| About the book...
The Big Gift of Compassion One Small Kenyan Village
Made to the American People
14 COWS FOR AMERICA is the true story of Maasai tribesman and Stanford University student Kimeli Naiyomah. On September 11, 2001, while visiting the United Nations headquarters in New York, he witnessed the catastrophic events that changed our nation forever.
The young man traveled back to his home, a remote village in Western Kenya, with a heavy-burdened heart to bring the story to his tribe. The village had not heard about the collapse of the twin towers in New York and when Kimeli told them about this event that had "burned a hole in his heart," they could hardly understand its scope.
As a gift of support and compassion, the village reacted to Kimeli's sorrow by offering the thing that most supported life for them: a herd of cows, the ultimate gift a Massai can give. To the Maasai people, the cow equals life.
With stunning illustrations of the Kenyan landscape and people, and simple, moving text 14 COWS FOR AMERICA, is a story of hope and generosity in the face of tragedy with the message that comfort, solace, and aid can come from the most unexpected places.
Carmen Agra Deedy has been writing and traveling around the world telling stories for almost twenty years. Her books have received numerous awards and honors. Born in Havana, she lives in the Atlanta area and can be found online at http://carmenagradeedy.com/.
Thomas Gonzalez was born and raised in Havana, Cuba. Tom originally trained as an artist and painter, and went on to become an illustrator with a wide range of clients from Delta Airlines to Coca-Cola. 14 COWS FOR AMERICA is his first picture book. Gonzalez currently lives with his daughter and wife in the Atlanta area.
Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah received his master of science degree in molecular biology from Stanford University in 2008. He was awarded a Rotary International World Peace Fellowship and will begin studies in peace and conflict resolution at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, in spring 2010.
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