In A Long Walk to Water author Linda Sue Park tells two stories of hardship that take place at two different time periods in Southern Sudan. Salva's story, based on a true story, begins in 1985 when as a schoolboy he is separated from his family because of the war between the Islamic government and the Southern Sudanese. He begins his long journey to escape the violent conflict and to be reunited with his family again.
The second story begins in 2008. It is the story of a girl who has not known life without the hardships of fetching water from a distant source. Not only are Nya's own education and life possibilities limited due to her responsibility for securing the family's water, but also the life of her brother is almost lost to water-born disease.
A Long Walk to Water reminds us how lucky we are to have easy access to water. It also shows us how we can be part of the solution in bringing about a better world. The lives of many can be easily saved by making small donations to Salva's www.waterforsudan.org or other organizations like www.wateraid.org or www.water.org. My students were certainly inspired and got involved in being part of the solution.
I will definitely check out this book. I met two Lost Boys from Sudan when I was in L.A. and they definitely changed my life with their stories and kindness.
ReplyDeleteSusannah,
ReplyDeleteYou may also want to check out "What Is the What" by David Eggars. It is a great adult novel about Valentino Achak, a lost boy. Valentino moved to Atlanta and his story will definitely resonate with you as he shares the experience of adapting to this particular region of the United States.
Thanks for checking out this blog!