The Big Gift of Compassion One Small Kenyan Village Made to the American People
14 Cows for America, a powerful new children's book from Carmen Agra Deedy, 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. The Maasai people are nomadic cattle herders. To the tribe, 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.
