In this incredible and compelling memoir, a child born into abject poverty in an African village dreams of coming to Canada, where he believes his destiny awaits him. The first of many daunting odds Kaanayo Nwachukwu has to outrun to realize this dream is to survive-unlike two less-fortunate older brothers-until his first birthday. Lavish and unstinting in his love and respect for his parents, Nwachukwu nonetheless determines at a very early age that, if he is going to break the crippling grip of poverty on his family, he must not repeat the limiting mistakes of his illiterate father. Inclined to depression, he also contends with taunting, bullying and snobbery at school and, closer to home, is the not entirely traumatized victim of rape by an older woman. During a term of national service, he endures imprisonment, beatings and torture at the hands of the Nigerian military on utterly trumped up charges. But some of his calamities Nwachukwu brings upon himself. Precarious as his progress seems at times, the whole enterprise never quite tips over. Through good times and bad, Nwachukwu scrambles to help pay his own way and that of his five younger siblings through primary and secondary schools and university. When he finally makes his great break for freedom in the New World, Nwachukwu risks starvation and annihilation while living on the streets of some of the most dangerous cities in the world.