Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. It has been published in September 2020.

"My Name is Tani" by Tanitoluwa Adewumi is the heart-warming true story of a refugee boy from Nigeria who joins the chess program in his school and less than a year later ends up winning the chess championship. In doing so, he also earns a scholarship for himself and a brand new start in life for his whole family.
It's just like one of those feel-good movies that are out in the cinemas every Christmas, only Tani's story is real and it had started off as distant as possible from a feel-good Christmas movie: Tani and his family had to flee their country to escape the persecution by Boko Haram, leaving a whole life behind in order to survive. Both Tani and his mother and father share their memories and emotions about this painful choice-without-a-choice, and this part of the book is truly heart-breaking, especially the chapters narrated from Tani's POV, with all innocent obliviousness of a 6-year-old boy.
The only thing I felt was missing, was the point of view of the fourth member of the family, Tani's older brother, who is the only one who for some reason doesn't get his own chapters in the book. I would have loved to learn his particular take on the events related.
However, this story is not a tragedy or a tear-jerker (or not so much of it): it's really a story about new beginnings, second chances and good people helping each other. It's about the American dream, and for once, it's all true. A true story with a happy ending, how often do we get one of those?
I recommend reading this book to every right-wing extremist who is in favour of raising walls, strengthening borders and banning human beings based on their nationality. They should all read this book and learn something new. I also recommend this book to anyone who enjoys happy endings. Basically, I recommend this book to everyone at all, because we all need some uplifting story every once in a while.

I really liked the mixed-narration between Tani and his parents sharing different aspects of their journey. It expanded the story a lot and also brought the focus more toward their experiences together, rather than Tani's experiences alone.

The book has many good messages about life, hard work, changes, community, humility, generosity, opportunity, and dedication. It's a great read for families, and for readers of any age. It seems to be written for children, but is engaging and enjoyable for adults as well.

"Talent is universal; opportunity is not."

I remember reading a news article about the 8-year-old immigrant who moved to the United States, started playing chess and within a year, won the New York State chess championship. I had no idea this story was going to be turned into a book, but are we really surprised with how many inspirational stories get turned into books these days? I was fully expecting more of the story to be told from Tani's perspective, but it took me awhile to remember that Tani was very young when the events before his life in New York took place so his memories would be limited, at best. I really appreciated having the insight and memories from both Tani's mom and dad since they had different experiences escaping from Nigeria and Boko Haram. I actually found the portion of the story from Nigeria to be the most interesting and engaging. I was terrified for what would happen to Tani's parents and Tani himself after some members of Boko Haram asked Tani's father to print some posters for them and he refused. This portion of the story had me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't stop listening.

I was both impressed and saddened to learn about the continued hardships Tani and his family faced once they arrived in America. I had no idea they spent time with some family in Texas and I was shocked to discover just how poorly they were treated by members of their own family. The whole time I was rooting for Tani and his family. Even though I knew the outcome of their story, I still found myself wondering what was going to happen next and being scared the family would be captured (or worse) by Boko Haram. This was such a good story to read as well as a good reminder to show compassion toward others as we truly never know what exactly someone has gone through to get to where they currently are.

While this wasn't the young reader's edition, I think this story could easily be enjoyed by middle and high school students as well as adult readers.

*Thank you to Libro.fm for the advanced listening copy of this audiobook!*

I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this book. I highly recommend the audio version, as the accents helped lend authenticity to the character’s voices. A truly inspirational read!

Such inspiring people!

Memoirs can be tricky to strike an engaging tone, without portraying the subjects as saints. Also pacing - too long spent setting the scene, or flossing over the events that led to the current day. This book nearly managed to tick all the boxes I think. You felt as though you’d known the family for ages, and they came across as real, genuine people. I’d definitely recommend as an interesting look at a family’s journey from Nigeria to New York, and the importance of remembering who you are, where you are from, and family.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review - apologies for the long delay in doing this.

A wonderful story. Regardless of happy endings (not a spoiler, you can figure it out from the title), the suffering is so real in this book and you feel the strength and love of the Adewumi family throughout. Seeing life from the perspective of both parents and Tani himself as they endure this traumatic experience is so powerful.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it made me remember all the positives in life.
I read this through @netgalley and will be getting a few copies in my school library

My Name is Tani is an emotive and inspiring read that gives you hope in man kind and makes you marvel at the strength some people have no matter what they endure . It's a story of family, love , hardship and unwavering belief in each other.