I have no idea why I have this book. When I opened it up, I found a receipt from when I attended the Willamette Writer's Conference last year. I like to buy books of the speakers I hear but I don't remember Mr. Powers. I wonder what the thinking was by the bookstore manager why he brought this book along.
In any event, Blue Clay People is a really cool title. The cover is a wonderful photograph of smiling children frolicking in the ocean. My readers know by now that those two things are surefire hooks for me.
Blue Clay People is Powers' story of his time as a relief worker in Liberia. He struggles with the local dialect of English, the proper handshake, having servants in his home. Deep in his heart he wrestles with creating more dependency as he sets out to break the cycle of poverty.
This is a deeply moving account of life in Liberia where malaria, AIDS, deforestation, under the control of a money hungry dictator is considered the norm. Mr. Powers came to this country believing he could change all that. He didn't leave Liberia as the new land he dreamed it could be. But he left it better in small individual ways. I think he learned alot about himself along the way.
Blue Clay People isn't a particularly well written or well edited for that matter. As a writer that drove me nuts. Getting past that, Blue Clay People taught me that my existence is connected to a place on the other side of the world. Even small acts of compassion will make a difference in our world. I rate this book 3 out of 5, an average when I combine writing skill with a memorable story.
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