I Will Always Write Back is a book about two biological families—Caitlin’s in Pennsylvania and Martin’s in Zimbabwe—but it is also a book about found families. As the co-author pen pals Caitlin and Martin get to know each other on a deeper level, they begin to see each other as brother and sister. While some parents might disapprove of such a long-distance friendship or view it with suspicion, both Caitlin and Martin’s parents encourage their children to keep up their correspondence. As Caitlin’s mom and Caitlin’s dad become more invested in Martin’s life, they increasingly view him like a son, buying clothes for him and eventually even helping him get accepted to college. When Martin finally meets them at the end of the book, he refers to them as “Mom” and “Dad.” For economic reasons, Martin’s own parents aren’t able to provide the same level of support for Caitlin, but they always show gratitude for her gifts and proudly share Caitlin’s generosity with those around them. Families in Zimbabwe tend to live in more communal settings than in the United States, sharing things that would be considered private property in the U.S., and this more open-ended concept of family and community defines Caitlin and Martin’s relationship. The co-authors of I Will Always Write Back demonstrate how family support can help young people achieve their full potential and how “family” is a concept that isn’t strictly limited to a person’s blood relatives.
Related Themes from Other Texts
Family ThemeTracker
Family Quotes in I Will Always Write Back
I’d never heard of Zimbabwe. But something about the way the name looked on the blackboard intrigued me. It was exotic, and difficult to pronounce.
Everyone started chattering. We all knew and loved America. It was the land of Coca-Cola and the WWF, World Wrestling Federation.
Toward the end of 1998, things really began to disintegrate for my family. I was just about to finish Form Two, the equivalent of eighth grade in America. Nation and I began working after school as well as weekends in order to help feed our family. My father’s paycheck was never enough. It was rough. Worse, I could see how it affected my father. He was no longer singing when he came home, if he came home at all. Some nights he’d creep in late, well after we had all gone to sleep. I’d wake up, not from any noise but from the sweet, rancid smell of Chibuku.
Alois was even more put together than my uncle. He wore a suit and tie, like the managers at my father’s work, but he was only in his mid-twenties. He greeted me with a firm handshake and a broad smile, then introduced me to several of his colleagues before taking me to the tea station.
“You’re too late! We’re already filled up,” he said. “Besides, there are many qualified students here who need to get in; we don’t even have space for them.”
“I’ve come all the way from Chisamba Singles to speak to you,” I countered. “Please, give me a chance.”
That quieted him.
“I have an uncle that lives near there,” he said. “That’s a tough place.”
I was surprised to receive a letter from Caitlin’s mom. In it she offered to help me navigate the complicated American college admission process. I was so happy to hear this. It was further proof that Caitlin was not the only angel in this family.
Anne asked me if I had ever heard of the SATs. I had, in fact, because my good friend Wallace had taken them earlier that year. He, too, was planning to go to school in the States that September.
Today was different.
“We’d better start thinking about how to break it to him,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.
The first line of the email was like rocket fuel:
We are pleased to offer you a full scholarship beginning with the 2003-2004 academic year.
It propelled me from my seat. The breath I’d been holding for the past few months came barreling out of my mouth as I shouted, “Yesssssss!”
I felt Caitlin squeeze my hand, and I squeezed back. After six years of imagining what it would be like to see her, to hug her, to hear her laugh, to hold her hand, here she was, my best friend from afar, now standing right next to me.
Watching him exchange vows with Caitlin earlier that day, I got a bit choked up. Caitlin and I had already shared so many milestones—and still have many ahead. I did not know then that I would go on to do my MBA at Duke, or that Caitlin would finish her nursing degree, as she had planned since she was sixteen or give birth to a beautiful baby girl. All I knew was that we both had witnessed so many of each other’s dreams come true.
I have no idea what any of these young people will do with the emotions our story stirred in each of them—but I am excited by the possibilities. It’s why I wanted to write this book.
Kindness is contagious. It changes lives. It changed mine. What will it do for you?
