The half brother of US President Barack Obama, who has kept out of the limelight until now, launched a semi-autobiographical book yesterday and announced plans for a full autobiography.
His partly fictional novel is entitled Nairobi to Shenzhen.
Mark Okoth Obama Ndesandjo, a resident of Shenzhen, Guangdong province, for the past seven years, said at a press conference in Guangzhou that his book is not about his famous sibling but his own life.
Barack Obama and Mark Okoth Obama Ndesandjo had the same father, Barack Obama Sr., who is described in the book as an abusive man who beat his wife and son.
"President Obama has helped inspire me to come to terms with my past," Ndesandjo said.
He plans to donate 15 percent of proceeds from the book to charitable organizations via his Help the Kids foundation.
The book has four main themes: domestic violence, the pursuit of dreams, the spirit of service and the power of love.
