What The Publishers Say About My Name Is Tani
Tani’s father, Kayode, became a dishwasher and Uber driver while Tani’s mother, Oluwatoyin, cleaned buildings, while the family lived in a homeless shelter. Eight-year-old Tani jumped into his new life with courage and perseverance—and an unusual mind for chess. After joining the chess club in his public school, Tani practiced his game for hours in the evenings at the shelter. Then he began competing in the ultra-exclusive chess clubs of New York City. And winning—again and again. And then, less than a year after he learned to play, Tani won the New York State chess championship.
In My Name Is Tani . . . and I Believe in Miracles, Tani and his parents tell us their incredible true story of sacrificing everything for family, living with nothing but hope, and then sharing generously all they received to discover the greatest riches of all. Tani’s triumphant spirit reminds us of the power of kindness and the beauty of unity as we watch for the next miracle to begin.
What I Say About My Name Is Tani
This simply written but immersive story is deeply revelatory of the makings of a child chess master but is also about his family, their regal ancestry and the conflicts that unravel around him – whether the are the religious wars in his native Nigeria or the scuffles that erupts with his extended family in the United States. With the narratives being written alternately by Tani’s mother and father, Oluwatoyin and Kayode, the reader is introduced not just to the child prodigy that is the crowing jewel of this immigrant tale, but also narrates their African beginnings, the frightening interruption to their lives when they are threatened by terrorists from Boko Haram, and the mixed bag of experiences when they flee to the United States and find a less than welcoming reception from the family there but gain a wealth of new supporters along the way.
While this is a book about one boy’s rise to chess greatness, it is also much more an example of the immigrant dream come true. and the simplicity of the language makes this a great gift for someone who might need some motivation to pursue their own dreams, no matter their background,
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of My Name Is Tani from the publishers in order to complete this review. However, I tried to provide honest and unbiased feedback and all views stated above are my own.
