Wait for God to Notice

"To live in Uganda today is hell," declared Uganda's Finance Minister after escaping to England. It was 1975, and Idi Amin had declared himself president for life, the economy had crashed, and people were disappearing. One year later, the Fordham family arrived as missionaries. With humor and empathy, Fordham narrates her remarkable childhood in Uganda. She describes her family’s peculiar faith, her mother’s Scandinavian practicality, Uganda's dangerous politics, the growing conflict between her parents, and the magic of living in a house surrounded by jungle. Driver ants stream through their bedrooms, mambas drop out of the stove, and monkeys steal their tomatoes. Fordham's vivid, unsentimental narration observes how it's possible to love someone you disagree with and how a place that doesn't belong to you can turn you into who you are. Reminiscent of The Poisonwood Bible and Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, Wait for God to Notice, explores the complex terrain of being a mzungu in East Africa, and ultimately being a stranger everywhere on Earth.