Facing the lion

Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton gives American kids a first-hand look at growing up in Kenya as a member of a tribe of nomads whose livelihood centres on the raising and grazing of cattle. Readers share Lekuton's first encounter with a lion, the epitome of bravery in the warrior tradition.

They follow his mischievous antics as a young Maasai cattle herder, coming-of-age initiation, boarding school escapades, soccer success, and journey to America for college.

Lekuton's riveting text combines exotic details of nomadic life with the universal experience and emotions of a growing boy.