The Blue Sweater

Boston Globe Review Jacqueline Novogratz’s memoir, The Blue Sweater, is eye opening, inspiring and thought provoking. Written and published in 2009, the book quickly grew in popularity and instantly became a New York Times Bestseller. It begins with an embarrassing memory from high school, where the author, Jacqueline Novogratz, is harassed for the shrinking blue sweater that her uncle had given her. That same day, she immediately goes home, boxes up the sweater and donates it to goodwill, thinking she will never have to see it again. Ten years later in Kigali, Rwanda, Novogratz is jogging through the streets when right in front of her, she sees a bright blue sweater with two zebras roaming Mt. Kilimanjaro on it. Grabbing the child wearing …show more content…
Upon graduating from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce, Novogratz begins her career as an international credit auditor at Chase Manhattan Bank. After traveling to impoverished nations around the globe, Novogratz quits her job on a whim and moves to Africa during the late eighties, determined to improve the lives of those in need. After stints of hardship and adversity, Novogratz forms a microfinance firm for women and names it Duterimbere (d(y)o͞o, terim, ber), which means to go forward with enthusiasm. Novogratz’s goal with Duterimbere was to decrease economic barriers for women, which would in turn give them more power as citizens. Receiving more and more self-satisfaction from bettering others, Novogratz inspires herself to take on the responsibility of running a charity bakery, one where incoming revenue was currently being donated in order to keep the business artificially running. Upon taking over the bakery, Novogratz cuts all of its incoming aid, forcing it to be run as a true business. Initially the women are hesitant in trusting Novogratz, who holds high expectations for all workers, but eight months later the women are making four times their previous wages. For the first time in their lives, these women achieved self-worth. With their higher wages, they discovered, as Novogratz puts it, “Money is freedom and confidence and choice. Choice is …show more content…
During the memoir, Novogratz repeatedly has a profound impact on others through her actions. Upon graduating from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce, Novogratz begins her career as an international credit auditor at Chase Manhattan Bank. After traveling to impoverished nations around the globe, Novogratz quits her job and moves to Africa during the late eighties on a whim, determined to improve the lives of those in need. After stints of hardship and adversity, Novogratz forms a microfinance firm for women and names it Duterimbere (d(y)o͞o, terim, ber), which means to go forward with enthusiasm. Novogratz’s goal with Duterimbere was to decrease economic barriers for women, which would in turn give them more power as citizens. Receiving more and more self-satisfaction from bettering others, Novogratz inspires herself to take on the responsibility of running a charity bakery, one where incoming revenue was currently being donated in order to keep the business artificially running. Upon taking over the bakery, Novogratz cuts all of its incoming aid, forcing it to be run as a true business. Initially the women are hesitant in trusting Novogratz, who holds high expectations for all workers, but eight months later the women are making four times their previous wages. For the first time in their lives, these women achieved self-worth. With