Several years ago, my friend, Laura Benson, remarked that books could be mirrors that help us look inward and understand ourselves better, or they could be windows, that help us understand the world around us. I have thought of that quote so, so many times since that day…LOST BOY, LOST GIRL is a memoir, told in alternating chapters, by John Bul Dau and Martha Akech. Bul was 13, Martha was only 6, when Civil War, between the Muslims, who lived in Northern Sudan, and the Christians, who lived in the South, broke out in their country. The two authors, who actually lived in different parts of southern Sudan, were separated from their families, and forced to flee their villages. Both travelled long distances, facing marauding tribes, hunger, disease, and eventually ended up in refuge camps, first in Kenya, then in Ethiopia, before finally traveling to the United States, where they married and started their family
A terrific "window" for middle or high school students, or even adults wanting to understand a different part of the world…
Thanks for the post. I hadn't heard of this book. In my job before becoming a teacher, I worked for a refugee agency that helped, among others, the Lost Boys of Sudan. I am very much looking forward to reading this first-hand account.
ReplyDeleteI just stumbled across your blog. You have some great finds on here. I've bookmarked it so I will remember to come back more often. :)
Betsy Parkes
www.the-best-childrens-books.org