A Long Walk to Water. Linda Sue Park. 2010. November 2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 128 pages.
Southern Sudan, 2008
Going was easy.
Going, the big plastic container held only air.
I loved this one. I did. It wowed me. A Long Walk To Water is the newest from award-winning author, Linda Sue Park. It is based on a true story which only makes it more compelling.
A Long Walk To Water alternates narrators. Nya, a young girl, living in modern-day Sudan, and Salva, a young boy, struggling to survive the war-torn Sudan of a few decades ago. Salva's story, for the most part, is the heart and soul of this one. His story begins in 1985. It begins with war coming to his village, to his school. It begins with Salva, along with his classmates, fleeing for their lives. He doesn't know it but it is a journey that will lead him through Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, and eventually to the United States, to New York.
Salva is one of the Sudan's "Lost Boys." And his is a story of amazing survival. There were many--men, women, children--who died. His story is compelling; it's emotionally intense. It's one I think should be a must-read. Though it is a children's book, I'd definitely still recommend it to adults.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
3 comments:
I loved A Single Shard. I'm looking forward to this one!
I may just try this-the premise sounds fascinating. My library has several of Parks' works I see, so they'll probably get this one too. Thanks for reviewing it.
I think I saw this on netgalley. I wasn't sure when I saw it there, but I think you've just convinced me!
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