A Drumheller man has put his life on to the page in a compelling work sharing his formative years.
Nathan Banda, an RN at the Drumheller Health Centre, has self-published his book called Moments That Shaped My Life. Born and raised in Malawi, a small land-locked country in East Africa, Banda brings a unique perspective. He wished to share this perspective.
“I was born and raised in Malawi, and I have my wife and three boys. When I am playing with my boys they ask about my childhood,” he said.
He explains his 11-year-old is a curious sort and to satisfy some of these probing questions, he began working on the book.
“I thought if I could put something down that he could read, perhaps I can answer more of these questions, instead of one by one,” said Banda.
He has a compelling story, and he has faced challenges.
“Especially because Malawi is a poor country, it has its own challenges, but secondly, even though there are these challenges there are a lot of good things which helped shape who I am today," said Banda.
The book is focused on the formative years.
“It is from the ages of six or seven to about 14, so it is only seven years, not a whole lifespan. That is the most critical time in the growing up process. It is when you are supposed to be growing up and absorbing everything without realizing you are,” he said.
He said the influence of parents and the community all factor into a young person’s development on the conscious and subconscious levels.
“If a person becomes a good citizen it’s because of all these values they are given. If you are instilling the element of hard work, it is at this time, if you are instilling an element of laziness, or rudeness, or what ever, it is at this time,” said Banda.
Like the journey of discovery he wrote about, the journey towards self-publishing was pleasantly surprising. He learned others wanted to hear his story.
He was in contact with a few publishers to print the book, including WestBow Press. After a six-minute conversation, the company, said they were interested. Banda was skeptical, but the company persisted and compelled him to send his writing to them. He sent it along in March, and on June 19 it was released.
In fact, the publisher is asking when the next book is coming.
He also forwarded his work onto some peers for review and was very happy to receive positive feedback.
Today Banda's book is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Chapters and WestBow’s website. It is also available electronically.
Banda is hosting a book signing July 26 at the Drumheller Public Library, and then another on July 28 at Chapters in Shaughnessy.