What do you think?
Rate this book
Heartprints of Africa: A Family's Story of Faith, Love, Adventure, and Turmoil: Volume 1
When Cinda decides to visit her identical twin, Linda, and family in Northern Uganda, little does she know they will soon be running for their lives. How did a relaxing vacation result in a terrifying escape from artillery and automatic gunfire? The answer begins four decades earlier when their parents and family of five children leave everything familiar in America to start life as medical missionaries in rural East Africa.
Three generations of a family’s love, forged by shared faith, struggles, and triumphs, serve them now as they fight for survival.
Three generations of a family’s love, forged by shared faith, struggles, and triumphs, serve them now as they fight for survival.
265 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 17, 2015
About the author
Cinda Adams Brooks
2 books6 followersCinda grew up with her identical twin, Linda, and three brothers in East Africa where their parents served as medical missionaries. Her nursing, health education, and law enforcement careers combined for a rich twenty-year career teaching fitness, wellness, defensive tactics, and survival at the Texas Game Warden Training Academy. She currently pursues her mission -- to unleash the champion in people -- through her volunteer work in the Discovery Program and her connections with people that cross her path.
Cinda lives near Austin, Texas, with her husband, Stanley, and Rhodesian ridgeback puppy, Buddy. Among her interests are travel and competitive sports. She is a gold medalist in the World Police and Fire Games in biathlon (running and pistol shooting), rowing, cross country, and cycling.
Cinda lives near Austin, Texas, with her husband, Stanley, and Rhodesian ridgeback puppy, Buddy. Among her interests are travel and competitive sports. She is a gold medalist in the World Police and Fire Games in biathlon (running and pistol shooting), rowing, cross country, and cycling.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
October 20, 2015
Cinda Adams Brooks’ memoir sizzles with the sights, sounds, and smells of her African childhood in the 1960s juxtaposed with a perilous return to that world as an adult. Brooks describes living in a place where the local greeting translates into “Are you alive?” – a logical question in a land where a life’s focus is on survival. She writes matter-of-factly of nights punctuated by “the cough and deep resonating roar” of lions and a vast orchestra of other beasts. Her descriptions of local delicacies including a Masai cocktail (involving cow blood), warthog fajitas and fried grasshoppers bring them to life in a most visceral way. Throughout her story, her parents’ sense of duty and love for their children provide an environment of safety in an unsafe land. Her mother’s motto of “doing what we have to do” is an echoing theme, and becomes a critical mantra in the Uganda of 2004 as the adult Cinda finds herself and her family members unexpectedly running for their lives. Reading “Heartprints of Africa” is an immersive experience, one that will not be easily forgotten.
February 3, 2017
This book kept me captivated from the start. The author recalls memories, growing up as a missionary kid in Tanzania in the 1960's as well as a return visit to Uganda in 2004 to visit her twin sister. The chapters of the 1960's gives an insight to an idyllic life filled with adventure, fun, laughter and fond family memories, as her parents work as medical missionaries to the tribal people. This is contrasted to a different Africa in 2004 where conflict and war brings a danger beyond wild animals and disease. The family's faith, dedication and commitment to the African people shines through and gives a real human side to this true story, where decisions have to made as to what is really important in life. If you love Africa this book is a must read, bringing out the sounds, sights, smells and culture of this amazing land.
December 7, 2015
What a tale this is! Cinda’s memoir begins in 2004 when she and her husband visit her sister in Uganda. Trouble is brewing between various factions and almost immediately they find themselves desperately running for their lives. The narrative had me holding my breath as it is so dramatic and terrifying. The tale of the family’s flight is cleverly woven together with the story of Cinda’s childhood in Africa. She moved to Tanzania as a five year old child when her parents were called to be Missionaries. Her father closed his medical clinic to work in a hospital compound in Mbeya. She, her twin sister Linda and her three brothers grew up there and were home schooled by their very capable mother. The family are bound together by strong bonds of love and faith which have endured to this day. The story is beautifully told with wonderful descriptions of childhood adventures and it’s easy to see how they all developed into very capable and self reliant people. Their parents were inspirational and dedicated people who wanted to serve others. They were a great example. Each chapter has a heading with a few words of dialect which is a nice touch. It also helps the reader follow both strands of the narrative. It’s a story full of fun, heartbreak, excitement and above all an enduring love of family. It’s a superb story and I would wholeheartedly recommend it. I can see why Africa has left heartprints.
September 21, 2016
I was delighted with this book. I've been meaning to read it for a while and finally downloaded it and took it with me on a trip to San Diego last week. I didn't know what to expect since the main reason I read it was that the author went to school in Kenya with my family BUT I was hooked from the first few pages.
This story of a few days of challenges as the author visits her twin sister and family in northern Uganda, is interspersed with tales of the author's family's missionary years in Tanzania and Kenya. The challenges and delights of a childhood in the bush of Africa are so well described that you can see yourself there. It may help that I spent 6 childhood years in an African city....but I still believe anyone would enjoy these tales.
Additionally, the strength and dedication of the author's sister and brother-in-law and their children in living in a remote area during unsettled times, are admirable. I went to school with some many American and Canadian children who lived in Africa because one or both parents were Christian missionaries but I don't remember many conversations about their lives in other places. Maybe that's the denial or self-absorption of teen years but now, as a 60 year old, I truly appreciated this book.
This story of a few days of challenges as the author visits her twin sister and family in northern Uganda, is interspersed with tales of the author's family's missionary years in Tanzania and Kenya. The challenges and delights of a childhood in the bush of Africa are so well described that you can see yourself there. It may help that I spent 6 childhood years in an African city....but I still believe anyone would enjoy these tales.
Additionally, the strength and dedication of the author's sister and brother-in-law and their children in living in a remote area during unsettled times, are admirable. I went to school with some many American and Canadian children who lived in Africa because one or both parents were Christian missionaries but I don't remember many conversations about their lives in other places. Maybe that's the denial or self-absorption of teen years but now, as a 60 year old, I truly appreciated this book.
January 21, 2017
A beautifully written memoir of family, faith and adventure. This is not a book I could speed read through nor did I want to. Cinda writes her of her families lives in 1960's Africa and twin Linda's family life as missionaries in 2004 Africa. I love how she intertwines the two stories to tell the tale. At a young age, their parents prepare the twins and their three brothers for life and to have a deep connection with God. Their connection to Africa runs deep and me love the continent that I have always wanted to visit even more.
May 22, 2025
A book I couldn't put down.
Wow! The life of a missionary offers an experience unlike anything most of us can envision. It’s a journey full of adventure and challenges. I was captivated by the intricate details about Africa; my desire to visit is alive! But to live there, that would be hard.
This book is well-written and will appeal to both travelers and curious readers eager to learn about the rich culture and unique customs found in Uganda and Tanzania. Make sure you have several free hours available before you start reading, though, because you won’t be able to stop.
Wow! The life of a missionary offers an experience unlike anything most of us can envision. It’s a journey full of adventure and challenges. I was captivated by the intricate details about Africa; my desire to visit is alive! But to live there, that would be hard.
This book is well-written and will appeal to both travelers and curious readers eager to learn about the rich culture and unique customs found in Uganda and Tanzania. Make sure you have several free hours available before you start reading, though, because you won’t be able to stop.
June 9, 2016
"Like a thumbprint, a heartprint is unique. Life experiences, victories, struggles, and wounds are their ridges and valleys. Unlike footprints, swept away as a fading memory, they endure and connect across generations and cultures. Africa lures its people back. A call, dampened by the busyness of American life, never disappears. It still whispers and beckons to me in the quiet." —Cinda Adams Brooks
In 2004, bullets are starting to fly near the Uganda town where the author's twin sister, Linda, has lived with her husband and four children for decades as missionaries. She decides to send a compelling message to Brooks, in Texas:
"We quit traveling overland to Kampala because of the dangers on the road. Now we feel that trouble is brewing too close to home. It is time to leave. I want you to experience this mysterious place before we go; it tops any place we have ever lived. We will run, rock climb, join Byron in his walking ministry, and do surgery at the hospital. Just come play with me in Africa."
With much anticipation and some foreboding, Brooks and her husband safely make their passage to Africa. In the midst of the joyous reunion between the sisters and their families, Linda's daughter, Jessica, asks, "Mom, what was it like when you and Nuna [their endearing name for Cinda] came to Africa when you were little girls?"
In answer, the author slides us back four decades to Seminole, Texas. One evening in the 1960s, John and Martha Adams called their five children—Cinda and Linda, 4, Chipper, 2, and older brothers Jim and Steve—to gather for a family meeting. The Adams told their children that they were selling their medical clinic in Texas. Within the year, the family would move to rural West Africa as missionaries to live in a hospital compound in Tanzania.
The author then weaves together side-by-side stories of two different Africas. The first is the peaceful Africa she and her family lived in, played in, thrived in, and which left unforgettable heartprints during their 1960s and 70s childhood. While her sister remained in Africa, the author returned to the US. The second is the story of the Africa of 2004, when this memoir opens, in which Adams and her family literally run for their lives for six miles to the nearby tiny airport, where a small plane waits to lift them up and away from warriors now periously close to their town.
I highly recommend Heartprints of Africa for many reasons: the story itself; the vibrancy and energy with which the story is told; and the way the richly developed characters all come together in a sweet immersion for the reader into the culture, the people, and the place, as well as the history—of Africa. Another wonderful plus for me was the time spent in the company of the extraordinary, faith-filled, and happy Adams family. Heartprints of Africa is one of those books that one loves to discover: a book one does not want to put down.
by Mary Jo Doig
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
April 30, 2016
Aside from the fact that Cinda Brooks had told me that bullets are flying in the opening scene of her book, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I bought her memoir, African Heartprints. After all, it is about her experience growing up as a missionary kid in Tanzania in the 1960s interwoven with an account of a return trip to Uganda in 2004 to visit her identical twin sister Linda, who is living a remake of their mother’s life. Would Cinda’s memoir be filled with syrupy witness? Definitely not! Faith is witnessed by thrilling actions. The story testifies to the power of family bonds and the visceral appeal of Africa and her people.
The theme is found in the title: Heartprints. “Like a thumbprint, a heartprint is unique. Life experiences, victories, struggles, and wounds are their ridges and valleys. Unlike footprints, swept away as a fading memory, they endure and connect across generations and cultures.” Her story is full of heartprints that contrast with candid accounts of seeming futility due to the East African cultural lack of accountability necessary for maintaininng gifts of the western world. Unlike futile physical gifts, heartprints are reciprocal.
Those bullets at the beginning set the story stage. The story line weaves across time, comparing missionary life as it was when the Twindas were young with tense conditions at the time of the return visit. I developed deep respect for Mrs. Adams, a true Proverbs 31 woman able to plan annual shopping trips for a year’s supplies, home school five children, house and cook for a small army of visitors, and make rounds of the village – often while suffering bouts of malaria. Dr. Adams deepened the kids’ love of Africa with frequent safaris and cross-country trips in their Land Rovers.
Besides tension and local color, the story is full of humor, sometimes unintentional. For example, after hearing about “colored people,” the twins expected to see people with skin colored blue, green, or whatever. Months passed before they accepted the reality that “color” was limited to hues of brown. Clothing differences were another source of humor. “I could be topless, bare, and with boobs bouncing – no different from exposed elbows – but heaven forbid I should show my legs.”
Cinda Brooks does a splendid job of laying out pictures of African missionary life back then and more recently, showing how it has affected three generations of Adams family members while leaving us to draw our own conclusions. While a bit ragged at times, the writing is real and authentic, and the story carries the day. I admire and respect her candor and feel it truly deserves five stars. I look forward to reading future volumes in this series.
The theme is found in the title: Heartprints. “Like a thumbprint, a heartprint is unique. Life experiences, victories, struggles, and wounds are their ridges and valleys. Unlike footprints, swept away as a fading memory, they endure and connect across generations and cultures.” Her story is full of heartprints that contrast with candid accounts of seeming futility due to the East African cultural lack of accountability necessary for maintaininng gifts of the western world. Unlike futile physical gifts, heartprints are reciprocal.
Those bullets at the beginning set the story stage. The story line weaves across time, comparing missionary life as it was when the Twindas were young with tense conditions at the time of the return visit. I developed deep respect for Mrs. Adams, a true Proverbs 31 woman able to plan annual shopping trips for a year’s supplies, home school five children, house and cook for a small army of visitors, and make rounds of the village – often while suffering bouts of malaria. Dr. Adams deepened the kids’ love of Africa with frequent safaris and cross-country trips in their Land Rovers.
Besides tension and local color, the story is full of humor, sometimes unintentional. For example, after hearing about “colored people,” the twins expected to see people with skin colored blue, green, or whatever. Months passed before they accepted the reality that “color” was limited to hues of brown. Clothing differences were another source of humor. “I could be topless, bare, and with boobs bouncing – no different from exposed elbows – but heaven forbid I should show my legs.”
Cinda Brooks does a splendid job of laying out pictures of African missionary life back then and more recently, showing how it has affected three generations of Adams family members while leaving us to draw our own conclusions. While a bit ragged at times, the writing is real and authentic, and the story carries the day. I admire and respect her candor and feel it truly deserves five stars. I look forward to reading future volumes in this series.
September 21, 2015
I was fortunate to be given a copy of this book by a third party, to beta read prior to publication.
The continent of Africa frequently conjures romantic images in the mind, of life on the veldts, safari, wild animals, heat and relaxation. Rarely does it suggest long separations from family on another continent, intense heat, long travels on dusty roads, home schooling children, illness and tribal wars. Cinda Adams Brooks' memoir contains all of these experiences and more. As a child in the 1960s, she travelled with her family (parents, twin sister and three brothers) to Africa so that her father could offer medical services at a church mission hospital and outlying areas in parts of Tanzania. Many years later, Cinda's twin Linda, eventually returned to Africa with her husband and children, to participate in mission work in Northern Kenya, Uganda and southern Sudan, from their base in Uganda.
The author's memoir begins in 2004, when she and her husband are living in the USA and accept an invitation to visit Linda and family in Uganda, in spite of knowing that there are troubles beginning to brew between tribes surrounding the area in which the family are living. The story is a mix of the author re-living memories of Africa as a child, combined with the experiences of a what is intended to be a relaxing holiday in Uganda with her sister, brother-in-law and three nieces. Plans are made and a reunion takes place with family the author loves dearly, and on a continent that has claimed part of both Cinda's and Linda's hearts, from the time spent in Africa during their own childhood.
This is a powerful memoir full of recollections of the author's childhood, entwined with the current lives of her sister and her family. Each chapter heading indicates the time period of the events so it is simple to follow the two entwining stories. It is a story of faith, resilience, love, passion, illness, heart-break and fear. It is also a story of literally running for their lives, away from tribes in a country where tribal territory and pay-back are an important part of that country's culture. I highly recommend this superb book.
The continent of Africa frequently conjures romantic images in the mind, of life on the veldts, safari, wild animals, heat and relaxation. Rarely does it suggest long separations from family on another continent, intense heat, long travels on dusty roads, home schooling children, illness and tribal wars. Cinda Adams Brooks' memoir contains all of these experiences and more. As a child in the 1960s, she travelled with her family (parents, twin sister and three brothers) to Africa so that her father could offer medical services at a church mission hospital and outlying areas in parts of Tanzania. Many years later, Cinda's twin Linda, eventually returned to Africa with her husband and children, to participate in mission work in Northern Kenya, Uganda and southern Sudan, from their base in Uganda.
The author's memoir begins in 2004, when she and her husband are living in the USA and accept an invitation to visit Linda and family in Uganda, in spite of knowing that there are troubles beginning to brew between tribes surrounding the area in which the family are living. The story is a mix of the author re-living memories of Africa as a child, combined with the experiences of a what is intended to be a relaxing holiday in Uganda with her sister, brother-in-law and three nieces. Plans are made and a reunion takes place with family the author loves dearly, and on a continent that has claimed part of both Cinda's and Linda's hearts, from the time spent in Africa during their own childhood.
This is a powerful memoir full of recollections of the author's childhood, entwined with the current lives of her sister and her family. Each chapter heading indicates the time period of the events so it is simple to follow the two entwining stories. It is a story of faith, resilience, love, passion, illness, heart-break and fear. It is also a story of literally running for their lives, away from tribes in a country where tribal territory and pay-back are an important part of that country's culture. I highly recommend this superb book.
May 11, 2018
This was a fascinating account of both the author's life growing up in Africa as the daughter of a missionary and then the experience she and her husband have when they go back to to Africa visit her identical twin sister Linda and Linda's husband and children now serving as missionaries in Africa. I have been involved in church and religious/spiritual activities my entire life, much of it in Southern Baptist churches (which is the denomination Cinda's family was involved with during her childhood missionary life) so I was quite familiar with missionaries. However, I had never heard the kinds of details about their lives that are shared in this story. I only had a vague idea of what their lives were like so this book was a very eye-opening experience for me.
The narration switches back and forth between the Cinda's life growing up in Africa as an 'MK' (missionary kid) in the late 50's and 60's to the year 2004 when she and her husband Stanley go to to Uganda to visit her identical twin sister Linda, Linda's husband Byron, and their 3 children. Cinda is in her early 40's at this time, is a registered nurse and works with Texas game wardens doing fitness and survival training. When she and Stanley arrive in Uganda, there is a lot of tension and fighting between various tribes and the national army.
I have had personal friendships with 2 missionary families, one of which has been in the Philippines for many years and the other family had just returned from Africa on furlough when I met them so this book was especially meaningful to me.
Although the book touches upon spiritual matters, it could be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys learning about the cultures of other people. There is definitely an element of suspense in the 2004 storyline as well. I highly recommend it!
The narration switches back and forth between the Cinda's life growing up in Africa as an 'MK' (missionary kid) in the late 50's and 60's to the year 2004 when she and her husband Stanley go to to Uganda to visit her identical twin sister Linda, Linda's husband Byron, and their 3 children. Cinda is in her early 40's at this time, is a registered nurse and works with Texas game wardens doing fitness and survival training. When she and Stanley arrive in Uganda, there is a lot of tension and fighting between various tribes and the national army.
I have had personal friendships with 2 missionary families, one of which has been in the Philippines for many years and the other family had just returned from Africa on furlough when I met them so this book was especially meaningful to me.
Although the book touches upon spiritual matters, it could be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys learning about the cultures of other people. There is definitely an element of suspense in the 2004 storyline as well. I highly recommend it!
September 21, 2015
I was lucky enough to beta-read this Memoir by Cinda Adams Brooks - It took 5 years for the Author to put together and in my humble opion she should be very pleased with her efforts. 2004 - The Author & her husband are making plans to visit with her twin sister Linda - Linda lives with her family in Uganda - Very exciting for them all as they are a very close-family - The holiday/visit begins wonderfully until their lives are turned inside-out/upside-down when they realise danger is a-foot - they hear gunshots and artillery fire in the distance and have word that it's getting closer to where they are - they must run for their lives.!!
A few decades earlier, the Authors parents, leave their life in America to become medical missionaries in East Africa - they have their young family with them - The Author tells of her childhood there and of the adventures she had whilst travelling around. The different times covered in this Memoir flow brilliantly and keep you hooked. I have always had an interest in Africa - love reading memoirs - especially those 'travel' or 'moving to another country' and of course 'survival' - This Memoir covers all of those and is a great insight into the Author's family, love, faith, travel, work and tenacity - Forgive me, I am not a writer so rarely have sufficient words but I hope my honest review helps - I am happy to recommend this Memoir.
A few decades earlier, the Authors parents, leave their life in America to become medical missionaries in East Africa - they have their young family with them - The Author tells of her childhood there and of the adventures she had whilst travelling around. The different times covered in this Memoir flow brilliantly and keep you hooked. I have always had an interest in Africa - love reading memoirs - especially those 'travel' or 'moving to another country' and of course 'survival' - This Memoir covers all of those and is a great insight into the Author's family, love, faith, travel, work and tenacity - Forgive me, I am not a writer so rarely have sufficient words but I hope my honest review helps - I am happy to recommend this Memoir.
October 5, 2016
This was a really good story of a strong family that moved to Africa as medical missionaries in 1960. It is told by one of the daughters Cinda and her twin Linda as a contributor.
This book goes between their life growing up with their parents at their different missions around Africa, to 2004 where Cinda who lives in Texas goes back to Africa, with her husband to visit her sister who has carried on the tradition of being a missionary with her husband and kids.
They seemed to have had an Ideal life growing up, in the 1960's immersing themselves into a different culture and becoming invested in the lives of the people, they are working with and helping. Between their different missions in Africa, they were able to travel around the world a bit, giving them a wonderful education. Cinda and Linda also have 3 brothers, 2 who have stayed in Africa and one who lives in the United States.
The trip back to visit her sister and which brings back her wonderful memories of the life she had there, until all turns a bit scary with a conflict with Ugandan soldiers.
Even though I am not really religious, I loved something her parents lived by. “Mother and Dad modeled how to live out faith, not just talk about it.”
Beautifully told, with wonderful descriptive writing, I am very much looking forward to a continuation.
This book goes between their life growing up with their parents at their different missions around Africa, to 2004 where Cinda who lives in Texas goes back to Africa, with her husband to visit her sister who has carried on the tradition of being a missionary with her husband and kids.
They seemed to have had an Ideal life growing up, in the 1960's immersing themselves into a different culture and becoming invested in the lives of the people, they are working with and helping. Between their different missions in Africa, they were able to travel around the world a bit, giving them a wonderful education. Cinda and Linda also have 3 brothers, 2 who have stayed in Africa and one who lives in the United States.
The trip back to visit her sister and which brings back her wonderful memories of the life she had there, until all turns a bit scary with a conflict with Ugandan soldiers.
Even though I am not really religious, I loved something her parents lived by. “Mother and Dad modeled how to live out faith, not just talk about it.”
Beautifully told, with wonderful descriptive writing, I am very much looking forward to a continuation.
November 1, 2015
Cinda Adams Brooks named this perfectly - Heartbeats of Africa. I have only been to Africa twice and it captured my heart. If I had been introduced to Africa as Cinda and her family were it would be imbedded in my heart. Cindas was brought up in a missionary family, moving constantly throughout Africa. The book moves back and forth between life as a young family and the continuation of life as the family grew older. I never knew the dedication of a missionary family, how their good works are intertwined with the villagers. How Cinda's brothers and sisters associated with their African friends more than they fit in when they returned to America. You learn of the peaceful, hectic, loving life in the settlements. The fear encountered when the family was faced with inter-tribal battle and war between different countries. So many different experiences - the food, medical implements, children's games, housing, traditions etc each having to be learned by the family. Throughout there is much laughter and loyalty. This book made me appreciate everything the missionary families do in Third World Countries and I have so much respect for their dedication. Thank you Cinda Adams Brooks for writing and publishing this book. I would recommend it to anyone.
April 2, 2017
Don't let the length of time it took me to read this book as an indication of how good it is. I only read it on my iPhone which I only do when waiting in line etc. It is a book to be savored and cherished.
The writing is descriptive. I actually felt as if I were in Africa. Through Cinda's eyes, I saw the beauty of Africa and the pain of Africa. We don't think about the wonders of Africa; only about war, famine, drought and severe poverty. It helped me focus on what I truly need in life., to enjoy life and live it fully.
We could all learn a lot about what is essential when having to run for your life. I would have liked to know John and Martha Adams; learn how they taught their children about life, God and how to be God-like in every day life. It taught me that God is always there weaving the tapestry of our life and putting people in our life who are essential.
I cannot recommend this book enough!
The writing is descriptive. I actually felt as if I were in Africa. Through Cinda's eyes, I saw the beauty of Africa and the pain of Africa. We don't think about the wonders of Africa; only about war, famine, drought and severe poverty. It helped me focus on what I truly need in life., to enjoy life and live it fully.
We could all learn a lot about what is essential when having to run for your life. I would have liked to know John and Martha Adams; learn how they taught their children about life, God and how to be God-like in every day life. It taught me that God is always there weaving the tapestry of our life and putting people in our life who are essential.
I cannot recommend this book enough!
April 14, 2017
I loved this book and found myself sneaking chapters wherever I could. I have a sister and I love her dearly but I do not have a twin. The author does and weaves her twindome skilfully through their lives in Africa as youngsters, their strong family ties, their faith and their love of the country and its people.
I was intrigued with her descriptions of their living conditions, their intrepid treks in the family Landrover, the raw beauty of the country and the unflinching dedication of their parents as they ministered to the local tribes-people physically and emotionally. Cinda Adams Brooks intertwines descriptions of her life in the 1960s with those of local military unrest in 2004. Her writing had my heart in my mouth when the twins' families headed for safety as the fighting surrounded their compound.
I was intrigued with her descriptions of their living conditions, their intrepid treks in the family Landrover, the raw beauty of the country and the unflinching dedication of their parents as they ministered to the local tribes-people physically and emotionally. Cinda Adams Brooks intertwines descriptions of her life in the 1960s with those of local military unrest in 2004. Her writing had my heart in my mouth when the twins' families headed for safety as the fighting surrounded their compound.
August 22, 2016
"Heartprints" will steal your heart!
Heartprints of Africa is a heart-gripping, beautiful tale of family, faith and adventure. In it, the author intimately shares her sweet childhood memories of growing up in a medical missionary family in East Africa. But this innocence is later tested by war and a dangerous military evacuation. Along the way and through the years, her experience of meeting and joining distinctly different cultures is beautifully described: "As friction creates pearls in an oyster, collision points between cultures create precious heartprints." I felt the beat of these heartprints in my own heart as I read this beautiful memoir.
Heartprints of Africa is a heart-gripping, beautiful tale of family, faith and adventure. In it, the author intimately shares her sweet childhood memories of growing up in a medical missionary family in East Africa. But this innocence is later tested by war and a dangerous military evacuation. Along the way and through the years, her experience of meeting and joining distinctly different cultures is beautifully described: "As friction creates pearls in an oyster, collision points between cultures create precious heartprints." I felt the beat of these heartprints in my own heart as I read this beautiful memoir.
September 19, 2016
Heartprints is a book about growing up in Africa and visiting again many years later. The author and her family lived through a great deal and the book is filled with vivid descriptions and beautiful storytelling. I could feel myself yearning to go back to Africa, as a result of reading this fascinating memoir.
April 7, 2022
This book was so good. I particularly enjoyed it because I am writing a book that partly takes place in the same area so it was a good reference.
Sometimes as she bounced between the 60s and her childhood growing up in Africa and then to 2004 it was a little slow, but she really built the momentum to the final crisis and I was on the edge of my seat.
Sometimes as she bounced between the 60s and her childhood growing up in Africa and then to 2004 it was a little slow, but she really built the momentum to the final crisis and I was on the edge of my seat.
July 15, 2025
I have a renewed respect for the medical missionaries that put their lives in danger to help the people in Africa. Besides the mortal dangers, the frustrations of the languages, the elements, and traditions (where beliefs and witchdoctors hamper their success in treating patients) add to many other daily difficulties. This wonderful family of 3 generations, with such a strong faith bring hope and help to these needy people and somehow also manage to find joy in trips away to some truly beautiful places (negotiating roads that are sometimes virtually non-existent!!!!) Having grown up in Africa myself (albeit in a more developed country) this brought back some fond memories but also left me with some heartache for what I left behind. A very well written 5 STAR memoir.
June 7, 2025
I don’t know about you but my tendency is to run from danger not toward it. So why was it that Cinda, with a heavy sense of foreboding in her heart, jumped at the chance to be with her twin? Join Cinda and her adventurous husband as they both, with a presentiment of disquiet and a love of family, answer her twin’s call for company in Africa.
The book interweaves the author’s life as an MK (missionary kid) with this current stirring journey. This helps to understand the character and drive of this intrepid family. Their courage and undaunted spirit amazes me. It was so hard to put this one down. Highly recommended.
The book interweaves the author’s life as an MK (missionary kid) with this current stirring journey. This helps to understand the character and drive of this intrepid family. Their courage and undaunted spirit amazes me. It was so hard to put this one down. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews