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I Will Always Write Back

How One Letter Changed Two Lives
Mar 23, 2017airyen rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I Will Always Write Back is a true story, even describable of a memoir, of the journey of two students from children to adults, separated by an ocean and worlds of cultural difference but connected by the simplest yet strongest of ties: words. When Caitlin Stoicsitz rather unwillingly picks Zimbabwe as the country to which to send her pen pal letter in seventh grade, it is received by Martin Ganda, a boy whose long-fought-for position as top student in his rural school allows him access to the few letters his school receives. Although many of Caitin’s classmates stop writing to their pen pals over time, Martin’s promise that he will “always write back” -- one of the few promises that he knows he can keep in the politically and economically torn climate of Zimbabwe, and one that he struggles with even in its simplicity -- leads them both to become extremely close and share their vastly different coming-of-age struggles. This book was the most hopeful story, made even better by the fact that it is true, that I have read in a long time. Through Caitlin’s boy-craziness and first-world problems, through Martin’s terrifying experience of turmoil in Zimbabwe, through 9-11, through college admissions, there is always hope in the writing. However, I felt that the language did not do justice to the story. Aside from the obvious concession to the fact that the first letters were written by a seventh-grader and that Martin’s first language is not English, even the narration between letters, even by Caitlin, comes across as rather basic. While this does contribute to the sense of hope and simple humanity of the entire book, I felt it took away from the flow and experience of the story. White savior narrative? A little. But honestly, if you're looking for a bit of hope in the world at all—and who isn't—this book is the easy read for you.