Status
Available
Collection
Publication
National Geographic Children's Books (2010), Edition: Illustrated, 160 pages
Description
One of thousands of children who fled strife in southern Sudan, John Bul Dau survived hunger, exhaustion, and violence. His wife, Martha, endured similar hardships. In this memorable book, the two convey the best of African values while relating searing accounts of famine and war. There's warmth as well, in their humorous tales of adapting to American life. For its importance as a primary source, for its inclusion of the rarely told female perspective of Sudan's lost children, for its celebration of human resilience, this is the perfect story to inform and inspire young readers.
Local notes
Horn Book Guide, 03/31/2011
With Michael S. Sweeney and K. M. Kostyal. In this memoir, married couple John Bul Dau and Martha Arual Akech, who both grew up in peaceful settings, describe how their quiet days turned grim as civil war raged into southern Sudan. Escaping the war, they started new lives in the United States and continue to help those in need. Their story is personal and inspirational. Some photographs are included. Timeline.
With Michael S. Sweeney and K. M. Kostyal. In this memoir, married couple John Bul Dau and Martha Arual Akech, who both grew up in peaceful settings, describe how their quiet days turned grim as civil war raged into southern Sudan. Escaping the war, they started new lives in the United States and continue to help those in need. Their story is personal and inspirational. Some photographs are included. Timeline.
Awards
Grand Canyon Reader Award (Recommended — 2014)
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction (Nominee — 2011)