Homeland

George Obama's story would still be interesting even if he weren't the president's half-brother. The story of the Kenyan who lived in the suburbs but fell into drugs, alcohol, and crime offers glimpses of street life and culture in Nairobi. Dion Graham narrates with a gentle Kenyan accent and provides spot-on impressions of Barack Obama in his brief appearances in the narrative. Graham gives the story an optimistic tone, despite the rough times in George's life. Still, Graham conveys the sense of hopelessness in George's lowest moments. Listeners will find that George's writing takes them into Kenyan ghettos much as SHANTARAM took them into the Indian slums. J.A.S. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

May 1, 2010
The author recounts his inspirational journey of change, bookended by his first childhood meeting with his half-brother, Barack Obama, and his 2006 encounter with the man who would be President. Throughout, the 27-year-old Kenyan discusses both his life's influences and his darker moments, including the time he served in a Nairobi prison for armed robbery. Having vowed to turn his life around upon his release, Obama is today a community activist in Kenya and ambassador for the Kenyan slums. Narrator Dion Graham (see Behind the Mike, "LJ" 11/1/09) reads in an accent clearly denoting Obama's origins. Though the accent is convincing, listeners knowing it's not the real thing might wonder why Obama himself couldn't have narrated his own memoir. For those who enjoy memoirs and inspirational nonfiction as well as anyone interested in African politics and familial insights into the President.Lance Eaton, Peabody, MA

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