A Review of Thank You America: Book One by Ngombe Mayunda

Thank You America: Book One is a non-fiction book that tells the story of a Congolese woman who is thankful for the things that happened in her life. The book serves as an autobiography and gratitude journal, giving thanks to her family and the Americans who helped her along the way. Based on her experiences, Ngombe Mayunda writes her message of peace and love through her heartwarming life story.

The book starts with the author’s recollection of her family while living in Congo. Then, the author talks about the Christian missionaries from the US who came to Congo to spread the word of God. It is through these missionaries that the author came to believe in God, which guided her through her struggles. The author also talks about her experiences with the American Peace Corps and diplomats. Because of her experiences, the author expresses her thanks to the Americans through songs that she wrote.

I like how the book uses the theme of gratitude to express the author’s message of peace and love. The theme is used throughout the book, from the stories up to the songs. Even as the author talks about bad experiences, she always finds a way to be thankful for something. From reading the book, one can’t help but feel the authenticity of the author’s love for people around the world.

The book is also heartbreaking as it is heartwarming. The author’s message of peace and love is juxtaposed with her struggles relating to violence. The war in Congo serves as the author’s motivation to dream of a world without violence. Because of this, the book can be an inspirational read.

Unfortunately, the book contains multiple errors. Examples include “I will sent them this book to show...” and “...when we was growing up in our house.” Most of the errors are basic subject-verb agreements. Based on the errors mentioned above, I can say that the book is not professionally edited.

Another problem I had with the book is that the author doesn’t recognize the existence of other religions in her message of peace and love. The thought that the world would be peaceful if everyone believed in (the Christian) God is prevalent in the book. I think that it’s hard for the author to give thanks to America if she is thanking only the Christians. The US is home to other religions and atheists as well. While this doesn’t necessarily degrade the author’s message of peace and love, it can turn off readers who have different religious beliefs.

Overall, Thank You America: Book One is a good book that is both heartwarming and inspirational. After considering the aforementioned factors, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. While the book is truly a great read for Christian Americans, I don’t know if the book may appeal to readers who have different religious beliefs. But I welcome any curious reader to try the book.