The Queen of Katwe: A Story of Life, Chess, and One Extraordinary Girl

A great story however, the text did not flow easily from one subject to another. At times the story was difficult to follow. On the other side of that the book raises awareness as to the issues and hardships the people of Uganda face daily. The story also created within me a desire to seek out ways in which I as an individual might be able to assist the organization mentioned in the book to make life easier for the children of Katwe.

Katwe is a part of Kampala that has mud mixed with sick and worse as a landscape. That a girl can rise above the squalor is a testament to many--her teacher, the writer who the article, the game of chess, and Phiona Mutesi, the girl herself. You know, there is no word for chess in Buganda, the basic language of Uganda. Phiona speaks English but she "is the ultimate underdog." She has the good fortune to meet Robert Katenda a missionary who believes in God and the discipline of chess. She also has the good fortune to have her tale told by a gifted reporter, Tim Crothers. After living in Uganda for three years I wanted to stop strangers on the street in California and question them, "do you know what's going on in the world?" This book will shake you. A fortunate experience.

Amazing story! At beginning it was a tough read due to the hard life described of several generations in Ugandan slum. But this is a story that needs to be told! We are so isolated in the West. The story of chess and the personalities involved, as well as the rise of Phiona and her amazing talent is a phenomenal story! The approach of the missionaries was interesting and practical - they came to help and participate in the community for the long haul. Should be required reading!

A terrific book; better than the movie as you get a better sense of Phiona's struggles, her dreams, and her faith. This quote speaks volumes ..."Phiona Mutesi is the ultimate underdog. To be African is to be an underdog in the world. To be Ugandan is to be an underdog in Africa. To be from Katwe is to be an underdog in Uganda. To be a girl is to be an underdog in Katwe."

This is an inspiring story of an Ugandan slum child who learned chess and went on to win a chess tournaments and become an African "grand master" chess player. It is a bit hard to read about the difficult conditions she had to endure in the slum of "Katwe" outside Kampala, Uganda.

Told in the style of so many sports stories, filled with the details of how sports - in this case, chess - can lift an athlete out of the depths and bring them fame and fortune, "Queen of Katwe" is hopeful and heart-rending. The many interviews with all who figure in teenage chess prodigy Phiona Mutesi's journey bring an immediacy to the story. It is a quick read, and one is left wondering what is next for Phiona.

Amazing story of a slum girl's progress from knowing nothing about chess to the point of being a champion, on her way to becoming a grand master. Very uplifting and inspiring!

I liked the persistence of a number of the main characters in finding ways to see and support the humanness of others even in unhumane conditions. On the flip side I felt that there was often too much focus on the bad conditions, and not enough on bringing out the personalities and humanness of especially the African characters. There seemed to be a lot of North American assumptions about what's needed to "fix" people, and not much delving into the uniquely African context and culture and people.

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.

Took a while to see where the book was heading, but after a few chapters you see where the story takes you and it's brilliant and rewarding to see the story unfold. It's about one girl dream in Uganda and how hope unfolds and blossoms in her. I recommend this book to anyone

Love this book so interesting. I lived in Uganda as a child and this has brought back so many memories. It's hard to believe people in this day and age have to live in the conditions that they do but still can fine happiness and have a smile on their faces when they see you. The film doesn’t the book justice.

Having actually been to Uganda and seen Katwe first hand, I can relate to the book and the ordeal that the girl went through. A truly wonderful and uplifting story and I've watched the film and I would urge anyone to read this book and watch the film.

This is a heart-warming but shocking portrayal of Phiona’s path from her desperately poor beginnings in Uganda’s Katwe slum through her gradual rise in confidence to success by means of the game of chess, brought to her community by Robert, an inspiring teacher who shares her humble roots.