Tanitoluwa Adewumi's story is incredibly inspiring. It's impossible to read this book without being impressed by the story of his family and the challenges they have overcome. The story is more about family than it is about chess and there is a lesson for each person. I read this out loud to my children and each of us found a different area of the story the most touching.

The publisher made a copy of this book available via Netgalley. This is my honest review.

I enjoy reading memoirs about refugees. This one is not one of my favorites; although it is not bad. It is told by a young boy, so one has to keep that in mind. After fleeing from Nigeria, Tani starts learning chess and playing chess through the local schools and in about a year has won a couple championships. I received a copy of an e-ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a wonderful to book to show you can overcome hard things in your life. This family was filled with great people who kept getting pushed back down. They endured hardships, but kept goals and worked themselves silly. I love a good heartfelt book.

Written for children this is a compelling story of a refugee family. Forced to flee Nigeria because of the Boko Haram, Tani and his family came to America. Told not only from the perspective of young Tani, the reader hears from his mother and father as well. The are a few color pictures, but what I came away with is how there are still people in American who are giving and cheer for the success of immigrants.

Tani and his family are inspiring! Thanks to them for taking the time to write these immigration/seeking asylum experiences and help us see what is working (and for who) and what is not working (and who still needs assistance). Transitions are never easy, but when they are lost within the code and purview of governmental bureaucracy we tend to assume all is well since it has been going on for centuries and surely we've got that covered (since we all come from immigrants at some point in our histories), right?

I liked the way we got various perspectives from the Parents Adewumi and Tani on their journey. I particularly liked learning more about Nigeria, as concerning as it is with the challenges that required this family to get out of harm's way. The more we know, the better we can help. The trip into our United States and the various locations that were helpful and the ones that were not was also good information to have.

The Adewumi family shows miracles do happen, especially with 110% engagement and hard work by the givers and receivers, and that the quote of Mr. Nicholas Kristof, "Talent is universal, opportunity is not," is a truthful statement.

4 stars, for the great examples of patience, happy attitude, perseverance and bravery.

A Sincere thank you to the Adewumi family (especially Tani), Thomas Nelson -- W Publishing and NetGalley for providing me an ARC to read and review.

I wish to begin by thanking the publisher, W Publishing, an imprint of Thomas Nelson, for supplying an ARC for me to review.
Tani Adewumi's story is well told with the aid of his mom, dad, and older brother. It is told in simple language in about 220 pages, and suitable for anyone over 7 years old. At the age of 6, Tani (along with his family) faces imminent death from the vicious terrorists, named Boko Haram, in Nigeria. His dad, Kayode, owns and runs a successful print shop. They decide to sell all they have and move to America, where Tani's Mom, Oluwatoyin, has an uncle who lives in Dallas. Yet things are a long way from being worry free or happy. In fact, the uncle's family does not welcome them at all and they are forced to consider moving again.
Finally, the family is almost broke, yet manages to get enough money to travel to New York City. There their strong faith is rewarded by a minister and his congregation. Soon other New Yorkers join to help them get state housing and find a job for Kayode washing dishes all night. The boys are immediately registered in a local school where Tani learns to play chess, and well, their "miracles" begin to unfold from there.
The values of this story are not the events themselves, but rather their steadfast faith, determination to work to earn their own way, and the will to do good to others. These are truly great lessons for everyone of any age, but I believe the most will be gained by the younger readers.
It would seem to be unremarkable, as far as the many stories of the persecuted who succeed through hard work in America. But not so. Tani and his family go way beyond those. They are very humble and gratefully glorify God for their blessings. This quote by Tani’s chess coach at the end of the book says it all:
Coach Russ: “Well, I was thinking that maybe I could talk to some people about you and see if I can get a journalist to share your story. …”
Oluwatoyin Adewumi: “Do you think anyone would be interested? Do people even want to read about chess players?”
Coach Russ: “You’d be surprised.”

Where reviewed => Amazon, Goodreads, and NetGalley
https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R3NLB31ZHTB1Z8?ref=pf_ov_at_pdctrvw_srp
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3299647769?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Title: My name is Tani…and I Believe in Miracles
Author: Tani Adewumi
Genre: Nonfiction
Rating: 4 out of 5

Tani Adewumi didn’t know what Boko Haram was or why they had threatened his family. All he knew was that when his parents told the family was going to America, Tani thought it was the start of a great adventure rather than an escape. In truth, his family’s journey to the United States was nothing short of miraculous—and the miracles were just beginning.

Tani’s father, Kayode, became a dishwasher and Uber driver while Tani’s mother, Oluwatoyin, cleaned buildings, while the family lived in a homeless shelter. Eight-year-old Tani jumped into his new life with courage and perseverance—and an unusual mind for chess. After joining the chess club in his public school, Tani practiced his game for hours in the evenings at the shelter. Then he began competing in the ultra-exclusive chess clubs of New York City. And winning—again and again. And then, less than a year after he learned to play, Tani won the New York State chess championship.

I enjoyed this story a lot—from the terror in Nigeria to finding hope in New York. I’ve never learned how to play chess, and the idea of an eight-year-old being so good at it is mind-boggling to me. What I found even more inspiring, though, was the family’s faith and positive outlook, no matter how desperate their circumstances. Truly an inspiring read!

(Galley courtesy of Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review.)

Tani Adewumi is an inspiration. When he was eight years old, he won the New York State Chess Championship after only a year of playing the game. His story shocked the elite world of chess players—and beyond—for more than just his game play, though. His family had been threatened by Boko Haram, a terrorist group in West Africa, so they fled Nigeria for America, seeking religious asylum. While his parents struggled to keep the family afloat, working as a dishwasher and Uber driver and cleaner, Tani viewed their move to a homeless shelter in New York City as a fresh start. His brother had showed him a version of chess years ago, and when he played the real thing, he played for hours every night until he mastered the game.

When he learned about the chess club at his New York City public school, he was ecstatic. But the $300-ish fee to join the club was too much for his refugee family. Luckily, a teacher waived his fee, and he was able to play and conquer the world of chess.

In My Name is Tani … And I Believe in Miracles, Tani and his parents share his inspiring story of miracles and chess—and some pretty good life lessons.

in order to connect with my grandchildren during these days I have been reading to them via FaceTime everyday. They range in age from 10 -20 and we have all fallen in love with Tani and his family as we follow the trials and tribulations they endured. They are a loving and resourceful family and we triumphed with them at their success.

My Name is Tani is the story of the Adewumi family who fled Nigeria to escape the Boko Haram, a group of Islamic terrorists, and came to America. The American dream is brought to life through the eyes of this immigrant family.

The family (related to royalty, very accomplished, well-respected, hard working, yet very humble) is willing to do whatever they can to make a fresh-start in their new land. This is a heartwarming read, and young Tani (8 years old) who goes from learning chess to winning New York's state championship in only one year is quite an impressive boy. I found myself impressed by the whole family.

This book reaffirms the goodness and kindness that still exists in our country, and how much immigrants add to our country.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read a copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review.

I missed the initial media buzz featuring Tani's incredible story, so I was drawn to this story of a sweet kid who loves chess. I loved how the book shares the story from the perspective of Tani and his parents. They are a sweet family who fled the Boko Haram in Nigeria. Their journey as refugees was really fascinating as they navigated the challenges of reestablishing themselves in a new country.

If you're reading this book for the chess story, it really doesn't show up until about 50% of the way through the book. Wow! This kid is truly inspiring.

I struggled a bit getting into the story because it felt like the message was not what I expected from the front cover. This family has a huge heart for family, community, and loving their neighbors. Chess plays into that story, but it's not a major feature. I would have liked to have that aspect more woven into the entire story.

I received this book from Netgalley for my review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

True story about a boy and his family, refugees from Nigeria, and his introduction and love of chess. Told from three points of view, his, and each of his parents. Lovely immigrant story about the love and determination of this family and their path from oppression to living the American Dream.

I enjoyed this story and especially that you got the perspective of Tani and each of his parents. It is very helpful in understanding his culture and the difficulties of immigrating to the US.
I received this book as a gift for the purpose of an honest review.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was expecting to really like this book since it was based on a true story, but it got very confusing being told by 3 different points of view (Tani’s and both his parents).

I think that along with a huge GoFundMe windfall, someone decided to get a book deal to go along with this story. It was more about the parents and less about Tami himself.

I understand that it was an ARC and there might be issues with the book, but the formatting to read it on my kindle was such a mess that page headers and footers were in the middle of the pages and page breaks were off.

What a wonderful, feel good story based on the trials of a family. The positive outlook, work ethic, and optimism of a family who had all the reasons in the world to give up on life was truly inspiring to read. I loved this book and the way it was written through the lens of each family member.