The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

Author: William Kamkwamba & Bryan Mealer

The boy who Harnessed the Wind

William Kamkwamba, the youthful author of this book, was born in Malawi, an African nation best known for its harrowing poverty, its AIDS epidemic, and its long-term food crisis. In 2001, William was just 14 years old when the country was struck by the greatest famine within memory. With his family now too poor to pay his $80-a-year tuition, this eager learner was forced to leave school. Against those staggering odds, he continued to read, learn, and experiment. Inspired by a few old school textbooks, he devised a primitive working windmill, cobbled together from bicycle parts, blue-gum trees, and other makeshift scraps. With his homemade invention, he gave his family and himself electricity and a new start. Inspiring and refreshing as the wind.

Country of origin: Malawi (William Kamkwamba) ; Texas (Bryan Mealer)

Year of publication: 2009

Published by: William Morrow

William Kamkwamba's Website

Bryan Mealer's Website

William's interview by BBC News

Blog review on the book

William Kamkwamba - The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

If you liked this book, try:

  • All Things Must Fight to Live by Bryan Mealer (2006)