Why read The Last Hunger Season?

Book cover of The Last Hunger Season: A Year in an African Farm Community on the Brink of Change

Book description

At 4:00 am, Leonida Wanyama lit a lantern in her house made of sticks and mud. She was up long before the sun to begin her farm work, as usual. But this would be no ordinary day, this second Friday of the new year. This was the day Leonida and…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Last Hunger Season as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

George W. Norton

Author

I love the nuanced descriptions of how the four main characters and their families adapt to the changing seasonal availability of food within their households in Western Kenya.

Having worked and observed farm families in a similar environment just across the border in Uganda, I find the author’s description of the “hungry” season when the crops are in the ground but not yet ready for harvest, spot on.

I find his discussion of the importance of seed and fertilizer availability and distribution policy-relevant, and the work of the NGO involved in making it happen is inspiring.

From George's list on The best books for visualizing hunger and health problems in developing countries.