Sooley is a little different from the novels John Grisham usually writes and is based on U.S. college basketball. In particular, recruiting from other countries.
At 17 Sooley, who has been playing basketball for as long as he can remember, is plucked from the dusty and uneven "basketball courts" of South Sudan and given an opportunity to play for a U.S. college team. After he leaves his home village with the civil war raging around them, he lands in North Carolina and with the help of his coaches tries to concentrate on his game. But shortly after he leaves, rebels descend on the village, killing the men, taking young women and leaving mothers and children to wander until they find a refugee camp.
Sooley has more than one reason to become an outstanding player, his quest for citizenship could be the only hope his family has to move from their destitute situation.
My thoughts:
Thomas Sowell has written about the African problems for many years. Rivers that were difficult to navigate (restricting trade), civil wars and bad/power driven leadership have plagued African countries long after colonialism.
In Sooley, it shows the devastation on one family from rebel groups. Families that are hardly managing on a daily basis are dealing with their meager belongings and shelter destroyed and travelling miles on dusty roads to find help. Juxtaposed is the wealth and comfort of American families. The book also shows the kindness of those in Sooley's life trying to help him to be successful in a sport he loves and provide a path for his family to leave their squalor.
One thing I have found in immigrants who are genuinely wanting to assimilate and become part of the U.S., they work hard and are often more patriotic than those born here. Unfortunately, like the rebels in the story, there are others who bring with them violence and their desire to force their will on others, while taking advantage of benefits the U.S. has to offer.
This would make a great book club read.
Well meaning foreign aid doesn't always help those in need. Including money to fund a Chinese opera house!
British taxpayers’ money has been directed to regions of upper-middle-income countries that are wealthier than parts of the United Kingdom, according to a new briefing paper from the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA).
The report, Robin Hood in Reverse, authored by IEA Research Fellow Mark Tovey, reveals that UK foreign aid has been spent in affluent areas of China, Mexico, and Malaysia over the past five years. This includes Ordos in China, with a GDP per capita of £27,500 – on par with Swansea and richer than 69 other regions of the UK.
