I Will Always Write Back by Caitlyn Alifirenka and Martin Ganda

I decided on I Will Always Write Back for my nonfiction book for March. This is another one of the young adult nonfiction novels that my students were offered as part of our literary nonfiction unit. However, unlike Hey Kiddo and They Called Us Enemy, almost none of my kids have tried picking this one up. I'm pretty sure I know why--it's 400 pages long. Something that long seems impossible to most eighth graders, so they don't even consider trying it. I had a feeling it was going to be a good one though, so I decided to read it myself.

The novel follows two teenagers, Caitlyn and Martin, who became pen pals through a school assignment in the 90s. Caitlyn lives in a small town in Pennsylvania with her parents and older brother. She comes from an upper middle class background and is pretty popular in school. She does well enough academically, but isn't exactly a star student. However, when her 7th grade teacher introduces an international pen pal assignment, she is intrigued. She chooses to send a letter to Zimbabwe, a country she had never head of before. She writes a short message introducing herself, turns it in, and waits for a response.

In Zimbabwe, Martin is the lucky student selected to receive Caitlyn's letter. He is the top student in his class, and his education is extremely important to him. He lives with his parents and four other siblings in a single room. To say they are living in poverty is an understatement. The economic situation in Zimbabwe is rapidly deteriorating and money is a constant worry for his family. He doesn't share this with Caitlyn in his first letter, however. He is thrilled to have a new American friend and responds to her letter with some basic information about himself and his family.

From that point on, Caitlyn and Martin continue to exchange letters. Their correspondence extends far beyond the expectations of their school assignment and their friendship deepens until they begin to consider each other as brother and sister. Eventually, Martin shares more information about his family's struggles, and Caitlyn and her family begin to assist them financially. They keep Martin in school, pay the family's rent, and send them clothing and other helpful supplies. Eventually, they work to try and bring him to America for college. Their friendship changes the lives of everyone in their families for the better. I Will Always Write Back is an inspiring and highly engaging story about the power of kindness and friendship.

I know that the summary of the novel might not sound all that interesting, but this was one of the most pure and heartwarming stories I have ever read. The chapters alternate back and forth between Caitlyn and Martin, and both of their voices are a pleasure to experience. Some of the chapters contain excerpts from their actual letters, and others are simply explanations of what was going on in their lives at the time. Both narrators are successful in writing in a way that is understandable to teen readers today, and the examples they show of generosity and respect for each other are worthy of admiration. Their friendship is deep and true, and it was lovely to watch it develop.

Aside from the excellent themes running throughout the story, readers can learn a lot about what living in true poverty is like. It is common knowledge that life in developing countries is difficult, but to see what Martin endured was truly eye-opening. He never had enough to eat, didn't own a pair of real shoes, and sometimes had to resort to writing his letters to Caitlyn on the back of food wrappers, since he didn't always have access to paper. At one point, Caitlyn randomly sends him a dollar in the mail, just so he could see what American currency looked like, and it bought weeks worth of groceries for his family. It is this contrast between what is normal for Caitlyn and what is normal for Martin which was very illuminating. Little things that almost everyone takes for granted, like photographs, postage stamps, and t-shirts were complete luxuries for Martin and his family. He was so grateful to receive everything Caitlyn sent, because he had so little of his own. It was both sad and sweet to see his reactions, and it was interesting to explore what his day-to-day existence was like. 

I Will Always Write Back is definitely a new favorite nonfiction read for me. It is a wonderful story with a lot of heart. In a world where the news is dominated by one infuriating story after another, it was very refreshing to read something featuring nice people treating each other well. I've been trying to push it more to my students and encourage them to pick it up, despite its length. It teaches a wonderful lesson about how friendship can change lives, and makes people appreciate what they have a little bit more, which are both things that everyone needs to hear more about.

Challenge Tally
True Books 2020: 6/14


Total Books Read in 2020: 17