we can taste the dust, swelter under the sun, know the people and care about them. What is gained or lost by the use of multiple viewpoints to tell this story. Fiona sweeney wants to do something that matters, and she chooses to make her mark in the arid bush of northeastern kenya. Cultures clash in the camel bookmobile, good intentions may be misplaced or not.
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