The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2009) is a powerful memoir by William Kamkwamba that details his journey of building a windmill from scrap metal to save his Malawian village from famine. It has been adapted into both a and a critically acclaimed Netflix film (2019). Key Highlights

His invention eventually powered four lights and a water pump, allowing his family to farm year-round and escape the cycle of drought-induced starvation. Critical Reception

The story captures the brutal reality of the 2002 Malawi famine, where families were reduced to one meal a day and forced to drop out of school due to poverty.

Using only a library book called Using Energy and a "junkyard armory" of tractor parts, bicycle halves, and PVC pipe, 14-year-old William built a functioning wind turbine.