Writing - also a passion of mine. I'm sure I've said this before, but if I don't write it down, it's like I haven't fully lived it yet.
Because of these two loves, I periodically find myself signing up to review books. What could be better than reading and writing, right? Yeah, notsomuch. I'm terrible at it! I think maybe it's a curse. I honestly don't know why I keep doing it (signing up to review books, that is); obviously I'm a slow learner.
So here's the deal: I'm not going to pretend that I can write a good review of this book. In return for my honesty, I just ask that you trust my plain facts presentation. Okee-dokey?
My favorite read is fiction. Fiction is my soap opera, and I love losing myself in the story. I especially love Christian fiction, for obvious reasons. My next is Christian non-fiction. I am a knowledge junkie, so I must get my fix of "how to"s and personal growth. My least favorite genres to read - autobiographies and memoires. I'm sorry, but there are an awful lot of people out there who bore me!
So what book do I offer to review? Our Witchdoctors Are Too Weak: The rebirth of an Amazon tribe (by Davey & Marie Jank). It is described as "an astonishing autobiography." Oh, the irony...
Here's the thing...this autobiography read like a comedic fiction novel. Not a novel, exactly, but a series of short stories. Hilarious! Quick! Easy! So unbelievably interesting! Once I began, I could not stop reading. I even found myself giggling in bed at the antics of the jungle people, the jungle creatures, and the jungle missionaries.
At one point, I realized that Davey had been in the Amazon for over seven years studying the Wilo language before he met and married Marie. Seven years! And ten years in the jungle before he understood the language well enough to begin teaching the Bible. Ten years! It sure didn't feel that long to me as I read his accounts. He didn't dish out some "woe is me" hard life tale. Although I cannot imagine that it was anything but unbelievably difficult. Instead, he shared their story with such wit that I enjoyed his impossibly long time of jungle living.
My review wouldn't be complete if I didn't confess that I cried at the end. Bayuli, one of the Wilo people, gave a poignant account of the Truths of the Bible and his faith - it was like Scripture itself, so beautiful. Proof that all people were created with a longing to know and understand the ways of God.
The only downfall of this book is its length. When you pick it up, it is thick! Let me just say, the thickness is deceptive (as is the long list of chapters). The chapters are brief, succinct, and super funny. The reading was much faster than I expected based on my initial impression.
This book has made me re-think my whole perspective on autobiographies. I just might need to try reading them more often! I am also, however, rethinking my foolish idea of combining my two loves by writing book reviews.
I do hope you'll see past my lack of skill in this area and just read the book. You'll giggle so much that I know you won't regret it. Click to buy it now.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of Our Witchdoctors Are Too Weak from the publisher for the purpose of writing a review. I would not, however, ever promote any book, product, or person that I don't actually believe in. So you can trust me, even when they give me free books.
