The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Week 3

Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.

How was the reading experience for you this week? I felt like I had an easier time reading this section compared to the first section. I liked that these chapters focused more on William. 

In Chapter 6, we learn that William's mother is pregnant, and this puts a strain on their already low resources. Weren't you sad when you read that many children are given sad names during times of distress? I can't imagine that it would be very fun to carry around a name like that. 

I was surprised that William's mother was able to start a business during this time. Although William's family didn't have much, it seemed like they were able to have some food, even in the darkest times. It was so hard to read about all of the starving babies and people who wandered through Willliam's village. I just can't imagine seeing all of that hardship on a daily basis. I can't even imagine how hard it was to survive from day to day. It was sad to see how desperate people got. When people are desperate, they almost act like wild animals. They do things they would never imagine doing during times. 

What did you think of the goat skin eating scene? That sounded absolutely disgusting! I was surprised by how chewy it was. I bet if they had had the resources to fry the skin, it would have been more edible, but it seemed like they only had the resources for boiling. What a horrible way for them to spend Christmas. 

In chapter 7, William learns that he got bad test scores, so he's going to have to go to a bad school. I thought it was really unfair that William and his classmates were expected to pay for uniforms and shoes and school books when no one had anything. What did you think of the descriptions of his school building? I felt sick to my stomach when I read that the latrines were so crumbly that a classmate actually fell through the floorboards and was not discovered for several hours. I imagine that that girl got really sick. I hope she ended up being ok. Weren't you so sad when William realized that he couldn't stay at school because there was no way to pay his school fees? 

The part with Khamba the dog and his last days was so upsetting. Didn't that make you feel so unsettled? I just hate when animals die or are injured in books. 

I was incredibly glad that William and his family survived the famine. I really can't believe they were able to make it through those dark days. I hoped that William would be able to go right back to school, but that wasn't the case. I enjoyed reading about how he was able to still go to the library. I can't believe that he just picked up books on energy on a whim, and those books ended up changing his life. I guess that shows how important libraries are! Once William got the idea to make the windmill, things really started moving. He had success right away! I just couldn't believe how he was able to scrounge to find parts and how he was able to understand the science of everything needed to keep the windmill going. He is just so smart! I can't believe how fearless he was to take on such big projects. At the end of the section, he's able to have a dynamo, so hopefully, his dream of a a full-scale windmill will be realized. 

Want to see William's village and hear about his windmill-making process? Check out the video below!

Thanks for following along this week. I hope you're excited to finish the book for next week! Make sure to leave me a comment, so I can know how you are enjoying the book!