HOPE RUNS An American Tourist, a Kenyan Boy, a Journey of Redemption

Tavia Gilbert brings a soft, feminine tone to this double memoir about Christian charity work in Kenya. Sammy Ikua Gachagua describes his life growing up in a Christian orphanage. Claire Diaz-Ortiz tells of traveling to Kenya and meeting Sammy as part of her missionary work. Later, Claire returns to the orphanage to train marathon runners through her own charity Hope Runs, inspired by Sammy. Speaking in a steady, unemotional voice, Gilbert provides little differentiation between Sammy and Claire, whose points of view alternate throughout the production. Without accents, listeners have no sense that Sammy speaks Swahili and Kikuyu along with English. As a result, the story sounds as if it could be set in any poor, rural community. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2014]