The Incredible True Story of Blondy Baruti : My Unlikely Journey From the Congo to Hollywood

"The inspirational and true rags-to-riches story of how one young boy made it from the war-torn Congolese jungles to America and onto the silver screen, all the while facing extraordinary trials and twists of fate with an unwavering faith and unflagging spirit"--;"Blondy Baruti should have died many times over. First, when he was ten years old and vicious soldiers invaded his town in the Congo, killing and rampaging without mercy. Then again, when he and his mother and sister fled, with only the clothes on their backs, into the hostile jungle, where for many months they battled starvation, contaminated water, crocodiles, and roaming soldiers. And finally, when they arrived to the safety of his grandmother's home in Kinshasa, only for Blondy to be consumed by a deadly virus. Through all of these harrowing ordeals, Blondy's mother had one constant refrain: 'Always keep the faith and spirit of our ancestors with you. Never waver in the knowledge that you were spared ... for a reason.' Blondy took these words to heart, never losing faith or hope that, despite the atrocities he witnessed, his abject poverty, and the dangers that remained in his country, he could dare to believe his destiny was bigger and brighter than he could imagine. These improbable dreams fuel an epic journey filled with cinematic twists and turns that take Blondy from the war-torn jungle to basketball courts in the Congo, to a scholarship to play basketball at a high school in Arizona, to a loving family and community who embrace him, to a stint with homelessness, and finally ... to Hollywood. All along the way, even when his fortunes looked bleak, Blondy refused to give up on humanity ... or himself. A captivating odyssey of the human spirit and a tribute to the power of optimism, resilience, and connection, [this book] is for anyone who ever dreamed of the impossible."--Jacket. The inspirational and true rags-to-riches story of how one young boy made it from the war-torn Congolese jungles to America and onto the silver screen, all the while facing extraordinary trials and twists of fate with an unwavering faith and unflagging spirit. Blondy Baruti's boyhood in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was shaped by a desperate ordeal to survive. After marauding soldiers invaded his village, he, his mom, and his sister fled to the jungle and trekked countless miles to escape the atrocities and violence—only to encounter more unspeakable horrors at every turn. Their odyssey ended some sixteen months later when they finally reached safety—but Blondy's journey had only just begun. In an amazing true story that seems more like fiction, we see Blondy overcome incredible odds—poverty, fever, hunger, betrayal—in pursuit of daring dreams that take him from his fight for survival in the Congolese jungle to a dazzling turn on an A-list red carpet after earning a role in the Marvel blockbuster, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 . In between are some incredible twists and turns: basketball dreams nurtured and squashed; a crooked cousin who breaks the inviolable bonds of family; and beneficent strangers who change everything. A powerful and timely tale of triumph over adversity, The Incredible True Story of Blondy Baruti will have you rooting for Blondy throughout his tale and leave you inspired on your own path to greatness. The inspirational and true rags-to-riches story of how one young boy made it from the war-torn Congolese jungles to America and onto the silver screen, all the while facing extraordinary trials and twists of fate with an unwavering faith and unflagging spirit. Blondy Baruti's boyhood in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was shaped by a desperate ordeal to survive. After marauding soldiers invaded his village, he, his mom, and his sister fled to the jungle and trekked countless miles to flee the atrocities and violence—only to encounter more unspeakable horrors at every turn. Their odyssey ended some sixteen months later when they finally reached safety—but Blondy's journey had only just begun. In an amazing true story that seems more like fiction, we see Blondy overcome incredible odds—poverty, fever, hunger, betrayal—in pursuit of daring dreams that take him from his fight for survival in the Congolese jungle to a dazzling turn on an A-list...