Review of Eleven Miles from Drifter

Great debut novel

This is an enchanting 4 and 1/2 star story of a young girl’s struggle to overcome some fearsome obstacles in order to gain an education.

The story is set in Botswana and the African sun shines out of every page. The writing style is economic, easy to reads and appears effortless. The story of Boitumelo, a bright young school girl, is based on a true story and this adds to the enchantment. It sounds very African and in some ways it is, just as Alexander McCall’s stories are, but the theme is universal; something which also helps to draw the reader in.

Like any great story, while it is inspirational and uplifting it does have a dark side, adversity and tragedy have to be overcome.

Why didn’t I give it 5 stars? Because the reader is told, rather than shown, what’s happening and a couple of characters just seem to fade away.

For adults, well worth the read and I think younger readers would love it.

See Drifter’s original review on Goodreads