Review: ‘I Will Always Write Back’

In 1997, when Caitlin's teacher assigned students to write a letter to a student in another country, I don't think either one of them realized the life-changing effect one letter would have on two families.

Caitlin decided to write to a student in Zimbabwe because she didn't know anything about the country. In her letter she introduced herself, talked about her family and some of her hobbies and interests. She sent it off with anticipation of getting a letter back soon.

In a small classroom in Zimbabwe, a young boy was one of the few chosen to receive a pen pal letter. Martin was chosen because he was the smartest in his class. He was thrilled to receive a letter from America and couldn't wait to show his family.

As the weeks and months progressed, Caitlin and Martin continued to be pen pals. For Caitlin it wasn't a big deal to write and send letters, but she had no idea of the hardships in Zimbabwe. She didn't know how difficult it was for Martin to write back to her. Caitlin asked for photos and wrote about her typical teenage American lifestyle like going shopping, going to movies and sleepovers with friends. Martin didn't even have paper to write letters on and often used trash he found around the nearby town to write to her.

Martin didn't have stamps and would sell items on the streets or help tourists with their luggage just to afford stamps, even then, choosing that over food.

When Martin's family became so poor that they could no longer afford to pay for him to go to school, he decided to be truthful to Caitlin and her family about his situation. Caitlin began sending $20 bills in the mail not realizing that $20 could send Martin to school for a month and feed his family for weeks. As his situation became more and more desperate, Caitlin's family became more involved in the financial support of Martin's schooling and efforts to get him to college in America.

'I Will Always Write Back” is a quick read and even though it is a young adult book and at times, reads childishly, the story reiterates the concern about Martin not being able to finish school and the hope that Caitlin and her family would be able to help solve the problems of a poor African student and his family. It also speaks to the tenacity of a mom who won't give up.

With so many roadblocks in Martin's future, you keep reading to find out how he will manage these hurdles.

I think Americans have a difficult time imagining children in other countries living in conditions we would find deplorable here, yet they accept it as normal there.

Martin's family lived in one room with his parents sleeping in a bed and the children sleeping on a dirt floor. During monsoon season, rain would seep in through the thatched roof and under the walls and coat the floors in mud. No one in his family had ever had a pair of shoes and Martin wore the same uniform to school every day.

He also used the same toothbrush for seven years until Caitlin sent a package of items including a new toothbrush. Caitlin, who made the choice to send her baby-sitting money to Martin, forever changed his life and his family's life as well as her own. Her family saw Martin as their son and made it their mission to get him to a college in the United States. By sharing their story, it is their hope that those who read it can make small steps to make a difference in someone else's life as well. It may not be a huge change, but sharing kindness and generosity with others can be life-changing in even the smallest ways.

This collaborative memoir would make an excellent summer project for middle school students. Assigning the book and a pen pal could be just the motivation someone needs to make a difference.