Golden Boy

Golden Boy by Tara Sullivan, 354 pages

Habo is a thirteen-year-old albino boy living in Tanzania with his family. His father deserted the family, so it is him, his two older brothers, an older sister and his mother. Unfortunately, because of the drought, they don’t have enough to make ends meet and have been turned out of their home. They leave to go to his mother’s sister in another village. Along the way, they meet a man who gives them a ride part way but they find out that not only is he a poacher, but he is also willing to kill Habo. Many people believe that the body parts of an albino bring good luck. The threat to Habo’s life happens after they arrive at his aunt’s house so Habo leaves, afraid that he is endangering the rest of the family and goes to Dar es Salaam, where he hears that albinos are not killed. He hopes that there he might be safe. This was a very good book about an appalling situation that is really happening in some African countries right now. A lot of teens might like this story about the possible hardship of life in other countries.