OLZ Book Giveaway

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I love reading! Especially books with animals. I can make awesome animal sounds! And I can point out all the Os and Vs in the book.

Books tell stories. And there are so many stories to be told about Africa, and Africa's people.

We have a special giveaway for the booklovers out there. One commenter is going to receive three books - all portraying a piece of the African story.

The Hospital by the River - A Story of Hope by Dr. Catherin Hamlin. "The awe-inspiring story of the life and mission of Dr. Catherine Hamlin who, with her husband Reg, established what has been heralded as one the most incredible medical programs in the modern world. The Hamlins, both Christians, dedicated their lives to women suffering the catastrophic effects of obstructed labor. The awful injuries that such labor produces are called fistulae, and until the Hamlins began their work in Ethiopia, fistula sufferers were neglected and forgotten--a vast group of women facing a lifetime of incapacity and degradation. Catherine and Reg, with their team of dedicated fistula surgeons, have successfully operated on over 25,000 women, and the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital has become a major teaching institutions for gynaecologists from all over Ethiopia and the developing world. Set against the backdrop of Ethiopia, this is a moving and utterly compelling account of an extraordinary life." (Amazon's Product Review)

Scribbling the Cat - Travels with an African Soldier by Alexandra Fuller. "Thomas Wolfe's trusted axiom about not being able to go home again gets a compelling spin through the African veldt in Alexandra Fuller's Scribbling the Cat: Travels with an African Soldier. Fuller (Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight : An African Childhood) journeys through modern Zambia, to battlefields in Zimbabwe and Mozambique with the scarred veteran of the Rhodesian Wars she identifies only as "K." Intrigued by the mysterious neighbor of her parent's Zambian fish farm and further enticed by her father's warning that "curiosity scribbled the cat" ("scribbling" is Afrikaans slang for "killing"), Fuller embarks on a journey that covers as much cratered psychic landscape as it does African bush country. Though she and "K" are both African by family roots rather than blood, she quickly discovers that 30 years of civil war have scarred them--and the indigenous peoples they encounter--in markedly different ways. "K" is a figure of monumental tragedy, a decent man torn by war-fueled rage, a failed marriage, and painful memories of an only son lost to tropical disease. His adopted Christianity offers him only partial absolution, and Fuller details his gut-wrenching confessions of quarter-century old atrocities with compassion and rare insight. Her prose liberally salted with a rich, melange of Afrikaans and local Shona slang, Fuller nonetheless struggles with a narrative whose turns are often unexpected, yet driven by humanity. There's a clear sense that the author's fitful journey into the past with "K" has opened as many wounds as it has healed, and spawned more questions than it has answered. It's that discomfort and frustration that often reinforces the honesty of her prose--and reinforces Thomas Wolfe's adage yet again. --Jerry McCulley" (Amazon's Product Review)


Girl Soldier by Faith McDonnell & Grace Akallo. "For several decades a brutal army of rebels has been raiding villages in northern Uganda, kidnapping children and turning them into soldiers or wives of commanders. More than 30,000 children have been abducted over the last twenty years and forced to commit unspeakable crimes. Grace Akallo was one of these. Her story, which is the story of many Ugandan children, recounts her terrifying experience. This unforgettable book--with historical background and insights from Faith McDonnell, one of the clearest voices in the church today calling for freedom and justice--will inspire readers around the world to take notice, pray, and work to end this tragedy. " (Amazon's Product Review)

A big thanks to Jennifer at Family Musings for contributing these 'like new' books for Operation Love Zimbabwe! Jennifer is mom to darling Charlotte Moon, who is doing alphabet activities every week, just like me! And Charlotte is expecting a brother or sister one of these days - how blessed is that?! Stop by and say hi, and give that sweet Charlotte a hug for me!

To Enter to win all three books: All you have to do is leave a comment on this post. Please make sure you include an email so I can contact you if you win.

You can get up to two extra entries if you (1) post about Operation Love Zimbabwe on your blog, and/or (2) put the Operation Love Zimbabwe button on your blogsite. Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

This contest is limited to US shipping addresses.

Entries must be made by 11:59 p.m. PST on February 14, 2009. The winners will be selected using http://www.random.org/ and will be contacted by email.