I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives
Martin Ganda · Caitlin Alifirenka
Apr 2015 · Sold by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
4.7star
21 reviews
Ebook
400
Pages
family_home
Eligible
info
About this ebook
The New York Times bestselling true story of an all-American girl and a boy from Zimbabwe and the letter that changed both of their lives forever.
It started as an assignment... Everyone in Caitlin's class wrote to an unknown student somewhere in a distant place.
Martin was lucky to even receive a pen-pal letter. There were only ten letters, and fifty kids in his class. But he was the top student, so he got the first one.
That letter was the beginning of a correspondence that spanned six years and changed two lives.
In this compelling dual memoir, Caitlin and Martin recount how they became best friends—and better people—through their long-distance exchange. Their story will inspire you to look beyond your own life and wonder about the world at large and your place in it.
It started as an assignment... Everyone in Caitlin's class wrote to an unknown student somewhere in a distant place.
Martin was lucky to even receive a pen-pal letter. There were only ten letters, and fifty kids in his class. But he was the top student, so he got the first one.
That letter was the beginning of a correspondence that spanned six years and changed two lives.
In this compelling dual memoir, Caitlin and Martin recount how they became best friends—and better people—through their long-distance exchange. Their story will inspire you to look beyond your own life and wonder about the world at large and your place in it.
Ratings and reviews
4.7
21 reviews
Kevin Haddad
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June 12, 2023
I absolutely loved this book. It is geared toward adults, but I think it can be enjoyed as young as middle school. Martin provides a window into a very difficult time in Zimbabwe. I found this book does an excellent job showing how many American youth can comprehend the desperate poverty that still exists in many parts of the world and the life changing benefits of connecting personally with people in other countries.
Smooth Via
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January 16, 2018
Fascinating and heartwarming. I have worked in East Africa most of my life and have lived there full-time for many years. But even without that connection, I would have still loved this book. The friendship between Martin and Caitlin is inspiring. Martin's story of overcoming all the odds is inspiring. I love this book on some many levels for so many reasons.
3 people found this review helpful
Kate McHugh
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January 10, 2016
I think it was a very good book and I enjoyed it a lot. Some parts were happy and some parts touched your heart. I would recommend it and I am amazed it is a true story.
About the author
Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda met as pen pals in 1997 and are still best friends today. Caitlin, an ER nurse, lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and young daughters. Martin currently lives in New York. He has dual degrees in mathematics and economics from Villanova University and an MBA in finance from Duke University.
Liz Welch is an award-winning journalist and memoirist whose critically acclaimed first book, The Kids Are All Right co-authored with her sister Diana Welch, won an ALA Alex Award. Her stories have appeared in the New York Times, Parade, Life, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, Glamour, Real Simple, Self, Marie Claire, and other publications.
Liz Welch is an award-winning journalist and memoirist whose critically acclaimed first book, The Kids Are All Right co-authored with her sister Diana Welch, won an ALA Alex Award. Her stories have appeared in the New York Times, Parade, Life, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, Glamour, Real Simple, Self, Marie Claire, and other publications.
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