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Bingo's Run
Meet Bingo, the greatest drug runner in the slums of Kibera, Nairobi, and maybe the world. A teenage grifter, often mistaken for a younger boy, he faithfully serves Wolf, the drug lord of Kibera. Bingo spends his days throwing rocks at Krazi Hari, the prophet of Kibera’s garbage mound, “lipping” safari tourists of their cash, and hanging out with his best friend, Slo-George, a taciturn fellow whose girth is a mystery to Bingo in a place where there is never enough food. Bingo earns his keep by running “white” to a host of clients, including Thomas Hunsa, a reclusive artist whose paintings, rooted in African tradition, move him. But when Bingo witnesses a drug-related murder and Wolf sends him to an orphanage for “protection,” Bingo’s life changes and he learns that life itself is the “run.”
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
23 people are currently reading
608 people want to read
About the author
James A. Levine
21 books46 followersBorn and educated in England, James A. Levine is a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic who has worked with impoverished children in the United States and internationally for more than thirty years. He has won more than fifty major awards in science, consulted to numerous governments, and lectures to humanitarian groups around the world. He is the author of the novel The Blue Notebook.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
June 15, 2025
2.5/5. Entertaining story that took me on twists and turns that made me feel like you should never trust anyone. BUT a few things about this book just rub me the wrong way.
February 19, 2014
I really liked the beginning of this novel but it went somewhere totally unexpected and much less interesting. Bingo's ability to manipulate his circumstance is often impressive and actually endearing, despite it usually involving crime. Unfortunately, it turned in to some weird American-saviour piece. I enjoyed the writing and there were some lines in there that definitely stuck ("When you plow nothing you get nothing, but I still wanted to) and helped me feel an intimate understanding with the main character in a way most authors can easily fail to do. Getting through the entire book, though, became tiresome and unpleasant. Every aspect prior to Bingo's interaction with his American saviour is more interesting than what happens after, because it goes from being about this kid's life to something else. And reading the majority of this in one sitting really helped to underscore some odd shifts in behavior.
February 16, 2019
I think the theme of this book is how a family will always stick together and never betray each other. In this book, Bingo's family is being chased by a gang. The gang caught the father and killed him right away. But Bingo and his mom escaped. When the gang found them again, they were threatening them. Since they were poor, they couldn't give the gang anything valuable and decided to kill Bingo. But Bingo's mom decided to save Bingo, and let the gang kill her instead. This is how Bingo became an Orphan. But he still had a friend who is a great painter. They stayed together for a while. After a while, Bingo was taken to an orphanage. After a few days in the orphanage, a lady, who is a famous art dealer in America adopted him. Before Bingo is taken to America, he stayed in a hotel with his step-mom. In this hotel, there is a cleaner who Bingo likes. She has news to tell Bingo. She says to Bingo that the step-mom is just using him for his friends' art, which is worth millions. When Bingo told his step-mom what he heard, his step-mom said the cleaner told her the exact same thing. Soon, they found out that the cleaner is trying to split them apart, and their relationship became better and better. This is why I think this book really showed how a family is always a person's first priority, and that a family will never betray each other.
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September 26, 2022Bingo’s Run, by James A. Levine is a fiction book released in 2014 that takes place in Kenya, in the slums of Kibera and Nairobi in an unspecified time period, assumedly a bit before the book was published. Bingo is a 16 year old drug runner who is often mistaken for a young boy. Colette Steele is a rich art dealer from America who sets out to adopt bingo. Bingo works for the drug lord of Kibera, Wolf. But when he become the only witness to an important murder, he’s moved to an orphanage by Wolf to protect him. The central themes of the book are lying and family.
I liked seeing how Bingo views life, and how his life has shaped the way he sees things. This is because the unique perspective Bingo has lets you see another side of life, which is very enjoyable. I also liked reading the gripping plot and seeing everything wrapped up at the end. I liked that since it’s why I read, to get wrapped up in a story and see it to its end. I think this book is very good at describing its characters points of view.
I liked seeing how Bingo views life, and how his life has shaped the way he sees things. This is because the unique perspective Bingo has lets you see another side of life, which is very enjoyable. I also liked reading the gripping plot and seeing everything wrapped up at the end. I liked that since it’s why I read, to get wrapped up in a story and see it to its end. I think this book is very good at describing its characters points of view.
March 12, 2016
I am a sucker for stories about, or set in, Africa. I don't think I've ever read a bad one -- from Into the Out Of by Alan Dean Foster to The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver to many, many more, if a story is set in Africa it's going to make my list to read.
Bingo's Run is the latest Africa story, and it did not disappoint. I stumbled across Bingo's Run while I was browsing around for a new (audio)book after finishing The Golem and The Jinni, having never heard of the book or the author before. From the first line ("I am Bingo Mwolo. I am the greatest runner in Kibera, Nairobi, and probably the world") I was hooked.
Bingo's Run follows Bingo as he moves from being a drug runner to potentially an art dealer worth millions to almost dying: At the outset, Bingo introduces us to his life as a slum kid in Nairobi. His days begin with him and Slow George, his possibly-retarded friend, stealing some food from the market, then throwing rocks at a crazy bum at the dump before Bingo goes to his boss, Wolf, a relatively-higher-up in a drug trade. Bingo's job is to run drugs to various buyers around Kiberra and Nairobi, and he is, as he says, the best at it.
The story gets into motion when Bingo sees Wolf murder another dealer, and Bingo absconds with a briefcase holding $200,000. He ends up at an orphanage run by a crooked priest, and then, rather suddenly, adopted by a rich art dealer from the US.
To say more would spoil the rest of the story, which is full of twists and turns, double-crosses, arguments, sneaky maids, mysterious characters, corruption, and African legends. It's phenomenal. The story itself is gripping, but the atmosphere the author, James Levine, creates moves the story above 'really good' into great. Through Bingo's eyes we see the slums of Kiberra and the fancy hotels frequented by tourists, the insanity of artists in Nairobi, the grim reality of African jails and orphanages, and through Bingo's thoughts we get the confusion of a young boy trying to make sense of a world that's already chaotic and just gets more bewildering.
Bingo's own memories are parceled out through the story, along with what I took to be an African legend about the dawn of the human race, and his life is sad: he recalls spending time with his grandfather before the "gang boys" killed most of the village and forced his mom to flee -- and his memory of what then happened to his mom and how he feels about her is devastating. His friendship with Slow George is a wonder, and when the two get in an argument midway through the story I felt genuine anguish over it.
The ending to the story is, somehow, Gatsby-esque, and that's all I'll say about it: It evokes the ending of The Great Gatsby while being nothing like it at all, if that's possible.
)One thing that I find amazing is that the author was able to craft Bingo's life with what appears to be spot-on accuracy, from the language to the details of the city buses to everything, really; I'd assumed the author must be from Kenya or live there or something, but when I went to look up James Levine, I found out he's an English doctor who's now a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic. It seems his experience with Kenya comes from working with impoverished children, and PBS says he's also a "slam poetry champion." (He also wrote a book about how bad sitting is for you, I saw, which means he would likely take a dim view of what is pretty much my only form of exercise.) Plus he invented the treadmill desk. Levine himself seems about as interesting as his books: he used to drive around Cleveland at 2 a.m. and talk to drug dealers about diabetes.)
But back to Bingo's Run. Here's how gripping the end of the story was. Every night, I take Mr F for his nightly ride to calm him down enough to go to sleep. The usual route takes 26 minutes; a slight hitch can turn it into a 32 minute ride. But after the first 32 minutes, the story was so close to the end and getting so great that I looped us around another 1 1/2 times so we could hear the end and find out what happened without waiting until tonight.
Bingo's Run is one of those rare stories that I think everyone should read, even if you wouldn't ordinarily go for this kind of book. It's full of incredible, memorable characters, and has at least five scenes that you'll never forget. I may just buy the hard copy of it to have around.
Bingo's Run is the latest Africa story, and it did not disappoint. I stumbled across Bingo's Run while I was browsing around for a new (audio)book after finishing The Golem and The Jinni, having never heard of the book or the author before. From the first line ("I am Bingo Mwolo. I am the greatest runner in Kibera, Nairobi, and probably the world") I was hooked.
Bingo's Run follows Bingo as he moves from being a drug runner to potentially an art dealer worth millions to almost dying: At the outset, Bingo introduces us to his life as a slum kid in Nairobi. His days begin with him and Slow George, his possibly-retarded friend, stealing some food from the market, then throwing rocks at a crazy bum at the dump before Bingo goes to his boss, Wolf, a relatively-higher-up in a drug trade. Bingo's job is to run drugs to various buyers around Kiberra and Nairobi, and he is, as he says, the best at it.
The story gets into motion when Bingo sees Wolf murder another dealer, and Bingo absconds with a briefcase holding $200,000. He ends up at an orphanage run by a crooked priest, and then, rather suddenly, adopted by a rich art dealer from the US.
To say more would spoil the rest of the story, which is full of twists and turns, double-crosses, arguments, sneaky maids, mysterious characters, corruption, and African legends. It's phenomenal. The story itself is gripping, but the atmosphere the author, James Levine, creates moves the story above 'really good' into great. Through Bingo's eyes we see the slums of Kiberra and the fancy hotels frequented by tourists, the insanity of artists in Nairobi, the grim reality of African jails and orphanages, and through Bingo's thoughts we get the confusion of a young boy trying to make sense of a world that's already chaotic and just gets more bewildering.
Bingo's own memories are parceled out through the story, along with what I took to be an African legend about the dawn of the human race, and his life is sad: he recalls spending time with his grandfather before the "gang boys" killed most of the village and forced his mom to flee -- and his memory of what then happened to his mom and how he feels about her is devastating. His friendship with Slow George is a wonder, and when the two get in an argument midway through the story I felt genuine anguish over it.
The ending to the story is, somehow, Gatsby-esque, and that's all I'll say about it: It evokes the ending of The Great Gatsby while being nothing like it at all, if that's possible.
)One thing that I find amazing is that the author was able to craft Bingo's life with what appears to be spot-on accuracy, from the language to the details of the city buses to everything, really; I'd assumed the author must be from Kenya or live there or something, but when I went to look up James Levine, I found out he's an English doctor who's now a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic. It seems his experience with Kenya comes from working with impoverished children, and PBS says he's also a "slam poetry champion." (He also wrote a book about how bad sitting is for you, I saw, which means he would likely take a dim view of what is pretty much my only form of exercise.) Plus he invented the treadmill desk. Levine himself seems about as interesting as his books: he used to drive around Cleveland at 2 a.m. and talk to drug dealers about diabetes.)
But back to Bingo's Run. Here's how gripping the end of the story was. Every night, I take Mr F for his nightly ride to calm him down enough to go to sleep. The usual route takes 26 minutes; a slight hitch can turn it into a 32 minute ride. But after the first 32 minutes, the story was so close to the end and getting so great that I looped us around another 1 1/2 times so we could hear the end and find out what happened without waiting until tonight.
Bingo's Run is one of those rare stories that I think everyone should read, even if you wouldn't ordinarily go for this kind of book. It's full of incredible, memorable characters, and has at least five scenes that you'll never forget. I may just buy the hard copy of it to have around.
September 1, 2016
"But I start each day as I left the last - just me, Bingo. I carry nothing of yesterday. The past weighs you down; too much past and you stop. I am Bingo. I am a runner; the greatest runner in Kibera, Nairobi, and probably the world."
"I thought how quiet it must be under the blanket of the tarmac. There, everything is silence. But life is not that simple. Show me one road where the tarmac is smooth and even. You cannot. We are driven over so much that every road is cracked. No one knows quiet peace."
"Time to Hunsa was like the color of a car before it explodes - not that important."
"'The other way,' she said, and pointed her hoof down Salome Road. 'You will hear tha music. Then jus' follow the noise of Satan screamin.'"
"'Mr. Mwolo, would you care to hear a story my mother used to tell me?'
'Na,' I said.
'Then I shall tell it to the lampshade,' she said."
"That was Charity's kiss, the sweetest bliss. She had kissed a person that lived under my skin. I was not sure that I knew that Bingo, but I wanted to know him better; I wanted her to kiss him more."
"It makes big problems when too many people can read."
"The reason people rush is that they know they are going to die. If people lived forever, they would walk everywhere and never hurry."
"I thought how quiet it must be under the blanket of the tarmac. There, everything is silence. But life is not that simple. Show me one road where the tarmac is smooth and even. You cannot. We are driven over so much that every road is cracked. No one knows quiet peace."
"Time to Hunsa was like the color of a car before it explodes - not that important."
"'The other way,' she said, and pointed her hoof down Salome Road. 'You will hear tha music. Then jus' follow the noise of Satan screamin.'"
"'Mr. Mwolo, would you care to hear a story my mother used to tell me?'
'Na,' I said.
'Then I shall tell it to the lampshade,' she said."
"That was Charity's kiss, the sweetest bliss. She had kissed a person that lived under my skin. I was not sure that I knew that Bingo, but I wanted to know him better; I wanted her to kiss him more."
"It makes big problems when too many people can read."
"The reason people rush is that they know they are going to die. If people lived forever, they would walk everywhere and never hurry."
July 11, 2017
Finally the last of the Alex Winners. Phew!
This book was all over the freaking place. I loved the beginning and then had so many moments of, "wait, what?!" that I found it hard to finish this novel. Bingo's Run tells the story of a teenaged drug runner in Nairobi. With a terrible past, and frankly, a terrible present, he does what he can to survive and swears excessively in the process. Then there's a drugged-out master artist? Then there's a murder? Then there's an orphanage? Then there's a white woman who wants to adopt Bingo? Then there's a hotel maid? Ugh. I got tired of keeping track of the "And thens." This book had a lot of potential at the start, but it was trying to do too much and ended up a failure because of that. Great voice, but that was not enough to keep the story going.
This book was all over the freaking place. I loved the beginning and then had so many moments of, "wait, what?!" that I found it hard to finish this novel. Bingo's Run tells the story of a teenaged drug runner in Nairobi. With a terrible past, and frankly, a terrible present, he does what he can to survive and swears excessively in the process. Then there's a drugged-out master artist? Then there's a murder? Then there's an orphanage? Then there's a white woman who wants to adopt Bingo? Then there's a hotel maid? Ugh. I got tired of keeping track of the "And thens." This book had a lot of potential at the start, but it was trying to do too much and ended up a failure because of that. Great voice, but that was not enough to keep the story going.
April 22, 2015
I didn't really like this book much at the beginning. Bingo's life is centered among the most corrupt and vile people. Bingo is an orphan and a drug runner. BUT...as the story unfolded, I began to love the characters in this book - The African Picasso Hunsa, The Philosopher Krazi Hari, Slo-George, Colette Steele, Charity, and Bingo, of course! As lovable as these characters are, the villains are particularly loathsome. I found myself routing for Bingo and Colette as I raced through the African underworld in a twisty tale where the law of the land is hustle or be hustled. This story, both cruel and beautiful, is a heartwarming story of redemption The characters are sure to stay with you.
February 15, 2014
A good read for when you're feeling cynical. Everyone is a hustler in this story of Nairobi slum life. The police chief, the orphanage priest, the art gallery owner, maybe even the hotel cleaner. Certainly Bingo himself.
I'm not usually a fan of child narrators, but I fell for Bingo and his 13 commandments and the bits and pieces of fable-like stories that he remembered his grandfather telling him.
The best part of the book has to do with a contract that Bingo has a very unusual, street-side type of lawyer draft for him. The ups and downs of this contract are good fun, especially as a break from law school tales of contracts.
I'm not usually a fan of child narrators, but I fell for Bingo and his 13 commandments and the bits and pieces of fable-like stories that he remembered his grandfather telling him.
The best part of the book has to do with a contract that Bingo has a very unusual, street-side type of lawyer draft for him. The ups and downs of this contract are good fun, especially as a break from law school tales of contracts.
January 17, 2015
Mah..cominciare un commento così non è carino,
ma è quello che penso dopo aver finito di leggere
questo libro.
Indubbiamente una bella brutta storia di povertà
keniana, dove il protagonista corre, ma corre non
per sport, per guadagnarsi da vivere in maniera più
o meno pulita.
Però…secondo me, è raccontata in modo tale
da non coinvolgere pienamente il lettore, troppi
salti nella fantasia da parte del protagonista, troppi
racconti di personaggi più o meno reali che alla lunga
stancano e distolgono dal vero messaggio che il libro
vuole dare, il messaggio di povertà e inferno che
troppe persone sono ancora costrette a vivere.
ma è quello che penso dopo aver finito di leggere
questo libro.
Indubbiamente una bella brutta storia di povertà
keniana, dove il protagonista corre, ma corre non
per sport, per guadagnarsi da vivere in maniera più
o meno pulita.
Però…secondo me, è raccontata in modo tale
da non coinvolgere pienamente il lettore, troppi
salti nella fantasia da parte del protagonista, troppi
racconti di personaggi più o meno reali che alla lunga
stancano e distolgono dal vero messaggio che il libro
vuole dare, il messaggio di povertà e inferno che
troppe persone sono ancora costrette a vivere.
January 18, 2018
Rapidly becoming a fan of James A. Levine! I read his first novel "The Blue Notebook" earlier in the year for this same challenge.
Bingo's run was very different, yet the same captivating spell was cast and this book had me hooked!
I found Bingo to be endearing and even though the book made no apologies for his crimes and you couldn't help but fall for this hustler in Nairobi slum life.
The American saviour turn in the story almost spoiled things, but all in all I really enjoyed this book.
Bingo's run was very different, yet the same captivating spell was cast and this book had me hooked!
I found Bingo to be endearing and even though the book made no apologies for his crimes and you couldn't help but fall for this hustler in Nairobi slum life.
The American saviour turn in the story almost spoiled things, but all in all I really enjoyed this book.
August 29, 2014
An unexpectedly enjoyable book with a thoroughly original main character.
June 3, 2015
I really enjoyed the voice talent Peter Macoo that narrated this audiobook. Gives some insights to the struggles of poverty and how people find themselves in dire situations time and time again.
May 21, 2018
Definitely read the audiobook. The narrator is PERFECT, even putting a melody to songs heard on the radio. This was the kind of book that is served very well by being read out loud.
Plot wise this book gave me whiplash! But in a fun, unpredictable way that puts a smile on your face. Parts may feel a little half baked, a little red herring, but as it progresses you see that the story has more layers and moving parts than the giant trash pile. I thought it was a really good time. Wish the ending wasn't so vague though!
Plot wise this book gave me whiplash! But in a fun, unpredictable way that puts a smile on your face. Parts may feel a little half baked, a little red herring, but as it progresses you see that the story has more layers and moving parts than the giant trash pile. I thought it was a really good time. Wish the ending wasn't so vague though!
July 11, 2017
I almost chucked this after the 1st few chapters but am glad that I didn't. I enjoy picaresque novels, and the open-ended dénouement was perfect; it would have seemed too Disney if he had landed in the US. Some of the events seemed implausible or forced; seriously, any kid in that situation probably would not have made it to a double-digit age. The chapters seemed structured like screenplay scenes, so perhaps Bingo will end up in Hollywood.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2018
It took me a little while to get into this, probably because it is told from the point of view of a 13 year drug runner in Nairobi, so quite a different perspective than I'm used to. In the end I was very glad I read it. Lots of twists and turns, descriptions of slums and orphanages, interlaced with folktales filled with hidden wisdom.
August 2, 2024
the plot is rather convoluted and at points feels rather white savior-y. i enjoyed it, but i also thought some of the writing/plot choices were weird at best. also, definitely a product of its time--incessant use of what would now be considered slurs.
September 4, 2017
Deeply troubling and heartbreaking, but worth seeing it through.
May 8, 2018
One of the best books I have ever read. It is about the youth in Kenya and very interesting
October 6, 2018
In this humorous and poignant tale, a cheeky young narrator gives an eye-opening account of life in Nairobi's slums, as he survives by his wits as a drug runner while striving for something more.
Want to read
April 8, 2023to-read
June 22, 2015
Wow. This book took me on quite a departure from my insular suburban America neighborhood! Bingo is an orphan in Nairobi surviving by being a drug runner. He lives day by day, not looking into the future more than where the next run will take him. He witnesses a drug-related murder and gets sent to an orphanage to protect him from retaliation. Ultimately he gets adopted by an American woman, an art dealer, who Bingo suspects is also a hustler like him.
I enjoyed the escape to a new land that this book brought me. Nairobi is portrayed as a dog-eat-dog land where you are either powerful or work for those who are. There seems to be a lot of hustling and thievery (lipping) and drug running is rampant, at least according to Bingo. The book is told completely from Bingo's point of view and in his voice, the voice of a 15 year old "meejit" who looks to be about 10.
Great writing, fast paced, connected story, all loose ends are wrapped up nicely (thank you, editor!). I learned about a place and situations that I knew nothing about. True poverty and survival when you have nothing and no one but yourself to rely on, ok, maybe you might have a friend like Slo-George. Reliance on people who have their own interests closest at heart, scammers and corrupt officials, fascinating characters of both good and bad intent---it's all here. Loved the interaction near the end of the book between Krazi Hari and Mrs. Steele.
Here's an excerpt that I really liked (page 228) of the musing of the tree beside the garbage pile on which Krazi Hari lives and reads and expounds philosophy:
"The tree had seen the garbage grow and heard the lunatic scream many things. The tree knew that the world was a strange place, where the divine was called Krazi and the suffering cried, "It is God's will." The tree knew that one day it would see itself drown in man's waste. The tree was there to watch man destroy himself and the tree he once planted. The tree gives shade even to the man who sits against it with his axe."
I'd love for James A. Levine to write the next chapter in Bingo's story. What happens to him and Mrs. Steele when they get to America? DO they get to America? How does Bingo turn out?
I enjoyed the escape to a new land that this book brought me. Nairobi is portrayed as a dog-eat-dog land where you are either powerful or work for those who are. There seems to be a lot of hustling and thievery (lipping) and drug running is rampant, at least according to Bingo. The book is told completely from Bingo's point of view and in his voice, the voice of a 15 year old "meejit" who looks to be about 10.
Great writing, fast paced, connected story, all loose ends are wrapped up nicely (thank you, editor!). I learned about a place and situations that I knew nothing about. True poverty and survival when you have nothing and no one but yourself to rely on, ok, maybe you might have a friend like Slo-George. Reliance on people who have their own interests closest at heart, scammers and corrupt officials, fascinating characters of both good and bad intent---it's all here. Loved the interaction near the end of the book between Krazi Hari and Mrs. Steele.
Here's an excerpt that I really liked (page 228) of the musing of the tree beside the garbage pile on which Krazi Hari lives and reads and expounds philosophy:
"The tree had seen the garbage grow and heard the lunatic scream many things. The tree knew that the world was a strange place, where the divine was called Krazi and the suffering cried, "It is God's will." The tree knew that one day it would see itself drown in man's waste. The tree was there to watch man destroy himself and the tree he once planted. The tree gives shade even to the man who sits against it with his axe."
I'd love for James A. Levine to write the next chapter in Bingo's story. What happens to him and Mrs. Steele when they get to America? DO they get to America? How does Bingo turn out?
November 8, 2013
The city of Nairobi is as foreign to me as the world of the drug barons in its slum suburb of Kibera. But Levine has managed to make Bingo, the teenage drug runner at the centre of this book, and Nairobi, from its garbage strewn slums to its five star hotels, as familiar as any foreign city could be.
Bingo, also known as “Meejit” because of his short stature, is barely four feet tall and at age fifteen has the appearance of a ten year old, which helps him to fly under the radar of the local police, led by the evil Chief Gihilihili, and rival drug barons. Bingo asserts that he is the best drug runner in Kibera and his strong sense of justice and his strongly defined set of commandments which he applies consistently to his job allow him to remain so.
Bingo witnesses the murder of a rival drug baron and his boss “Wolf” places him in an orphanage run by Father Matthew, a paedophile and conman who is also embroiled in the drug business. A wealthy American woman becomes captivated by Bingo and applies to adopt him, but things are not quite what they seem and Bingo finds himself in trouble again.
This was a fascinating book on many levels. The perfect voice of Bingo, the intriguing characters he was involved with, the exciting city landscape and the delightful undercurrent of humour throughout, all combined to provide an entertaining and memorable story.
Bingo, also known as “Meejit” because of his short stature, is barely four feet tall and at age fifteen has the appearance of a ten year old, which helps him to fly under the radar of the local police, led by the evil Chief Gihilihili, and rival drug barons. Bingo asserts that he is the best drug runner in Kibera and his strong sense of justice and his strongly defined set of commandments which he applies consistently to his job allow him to remain so.
Bingo witnesses the murder of a rival drug baron and his boss “Wolf” places him in an orphanage run by Father Matthew, a paedophile and conman who is also embroiled in the drug business. A wealthy American woman becomes captivated by Bingo and applies to adopt him, but things are not quite what they seem and Bingo finds himself in trouble again.
This was a fascinating book on many levels. The perfect voice of Bingo, the intriguing characters he was involved with, the exciting city landscape and the delightful undercurrent of humour throughout, all combined to provide an entertaining and memorable story.
May 1, 2014
I've seen favelas in Rio and huts in the worst of Soweto, but never seen the Nairobi garbage dump in Kibera where Bingo the midget lives but I feel I have seen it from James Levine's portrayal! Bingo at 14 years appears jaunty as "the best" drug runner. He slips in and out of nice hotels and office buildings with his "white" and brings money back to his boss and gets his little cut. He seems to have learned to read and hustle when younger. This is a story of who hustles whom. The drug bosses, the Priest who runs the orphanage, the maid at the hotel where he gets taken while awaiting his chance for America, or the gallery owner from America who is adopting him. He has his own set of morals (read that rules) that mostly come not from the religious people he learns from but from the fables and stories of his tribe.
The characters in this play are each low life but surely have different personalities. George is slow. The "Masta" draws his art from hallucinations. The head of police is cruel. The Priest is a hypocrite. The hotel maid is a smart ass. I can't stand any of them. I wonder what kind of release from stress writing this sort of book brings to this author, James A. Levine, a doctor of Endocrinology at the Mayo Clinic in AZ?
The characters in this play are each low life but surely have different personalities. George is slow. The "Masta" draws his art from hallucinations. The head of police is cruel. The Priest is a hypocrite. The hotel maid is a smart ass. I can't stand any of them. I wonder what kind of release from stress writing this sort of book brings to this author, James A. Levine, a doctor of Endocrinology at the Mayo Clinic in AZ?
April 13, 2015
Bingo makes his living as a drug runner. He lives in Kenya. He is proud of his ability to run the drugs without being caught. But, one night he sees one drug dealer kill another one. The murdering drug dealer had specifically told Bingo not to deliver drugs to the dead drug dealer until after 9 p.m. Because he wanted to meet a girl Bingo went early. So, he was there when the dealer was shot. He steals some money and a gun from the scene. The first drug dealer sends him to an orphange to hide (not realizing that Bingo saw the crime).
While at the orphanage Bingo becomes aware of how widespread the drug business actually is. He also gets a chance to be adopted by an American woman.
There are a couple of other side stories happening concurrently. The book is interesting and well written. It just wasn't my cup of tea.
While at the orphanage Bingo becomes aware of how widespread the drug business actually is. He also gets a chance to be adopted by an American woman.
There are a couple of other side stories happening concurrently. The book is interesting and well written. It just wasn't my cup of tea.
September 2, 2016
This book is escapism at its best, even if the place you're escaping to isn't a paradise. I felt I got a very realistic portrayal of life in a major African metropolis where everyday is a struggle to survive and the ability to outwit is perhaps the most necessary skill.
The main character of Bingo is a precocious teenager, who believes nobody can outsmart him and, due to his experience, is mistrustful of almost everyone and everything. He's not perfect, and is certainly a criminal, but he's still a likeable guy.
I enjoyed the pacing and narrative, but I didn't really like the "choose your own adventure" type ending, that leaves the reader to decide on what kind of fate Bingo chose. I felt that was a bit of a cop out on the author's part.
The main character of Bingo is a precocious teenager, who believes nobody can outsmart him and, due to his experience, is mistrustful of almost everyone and everything. He's not perfect, and is certainly a criminal, but he's still a likeable guy.
I enjoyed the pacing and narrative, but I didn't really like the "choose your own adventure" type ending, that leaves the reader to decide on what kind of fate Bingo chose. I felt that was a bit of a cop out on the author's part.
November 6, 2015
Bingo’s Run keeps the reader guessing which characters are good and which are evil the whole time. The story centers around Bingo, a fifteen year old drug runner. While he boasts that he is the greatest runner in the world, he is also alone, and has nowhere to turn after he witnesses a murder. He is sent to an orphanage for protection, and is eventually adopted. But is he able to trust the people who set up the adoption? What about his adopted mother? There is a fair amount of mythology woven in, which can be distracting for lower level readers. The ending is surprising, but leaves some unanswered questions.
July 24, 2019
Although I enjoyed reading this book and was taken by the story, I did not feel completely drawn in and convinced by the plot. I was more focused on the main character and what he experienced in his world, which is Kibera, Nairobi, one of the largest urban slums in Africa. He had to go through some pretty crazy things and the author's descriptions are sometimes graphic and intense, but overall beautiful and seen from the perspective of a 15-year-old boy becoming man. It's a quick and interesting read with a captivating setting and I feel I've learned a good amount about modern-day Kenya after reading this book.
March 31, 2014
I read this in Nairobi and it was hard to believe I was reading about the same city. That came as no surprise, given that I was staying in a posh area and have never been to Kibera. "Bingo's Run" is a good reminder that just because you've physically been to a place doesn't mean you know it in any deep way.
I liked the book a lot in the beginning, but then it veered too far into parable and magical realism for my taste. The ending seemed to just throw all the characters together in a rather superficial way.
I liked the book a lot in the beginning, but then it veered too far into parable and magical realism for my taste. The ending seemed to just throw all the characters together in a rather superficial way.
March 22, 2014
Excellent book. Gives one a view of the nitty gritties of the hard life that children in the slums of Nairobi live from day to day. Full of humor and an entertaining read despite the grim subject. Speaks to the skill of the author that he is able to sketch out a lovable character who, despite all his faults, is able to evoke sympathy from the reader. Very human also, as every character has both merits and faults.
A bit like the Other Hand by Chris Cleeve. But that book was ultimately more realistic than this one, as the end seems to have been patched together hurriedly.
A bit like the Other Hand by Chris Cleeve. But that book was ultimately more realistic than this one, as the end seems to have been patched together hurriedly.
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