Summary

In Chapter 15, Obama describes the initial days of his travel to Europe and Kenya. Obama spent three weeks in Europe before flying to Kenya. The travels to Kenya left Obama feeling alienated from European culture and wondering if Africa "had become an idea more than an actual place, a new promised land, full of ancient traditions and sweeping vistas, noble struggles and talking drums" (305) to him. The reality of Africa set in as soon as Obama arrived at the Nairobi airport because his luggage was lost. Obama was gratified when someone recognized him as an Obama and was even more pleased when Auma, who was working at the University of Nairobi for that year, and Aunt Zeituni arrived to pick him up. Zeituni tells Auma not to let Obama get lost again, an expression used to refer to people who have lost...