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A review by nietzschesghost
My Name Is Tani . . . and I Believe in Miracles: The Amazing True Story of One Boy's Journey from Refugee to Chess Champion by Tani Adewumi, Kayode Adewumi, Oluwatoyin Adewumi, Craig Borlase, Tanitoluwa Adewumi
4.0
My Name Is Tani is a powerful true story of sacrificing everything for family, living with nothing but hope, then sharing generously all they received to discover the greatest riches of all. Tani Adewumi didn't know what Boko Haram was or why they had threatened his family during their reign of terror in their native country of Nigeria when his family were to become targets for capture and killing. All he knew was that when his parents told the family was going to America, Tani thought it was the start of a great adventure rather than an escape. In truth, his family's journey to the United States was nothing short of miraculous--and the miracles were just beginning. Tani's father, Kayode, who comes from a royal family, became a dishwasher and Uber driver while Tani's mother, Oluwatoyin, cleaned buildings, while the family lived in a New York City homeless shelter waiting to be granted religious asylum. He attended New York City public school where his classmates were unaware that he and his family had no home.
So when Tani asked his parents if he could join the chess program at school, which required a fee, it seemed unlikely. But his mother wrote to the coach, who offered Tani a scholarship. Eight-year-old Tani jumped into his new life with courage and perseverance--and an unusual mind for chess and he practiced his game for hours in the evenings at the shelter. Then he began competing in the ultra-exclusive chess clubs of New York City. And winning - again and again. And less than a year after he learned to play, Tani won the 2019 New York State chess championship. This is an inspirational, dramatic, emotional and hopeful book about a young boy with an extraordinary aptitude for chess. But if you ask Tani Adewumi, he will tell you he believes in miracles and one happened to him and his family. This story will inspire, delight, and challenge you to believe even whilst battling against adversity and poverty.
It is an incredible, endlessly dramatic and wonderfully engaging memoir with the ability to move and touch hearts. Tani's story will inspire you to believe in the beauty of unity and the power of the human spirit to triumph over the greatest adversities. And his family's faith will inspire you to believe in miracles. It is an intriguing concept to consider: that the game of chess rescued and redeemed an entire family unit. Told from the perspective of Tani, his family, and those closest to him, Tani’s story will inspire you to believe in yourself regardless of the circumstances and the faith and persistence of Tani’s family will inspire you to believe in miracles. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Harper Inspire for an ARC.
So when Tani asked his parents if he could join the chess program at school, which required a fee, it seemed unlikely. But his mother wrote to the coach, who offered Tani a scholarship. Eight-year-old Tani jumped into his new life with courage and perseverance--and an unusual mind for chess and he practiced his game for hours in the evenings at the shelter. Then he began competing in the ultra-exclusive chess clubs of New York City. And winning - again and again. And less than a year after he learned to play, Tani won the 2019 New York State chess championship. This is an inspirational, dramatic, emotional and hopeful book about a young boy with an extraordinary aptitude for chess. But if you ask Tani Adewumi, he will tell you he believes in miracles and one happened to him and his family. This story will inspire, delight, and challenge you to believe even whilst battling against adversity and poverty.
It is an incredible, endlessly dramatic and wonderfully engaging memoir with the ability to move and touch hearts. Tani's story will inspire you to believe in the beauty of unity and the power of the human spirit to triumph over the greatest adversities. And his family's faith will inspire you to believe in miracles. It is an intriguing concept to consider: that the game of chess rescued and redeemed an entire family unit. Told from the perspective of Tani, his family, and those closest to him, Tani’s story will inspire you to believe in yourself regardless of the circumstances and the faith and persistence of Tani’s family will inspire you to believe in miracles. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Harper Inspire for an ARC.