‘The Camel Bookmobile’ may be a different for a novel, but if you read the book, you’ll find the title appropriate. The novel is written by Masha Hamilton and is inspired by an African library program, which has taken up a role and delivers books through camels to the nomadic tribes in Kenya.
The protagonist is an American woman, Fiona Sweeney, who wants to do something for others. And she decides to go to Africa and start a mobile library there. And she starts her library journey in northeastern Kenya, where tribes know nothing more then hunger, poverty and diseases. The library due to the small number of donated books, rules that if anyone fails to return the books, it would stop its functions there. The heroine of the novel during her work struggles amidst cultural clashes and a drastically changed social scenario. The library itself too faces a lot of problems as the people get divided into two sects; one favoring modernization, others fearing books as a tool that will destroy the traditional values. And the unexpected happens, as a young man-”Scar Boy”-refuses to return the books. The library stops its visits but Fiona starts to look for the things lost.
The camel bookmobile, in a way inspires us and shows that how even one person can change a lot many other lives. The nomadic and tribal culture is beautifully portrayed. The endless struggle and the ever fresh spirit of Africa and its people has been beautifully described. It is certainly a captivating saga.
Source: Harpercollins and USAtoday
