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The Queen of Katwe: One Girl's Triumphant Path to Becoming a Chess Champion
Based on a popular ESPN magazine article selected by Dave Eggers for The Best American Nonrequired Reading and a finalist for a National Magazine Award, the inspiring true story of Phiona Mutesi, a teenage chess prodigy from the slums of Kampala, Uganda.
PHIONA MUTESI sleeps in a decrepit shack with her mother and three siblings and struggles to find a single meal each day. Phiona has been out of school most of her life because her mother cannot afford it, so she is only now learning to read and write. Phiona Mutesi is also one of the best chess players in the world.
One day in 2005, while searching for food, nine-year-old Phiona followed her brother to a dusty veranda where she met Robert Katende, who had also grown up in the Kampala slums. Katende, a war refugee turned missionary, had an improbable dream: to empower kids through chess—a game so foreign there is no word for it in their native language. Laying a chessboard in the dirt of the Katwe slum, Robert painstakingly taught the game each day. When he left at night, slum kids played on with bottlecaps on scraps of cardboard. At first they came for a free bowl of porridge, but many grew to love chess, a game that—like their daily lives—means persevering against great obstacles. Of these kids, one stood out as an immense talent: Phiona.
By the age of eleven Phiona was her country’s junior champion and at fifteen, the national champion. In September 2010, she traveled to Siberia, a rare journey out of Katwe, to compete in the Chess Olympiad, the world’s most prestigious team-chess event. Phiona’s dream is to one day become a Grandmaster, the most elite title in chess. But to reach that goal, she must grapple with everyday life in one of the world’s most unstable countries, a place where girls are taught to be mothers, not dreamers, and the threats of AIDS, kidnapping, and starvation loom over the people.
Like Katherine Boo’s Behind the Beautiful Forevers and Gayle Tzemach Lemmon’s The Dressmaker of Khair Khana, The Queen of Katwe is an intimate and heartrending portrait of human life on the poor fringes of the twenty-first century.
PHIONA MUTESI sleeps in a decrepit shack with her mother and three siblings and struggles to find a single meal each day. Phiona has been out of school most of her life because her mother cannot afford it, so she is only now learning to read and write. Phiona Mutesi is also one of the best chess players in the world.
One day in 2005, while searching for food, nine-year-old Phiona followed her brother to a dusty veranda where she met Robert Katende, who had also grown up in the Kampala slums. Katende, a war refugee turned missionary, had an improbable dream: to empower kids through chess—a game so foreign there is no word for it in their native language. Laying a chessboard in the dirt of the Katwe slum, Robert painstakingly taught the game each day. When he left at night, slum kids played on with bottlecaps on scraps of cardboard. At first they came for a free bowl of porridge, but many grew to love chess, a game that—like their daily lives—means persevering against great obstacles. Of these kids, one stood out as an immense talent: Phiona.
By the age of eleven Phiona was her country’s junior champion and at fifteen, the national champion. In September 2010, she traveled to Siberia, a rare journey out of Katwe, to compete in the Chess Olympiad, the world’s most prestigious team-chess event. Phiona’s dream is to one day become a Grandmaster, the most elite title in chess. But to reach that goal, she must grapple with everyday life in one of the world’s most unstable countries, a place where girls are taught to be mothers, not dreamers, and the threats of AIDS, kidnapping, and starvation loom over the people.
Like Katherine Boo’s Behind the Beautiful Forevers and Gayle Tzemach Lemmon’s The Dressmaker of Khair Khana, The Queen of Katwe is an intimate and heartrending portrait of human life on the poor fringes of the twenty-first century.
256 pages, Paperback
First published October 9, 2012
197 people are currently reading
5321 people want to read
About the author
Tim Crothers
22 books17 followersTim Crothers is a former senior writer at Sports Illustrated who is currently a journalism professor and a freelance sportswriter. He is the author of The Man Watching, a biography of Anson Dorrance, the legendary coach of the University of North Carolina women's soccer team, co-author of Hard Work, the autobiography of UNC basketball coach Roy Williams, and author of The Queen of Katwe, the story of a 16-year-old female chess champion from the slums of Kampala, Uganda.
Crothers lives with his wife and two children
in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Crothers lives with his wife and two children
in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 551 reviews
February 7, 2017
very Inspirational story
Want to read
August 29, 2016Before you get too excited about this amazing, heart-warming, life-affirming story, soon to be filmed by Disney, you might want to check out Phiona Mutesi's FIDE rating page.
____________________
Or if you want still more facts, as opposed to romantic speculations, there are 25 of her games here. Call me a cold-blooded, unpoetic chess player, but try as I will I cannot see any of the amazing talent described for example in this article. Sorry.
____________________
Or if you want still more facts, as opposed to romantic speculations, there are 25 of her games here. Call me a cold-blooded, unpoetic chess player, but try as I will I cannot see any of the amazing talent described for example in this article. Sorry.
December 6, 2012
After a 5 page prologue about Phiona, we jump through a series of stories about other people. I found it to be very disjointed and confusing. Even now, after reading 100+ pages, when I go back, I have no idea who some of these people really are. What really gets me is that every person's story starts with their grandparent or parent's story, meaning that we have even more people to sort out. People that are not essential to the story.
Right now I'm at the point where he's introducing the missionaries that brought the soccer/chess program to Uganda and he's telling their stories in the same way. I feel like if I have to read about another person's unrelated and irrelevant parent/grandparent's life, I might toss the book across the room. What I really am interested in is Phiona's life!!!!!!! For the record, page 1-67 + 99-114 or a total of 82 pages and 36% of a 229 page book are not about the title character.
Right now I'm at the point where he's introducing the missionaries that brought the soccer/chess program to Uganda and he's telling their stories in the same way. I feel like if I have to read about another person's unrelated and irrelevant parent/grandparent's life, I might toss the book across the room. What I really am interested in is Phiona's life!!!!!!! For the record, page 1-67 + 99-114 or a total of 82 pages and 36% of a 229 page book are not about the title character.
November 27, 2016
Powerful, heart-breaking, inspiring, troubling, I don’t know exactly how to describe this story of a young girl growing up in one of the worse slums in Uganda who becomes one of the best chess players on the continent. If this were not non-fiction, I would criticize it for its implausibility. Although Phiona Mutesi is the chess champion to which the title refers, this is about an entire group of slum children who find hope, support, intellectual stimulation, self-esteem and direction in a church-run program that has brought this game of the elite to the poorest of the poor. These children, lacking decent education, adequate food, basic shelter and stable families, are excelling at a game that most find challenging. Sadly, there is no money to allow Phiona or the other children to attend international tournaments, to meet the requirements of becoming a Grand Master, of pursuing their dreams of an education or finding any way to realize their amazing potential as human beings. Life is so unfair. Although I found the story to be so powerful, I thought the writing was a bit average. Maybe that was a good thing because it did allow these young people to draw all the attention.
January 7, 2013
I got about 30% into the book and returned it because I had paid $11 for it and decided I wanted my money back.
I might not have written a review at all, but because I'm a chess coach and chess author I felt that I had a duty to report my experience with the book.
I did not post my review on amazon. I wanted to, but since I have the number one best seller on amazon kindle chess currently, I only wanted to write a review on there if it was positive. I didn't want it to look like I was trying to sabotage the competition.
Here on goodreads I doubt this review would help sales of my tactics book, so I think it is ok. I doubt people on goodreads are looking for chess books in general.
I very much wanted to read this book. I still want to learn more about this amazing woman who became a very strong chess player, and yet grew up in such unspeakable circumstances.
And yet I was a good percentage in to the book and other than the preface (which gives a rather odd and I think, misleading view of tournament chess) the girl who becomes the chess player has not yet been mentioned. I cannot tell if the author is describing relatives, ancestors or what because he doesn't explain who these people are and why he is telling me about them. He just starts telling about random people from Uganda, with no mention of the girl chess player, and no clear direction that that's even where he is going.
Certainly I get a picture of the ugliness of life in Uganda, and just how difficult it would be to succeed at chess there. At first I only gave this book one star, but since it is at least interesting and informative I decided to add two extra stars, after thinking about that for a while,.
One more problem I have with the book, was the author calling her a chess master, when she only has a FIDE rating of 1600. By that measurement I am a chess master myself.
She is a woman candidate master, it turns out. To gain this title you need a certain number of international wins, and it has more to do with something called "norms." I won't go into what that means, but I felt the author (Tim Crothers) should have.
Granted, her circumstances make it amazing that she became anything other than another dead 12 yr old in the streets of Uganda, but I can't really speak of her circumstances as I gave up before I ever got to them.
In order to just learn more about this amazing girl I suggest Wikipedia would be better than this book, but if you want to learn about how difficult life is in Uganda, perhaps this is a good book to read.
I might not have written a review at all, but because I'm a chess coach and chess author I felt that I had a duty to report my experience with the book.
I did not post my review on amazon. I wanted to, but since I have the number one best seller on amazon kindle chess currently, I only wanted to write a review on there if it was positive. I didn't want it to look like I was trying to sabotage the competition.
Here on goodreads I doubt this review would help sales of my tactics book, so I think it is ok. I doubt people on goodreads are looking for chess books in general.
I very much wanted to read this book. I still want to learn more about this amazing woman who became a very strong chess player, and yet grew up in such unspeakable circumstances.
And yet I was a good percentage in to the book and other than the preface (which gives a rather odd and I think, misleading view of tournament chess) the girl who becomes the chess player has not yet been mentioned. I cannot tell if the author is describing relatives, ancestors or what because he doesn't explain who these people are and why he is telling me about them. He just starts telling about random people from Uganda, with no mention of the girl chess player, and no clear direction that that's even where he is going.
Certainly I get a picture of the ugliness of life in Uganda, and just how difficult it would be to succeed at chess there. At first I only gave this book one star, but since it is at least interesting and informative I decided to add two extra stars, after thinking about that for a while,.
One more problem I have with the book, was the author calling her a chess master, when she only has a FIDE rating of 1600. By that measurement I am a chess master myself.
She is a woman candidate master, it turns out. To gain this title you need a certain number of international wins, and it has more to do with something called "norms." I won't go into what that means, but I felt the author (Tim Crothers) should have.
Granted, her circumstances make it amazing that she became anything other than another dead 12 yr old in the streets of Uganda, but I can't really speak of her circumstances as I gave up before I ever got to them.
In order to just learn more about this amazing girl I suggest Wikipedia would be better than this book, but if you want to learn about how difficult life is in Uganda, perhaps this is a good book to read.
November 15, 2016
I can say that I enjoyed this book, however it was a book that took it's toll. We often forget that even in this day and age there are people and places that are not as fortunate as we in America are.
Robert Katende started soccer lessons in Uganda. When he realized that not all children could play soccer he started teaching children the game of chess. To get the children to participate he would feed them, a bowl of porridge, often the only meal these slum children from Katwe received in a day. Phiona was introduced to the game of chess at the age of 9 by her brother. She started out being taught by the only other girl going to the lessons - a 3 year old. She grew and started to excel at chess. As she progressed she remained the only girl advanced enough to attend the various conferences, when the money could be found to get her there. She won her chess matches and advanced to the adult women's division - again she won.
Phiona does not want to become a wife like her sisters and her mother and scrape everyday just for food to feed her children for that day. To sleep in a hut with a dirt floor, no windows, and sewage running by the door. She wants out of the slums. She helps her mother and sister, but her dream is to be able to advance her skills to a Masters in chess.
Coming from severe poverty, with the worry of starvation, kidnapping or genocide, chess may be the one thing that can pull Phiona out of the slums and save her life.
Great human interest story, sadly with an unstable future outcome.
Robert Katende started soccer lessons in Uganda. When he realized that not all children could play soccer he started teaching children the game of chess. To get the children to participate he would feed them, a bowl of porridge, often the only meal these slum children from Katwe received in a day. Phiona was introduced to the game of chess at the age of 9 by her brother. She started out being taught by the only other girl going to the lessons - a 3 year old. She grew and started to excel at chess. As she progressed she remained the only girl advanced enough to attend the various conferences, when the money could be found to get her there. She won her chess matches and advanced to the adult women's division - again she won.
Phiona does not want to become a wife like her sisters and her mother and scrape everyday just for food to feed her children for that day. To sleep in a hut with a dirt floor, no windows, and sewage running by the door. She wants out of the slums. She helps her mother and sister, but her dream is to be able to advance her skills to a Masters in chess.
Coming from severe poverty, with the worry of starvation, kidnapping or genocide, chess may be the one thing that can pull Phiona out of the slums and save her life.
Great human interest story, sadly with an unstable future outcome.
October 10, 2012
I enjoyed the story told here. The title pretty much says what it’s about, a girl from the slums of Uganada learning chess, and learning how it may be the thing that helps her rise out of her poverish start.
As others have commented there is a lot of other filler story around Phiona's story. For me I think there is an important piece of the story there in that Crother's describes the multigenerational poverty that has stricken these people. Sometimes he sides steps the main story to add these little vignettes. It does disjoint the flow of the main story, but I don’t find it too hard to remember two things at once.
It was an easy, quick read. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a bit of a heartwarming story, has interest in homelessness and poverty, or enjoys sports.
*I recieved this book from the publisher via GR giveaway.
As others have commented there is a lot of other filler story around Phiona's story. For me I think there is an important piece of the story there in that Crother's describes the multigenerational poverty that has stricken these people. Sometimes he sides steps the main story to add these little vignettes. It does disjoint the flow of the main story, but I don’t find it too hard to remember two things at once.
It was an easy, quick read. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a bit of a heartwarming story, has interest in homelessness and poverty, or enjoys sports.
*I recieved this book from the publisher via GR giveaway.
March 20, 2016
The entire time I was reading the choppy, short sentences and rambling interviews in this book, I felt as if I were reading a very, very long newspaper or magazine article. After reading the "about the author" section and learning he used to be an editor for Sports Illustrated, it all made sense.
If you like reading Sports Illustrated, this book might be for you. If you like reading a hundred pages of backstory information about the dozens of family members of main characters, you're in luck. However, if you want to read about Phiona, the Queen of Katwe and title character in this book, you might want to check Wikipedia and save yourself the trouble.
If you like reading Sports Illustrated, this book might be for you. If you like reading a hundred pages of backstory information about the dozens of family members of main characters, you're in luck. However, if you want to read about Phiona, the Queen of Katwe and title character in this book, you might want to check Wikipedia and save yourself the trouble.
May 24, 2021
This was such a moving story of how a girl from the slums of Uganda became a chess prodigy. There were a lot of parts of this story that didn't directly relate to Phiona and I didn't really care too much about those parts. But I loved seeing Phiona learn about chess and then succeed. I wish I was even 1/4th as good as Phiona is lmao. Seeing what life is like for children in the slums was quite depressing. I know this book is almost a decade old but there's still that helpless feeling whenever reading about someone who literally has nothing. I really loved how Phiona's coach was constantly checking in on her when she started to succeed and making sure she was doing what she wanted.
January 1, 2013
This is such a perfect title for this book: queen, both a chess piece and the girl who defies all odds with grace and beauty. Sometimes one reads not to learn or know something, but simply to meet a person so extraordinary one thinks of her time and again. That is how I feel about this girl. I think of her time and again.
This is a book that will change your perspective on many things, perhaps; but most importantly, it will show you the importance of never giving up, even when the something desired looks like a lost cause. This book spoke to the teacher in me but I suspect everyone reading it will walk away with a different lesson learned. There are so many meaningful moments in the book.
Phiona Mutesi has grown up in Uganda, in what must be the worst slum in the entire world-Katwe. Katwe, where human life has no value and girls are considered to be a little less than human. It is only through Phiona's grim determination to trudge through one more day, and then one more and one after that, that she survives at all. Phiona shouldn't have survived. Born to a teen mother with older children and other responsibilities; born of a father who would soon die of AIDS with another family to support; to a nation that sees thousands of its children dying from starvation and disease. Phiona shouldn't have become a queen and her story is no fairy-tale. It is indeed one more magical for it is marked by simple human perseverance. A story of a regular girl, under terribly adverse circumstances, who triumphs by finding the beauty within herself. I don't know if there are happily-ever-after's for her. I am too fearful to follow up with research.
This is a story that anyone could love-sports enthusiasts, chess enthusiasts and those, like me, who just love a beautiful story about a remarkable life.
This is a book that will change your perspective on many things, perhaps; but most importantly, it will show you the importance of never giving up, even when the something desired looks like a lost cause. This book spoke to the teacher in me but I suspect everyone reading it will walk away with a different lesson learned. There are so many meaningful moments in the book.
Phiona Mutesi has grown up in Uganda, in what must be the worst slum in the entire world-Katwe. Katwe, where human life has no value and girls are considered to be a little less than human. It is only through Phiona's grim determination to trudge through one more day, and then one more and one after that, that she survives at all. Phiona shouldn't have survived. Born to a teen mother with older children and other responsibilities; born of a father who would soon die of AIDS with another family to support; to a nation that sees thousands of its children dying from starvation and disease. Phiona shouldn't have become a queen and her story is no fairy-tale. It is indeed one more magical for it is marked by simple human perseverance. A story of a regular girl, under terribly adverse circumstances, who triumphs by finding the beauty within herself. I don't know if there are happily-ever-after's for her. I am too fearful to follow up with research.
This is a story that anyone could love-sports enthusiasts, chess enthusiasts and those, like me, who just love a beautiful story about a remarkable life.
April 27, 2022
I saw this movie some time ago and finally got around to the book. It goes a lot more into the political system in Uganda as well as the back stories of some of the surrounding characters which I think only serves to increase the respect you have to have for all involved. It could have delved a little deeper into the chess (but then I like chess to begin with) but otherwise a great and inspirational book. Would recommend.
February 17, 2019
The best novel I read in 2016!
I must praise the women featured in the novel for their courage, perseverance and hardwork in withstanding womanisers and Aids victims- their men!
Amidst poverty and corruption, Phiona rises to be the best chess player in Kotwe.
The story is told in its rawest form and it has me till the last page.
Another work of non - fiction to be reckoned with. Inspirational!
I must praise the women featured in the novel for their courage, perseverance and hardwork in withstanding womanisers and Aids victims- their men!
Amidst poverty and corruption, Phiona rises to be the best chess player in Kotwe.
The story is told in its rawest form and it has me till the last page.
Another work of non - fiction to be reckoned with. Inspirational!
July 26, 2017
Uma história emocionante de uma jovem africana que conquista o mundo do xadrez. A história Uganda. Da pobreza de África. E da imensa vontade de sonhar e lutar por esses sonhos.
Phiona é um exemplo de coragem e presistencia. Ela nunca desistiu de acreditar. E os sonhos mudaram a sua vida e a vida do seu país.
Phiona é um exemplo de coragem e presistencia. Ela nunca desistiu de acreditar. E os sonhos mudaram a sua vida e a vida do seu país.
January 3, 2017
Phenomenal.
Couldn't think of a better book to start 2017 with.
Couldn't think of a better book to start 2017 with.
May 5, 2021
Lowkey - I don't understand chess. One of my exes tried to teach me and I was just so bored that I would just sacrifice everything in order for the game to be over. So, it's probably weird that I dove into The Queen of Katwe because it involves chess.
The reason why I decided to dive into this book is mostly because it worked for a certain challenge but I will also say that I actually watched the movie way before I read the book. The movie was pretty interesting so I was really intrigued to see how close it was to the book. I'm just going to say it - the book was different than the movie but I liked the movie a lot more? Yeah, I said it.
Chess has a lot of rules, pieces, and moves you can do. It's a language I will probably never be able to learn or adapt to because I'm just not patient enough to learn it. So I liked how the movie broke it all down with how Phiona learned and mastered it in her own way. I think the book just gave so much information for my brain that it was hard to digest it all in one sitting. Still interesting but the movie was easier on my brain.
In the end, I'm glad that I took the risk/chance of diving into this but I will stick to my checkers.
The reason why I decided to dive into this book is mostly because it worked for a certain challenge but I will also say that I actually watched the movie way before I read the book. The movie was pretty interesting so I was really intrigued to see how close it was to the book. I'm just going to say it - the book was different than the movie but I liked the movie a lot more? Yeah, I said it.
Chess has a lot of rules, pieces, and moves you can do. It's a language I will probably never be able to learn or adapt to because I'm just not patient enough to learn it. So I liked how the movie broke it all down with how Phiona learned and mastered it in her own way. I think the book just gave so much information for my brain that it was hard to digest it all in one sitting. Still interesting but the movie was easier on my brain.
In the end, I'm glad that I took the risk/chance of diving into this but I will stick to my checkers.
August 21, 2021
I watched the movie a long time ago before I finally get to read this book. The movie, in my opinion, was good so I have the same hope for this book, but alas. This book is okay for me I think. I love Phiona's story on how she become a well-known Uganda's female chess player from nothing. The Queen of Katwe also opens my eyes on the reality of life of people in Katwe. The slums, the shacks, the flood and many other unfortunate things people of Katwe had to endure in their life (I wish the Katwe now is better though). But I couldn't really cope with stories of other people that completely unrelated to Phiona in this book. I mean, what's the point of explaining too deeply on others who were completely unrelated to Phiona? I'm here to read about Phiona though (except for Robert Katende because he's her coach and played massive role in Phiona's life as a chess player). Phiona was described as an introverted girl in this book. I wish I can read more about her though and I'm sorry to say that the movie probably provided better insight than this book.
February 18, 2017
The writing is a bit too dry, but it can't really mask a fabulous story of redemption and hope where none were supposed to exist. Very inspirational and uplifting, I truly hope this story gets a happy ending and that all good people involved get rewarded and find happiness.
October 26, 2021
I liked it, but it's more about situation of whole group of children, which could translate to the whole nation. It mingles to much to and fro between various people, The Queen of Katwe is only one of them.
October 24, 2016
5 stars for Phiona - an amazing, talented young girl who lives in a slum in Kampala, Uganda and through hard work, perseverance and an incredible spirit, ends up playing against players from all over the world at the chess Olympiad in Russia. She is a true inspiration and her story needed to be told.
2 stars for the book, which was difficult, choppy and often boring to read. It described in too much detail the lives of really random and irrelevant people who were involved in the periphery of Phiona's life. I was interested in Phiona, her family, Robert Katende and the other children who played chess. Every other story was totally pointless and added nothing to the book.
2 stars for the book, which was difficult, choppy and often boring to read. It described in too much detail the lives of really random and irrelevant people who were involved in the periphery of Phiona's life. I was interested in Phiona, her family, Robert Katende and the other children who played chess. Every other story was totally pointless and added nothing to the book.
May 27, 2017
Way different feel from the movie. In the movie, Katwe in some ways almost looked fun, with the music and dancing etc. In the book, you get a real sense of the despair that prevails in that kind of poverty. I was humbled and made grateful for the things I have. Humble by American standards, but all a citizen of Katwe would dream of. This story inspired me to look around to see how I can help. Made me grateful for my education. In general, pulled my head out of the materialistic nonsense I can get caught up in. Worthwhile read for sure. A bit long and written in a reporter style, but well worth my time.
March 4, 2017
An inspirational read, and a real eye-opener of how unimaginably difficult life is in the slums of Uganda. Because it was about chess, of which I have no knowledge, I wasn't sure I would enjoy this book. Thanks to Karen for encouraging me to read it!
February 20, 2021
loved it !
so much respect for Robert Katende and Phiona Mutesi. it is so inspirational.
also, the fact that we could have a look at some pictures and read Phiona's letters to her mom was great.
i am just at loss of words.
so much respect for Robert Katende and Phiona Mutesi. it is so inspirational.
also, the fact that we could have a look at some pictures and read Phiona's letters to her mom was great.
i am just at loss of words.
May 5, 2016
A beautiful and difficult book to read.
November 10, 2018
This book is so hopeful and so heart-wrenching at the same time. I think it did a good job showing not only the hope that is possible, but also the grim realities of having expectations in a society and culture that can't always sustain them. It seems like Uganda is making progress, but there are still so very many limitations.
It's so important that there are people trying to do scholarship programs so these kids can go to school, and get a good meal, and learn something fun, beyond just academics. Maybe they can't make a career out of chess, but it certainly teaches life skills and gives them a way to connect beyond just getting the next meal in the slum.
It's also nice to see some religious organizations making a positive difference and being portrayed in a positive light. We hear so much of the atrocities than can be committed by persons in religious authority that it's nice to see those who have a sincere faith and really want to help others succeed.
It's so important that there are people trying to do scholarship programs so these kids can go to school, and get a good meal, and learn something fun, beyond just academics. Maybe they can't make a career out of chess, but it certainly teaches life skills and gives them a way to connect beyond just getting the next meal in the slum.
It's also nice to see some religious organizations making a positive difference and being portrayed in a positive light. We hear so much of the atrocities than can be committed by persons in religious authority that it's nice to see those who have a sincere faith and really want to help others succeed.
October 14, 2020
I picked this up because my family started watching the movie and I hadn't realized it was based on a book. (Duh, all good movies are). This was a hard read but a good one. It reminded me of The Rent Collector-just wanting so badly for a better life for these families. I loved Coach Robert and his never-ending hope. I honestly liked the movie better (gasp!) The book got into way more detail about the "Sugar Daddies" other stuff I didn't really care to read about.
Content: No language, details about prostitution & other adult content
Content: No language, details about prostitution & other adult content
December 26, 2021
Interesting tale of a young Ugandan's improbable path from the slums of Katwe showing the importance of opportunity and large impact it can have- one person at a time. Curious to see if the movie follows closely with the book.
May 20, 2017
Not only is this a really inspiring story (especially for females), it's also a tremendous eye-opener about the world that exists outside the comforts that we know/take for granted. Many of our problems are nothing compared to the problems that Phiona and the rest of the children in the Katwe slum have to face. Tim did a good job getting the conditions of the slum across. Phiona is truly an underdog, and I think all students should read her story to expand their horizons/dream bigger.
What I think could have been improved, however, was the flow of the story. I thought Tim kept introducing people at random times. Often, I could not remember how all the characters that were introduced related back to each other. Tim should have focused the main storyline on Phiona, rather than jumping between the backgrounds of all the characters. The other characters' backgrounds are certainly touching as well, but take away from the main storyline of the book. The entire reasoning behind the book title, "The Queen of Katwe" was also not explained until the end of the book, where Tim finally mentioned how it related to the story and the history of Ugandan sports.
-Nihar
www.niharsuthar.com
What I think could have been improved, however, was the flow of the story. I thought Tim kept introducing people at random times. Often, I could not remember how all the characters that were introduced related back to each other. Tim should have focused the main storyline on Phiona, rather than jumping between the backgrounds of all the characters. The other characters' backgrounds are certainly touching as well, but take away from the main storyline of the book. The entire reasoning behind the book title, "The Queen of Katwe" was also not explained until the end of the book, where Tim finally mentioned how it related to the story and the history of Ugandan sports.
-Nihar
www.niharsuthar.com
February 17, 2017
3.5 stars
Subtitled “A Story of Life, Chess, and One Extraordinary Girl's Dream of Becoming a Grandmaster”, the book tells the true story of Phiona Mutesi, a girl from the Katwe slum area of Kampala, Uganda. Phiona’s aptitude for chess is spotted by an inspirational mentor, Robert Katende, and soon it offers her the tantalising possibility of finding a route out of poverty and hardship. She joins his group of “Pioneers” and it soon becomes obvious that she has a special talent.
I really enjoyed learning about the family background and upbringing of Phiona and her mentor, Robert Katende, who had an equally challenging start in life. The book really brought to life how awful and precarious life is in the Katwe slums; its inhabitants constantly at the mercy of the elements and prey to disease, crime and addiction. ‘Katwe has no street signs. No addresses. It is a maze of rutted alleys and dilapidated shacks...Survival in Katwe depends on courage and determination as well as guile and luck.’
Expectations are low for the inhabitants of Katwe, particularly for women. As the author notes: ‘If you live in Katwe, the rest of the Ugandan population would prefer that you stay there.’ He makes an interesting connection between the mental aptitude needed to master chess and the mental toughness needed to overcome the daily challenges of life in Katwe. As one of Phiona’s fellow ‘Pioneers’ says:‘The big deal with chess is planning. What’s the next move? How can you get out of the attack they have made against you? We make decisions like that every day in the slum.’
When Phiona achieves her first tournament success, it opens up thoughts of new possibilities: ‘I remember by the time I got home I felt I was not the Phiona of always. I was a different Phiona.’ However, the book puts into context Phiona’s achievements in the chess world, which although tremendous for a girl of her background, are a long way from achieving the goal of becoming a Grandmaster. Similarly, the author is brutally realistic about the challenge Phiona faces in achieving this goal because of the need for financial support that is probably beyond the means of a country like Uganda, unlike countries like China, Russia, etc. In fact, it is this book (and subsequently the film adaptation of it) that has brought most financial benefit for Phiona and her family so far.
In separate sections of the book, the author contrasts Phiona’s story with the story of other Ugandan athletes and the struggles they faced to compete on equal terms in the world. He also provides a lot of information about the founding of Sports Outreach, the project that enabled Robert Katende to set up his chess group.
Although I found the book fascinating in parts, the style was rather journalistic with lengthy interview-like quotes and therefore it was not as easy to read as I would have liked. This is probably explained by the fact that the book grew out of an ESPN Magazine article. Also, I would have preferred the book to focus mainly on Phiona, the other “Pioneers” and Robert Katende.
Subtitled “A Story of Life, Chess, and One Extraordinary Girl's Dream of Becoming a Grandmaster”, the book tells the true story of Phiona Mutesi, a girl from the Katwe slum area of Kampala, Uganda. Phiona’s aptitude for chess is spotted by an inspirational mentor, Robert Katende, and soon it offers her the tantalising possibility of finding a route out of poverty and hardship. She joins his group of “Pioneers” and it soon becomes obvious that she has a special talent.
I really enjoyed learning about the family background and upbringing of Phiona and her mentor, Robert Katende, who had an equally challenging start in life. The book really brought to life how awful and precarious life is in the Katwe slums; its inhabitants constantly at the mercy of the elements and prey to disease, crime and addiction. ‘Katwe has no street signs. No addresses. It is a maze of rutted alleys and dilapidated shacks...Survival in Katwe depends on courage and determination as well as guile and luck.’
Expectations are low for the inhabitants of Katwe, particularly for women. As the author notes: ‘If you live in Katwe, the rest of the Ugandan population would prefer that you stay there.’ He makes an interesting connection between the mental aptitude needed to master chess and the mental toughness needed to overcome the daily challenges of life in Katwe. As one of Phiona’s fellow ‘Pioneers’ says:‘The big deal with chess is planning. What’s the next move? How can you get out of the attack they have made against you? We make decisions like that every day in the slum.’
When Phiona achieves her first tournament success, it opens up thoughts of new possibilities: ‘I remember by the time I got home I felt I was not the Phiona of always. I was a different Phiona.’ However, the book puts into context Phiona’s achievements in the chess world, which although tremendous for a girl of her background, are a long way from achieving the goal of becoming a Grandmaster. Similarly, the author is brutally realistic about the challenge Phiona faces in achieving this goal because of the need for financial support that is probably beyond the means of a country like Uganda, unlike countries like China, Russia, etc. In fact, it is this book (and subsequently the film adaptation of it) that has brought most financial benefit for Phiona and her family so far.
In separate sections of the book, the author contrasts Phiona’s story with the story of other Ugandan athletes and the struggles they faced to compete on equal terms in the world. He also provides a lot of information about the founding of Sports Outreach, the project that enabled Robert Katende to set up his chess group.
Although I found the book fascinating in parts, the style was rather journalistic with lengthy interview-like quotes and therefore it was not as easy to read as I would have liked. This is probably explained by the fact that the book grew out of an ESPN Magazine article. Also, I would have preferred the book to focus mainly on Phiona, the other “Pioneers” and Robert Katende.
November 1, 2017
This book was a beautiful story of a girl growing up in the slums overcoming all odds. It was very inspirational.
I didn't love the writing style. The author jumped around a lot and it was hard to keep straight who he was talking about. They title is a little deceiving as there are so many other people the book is actually about. I found her mentor particularly inspiring. This book gave me a sense of thankfulness for the life I have. It also broke my heart for the people living in countries like Uganda. I loved the unique ministry of equipping these kids with chess skills to triumph over their circumstances.
I didn't love the writing style. The author jumped around a lot and it was hard to keep straight who he was talking about. They title is a little deceiving as there are so many other people the book is actually about. I found her mentor particularly inspiring. This book gave me a sense of thankfulness for the life I have. It also broke my heart for the people living in countries like Uganda. I loved the unique ministry of equipping these kids with chess skills to triumph over their circumstances.
April 27, 2019
Robert Katende was a boy who lived in the slums of Kampala, Uganda. Even with all the hardships in his life he was able to grow and improve as a person. As an adult he helped other children by teaching them the game of chess. Through chess these kids were able to connect and forget about their own hardships at home. Phiona Mutesi was one of the many kids who were part of Katende's chess project. Phiona with the guidance of Katende was able to reach the professional level of a chess player and she became the Queen of Katwe.
"The Queen of Katwe" is an interesting book it's very heart warming and realistic in the way of making people understand what appreciation means. It was a little difficult to understand the plot because it would change story lines such as one chapter would talk about Robert Katende's life and the next chapter would talk about one of the boys in the chess project. Overall this book is very motivating and interesting I would recommend it to individuals who are open minded in a sense of understanding what many people in the world have to go through in order to survive.
"The Queen of Katwe" is an interesting book it's very heart warming and realistic in the way of making people understand what appreciation means. It was a little difficult to understand the plot because it would change story lines such as one chapter would talk about Robert Katende's life and the next chapter would talk about one of the boys in the chess project. Overall this book is very motivating and interesting I would recommend it to individuals who are open minded in a sense of understanding what many people in the world have to go through in order to survive.
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