Review of "Dumb" Orphans

[Amber Orton]

[Following is a volunteer review of ""Dumb" Orphans" by Allan Low.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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This book "Dumb" Orphans written by Allen Low is a beautiful story about a group of orphans who chose not to accept their position in life, but rather fight for their education and a better life. The Bundu Bunch, as the seven orphans like to be called, were taken care of by another 15 year old orphan, named Aiyasha. Aiyasha, Elah (the baby) and the Bundu Bunch worked hard gathering water and grazing cattle for the community leader, Meyego, and then still had to feed themselves living in a small hut with no electricity or modern conveniences. Once the orphans figured out how to do their chores much faster, there was time to teach them to read. As they advanced their studies, they were able to find a way out of their small town.

I felt that this culture absolutely pulled me in as a reader and loved getting to know this amazing group of children. As an educator working in the public schools, I love to meet students who are from different cultures and learn about their families and lives. This story gave me a peek into this rural African society and their difficult life.

Although I was completely entertained by this book and read it quickly, I feel like the author could have developed the characters more and extended the story. It moved fairly quickly through time, but there could have been more shared about each of the orphans and their paths.

The rating that I give "Dumb" Orphans is a 3 out of 5. This culture and sweet orphan "family" was fun to read about. While there were sad moments, they were fleeting. The love they have for each other and the length they went through to succeed and protect each other was inspiring. Because I felt like the story could have been extended and more developed, I gave it a 3 out of 5.

I would recommend this book to all who search for inspiration. The author did a wonderful job of describing the scenery and providing that visual imagery I needed. The characters were fun and I loved learning more about the different cultures.

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"Dumb" Orphans
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