Kinda reminds me of Criag Thompson's Habibi if anyone else has read that with how Dodola raised Zam. I actually couldn't be as emotionally invested in this because in the book, what Dodola goes through in order to give Zam food and water is so much worse than this, that, even though I think this is sad and well-written, it doesn't hold a candle to Dodola's situation when they're in poverty.
Habibi is SO much darker. That book will fuck you up, man. It's a good book but damn.