#488 - A Long Walk to Water
by Linda Sue Park
“A Long Walk to Water” by Linda Sue Park. Published by Rock the Boat. A hard hitting book of two poignant stories based on real events set in Sudan unfolding at different timelines and intersecting finally in an astonishing way.
The year is 1985. Salva is a 11 year old boy who faced a life changing situation when there was gunfire outside his school. War had broken out two years ago between the rebels from Southern Sudan and the government which was based in Northern Sudan. It had now reached the village in Southern Sudan where his school was. His home was in the village of Loun-Ariik which was half an hour’s walk away from school. There was no way he could go back home. His teacher advised the children to run into the bush instead of heading towards villages to avoid being attacked. He had to face all kinds of challenges and hardships which included the likes of killer lions, hungry crocodiles and a perilous journey through a desert to get out of Sudan. He was one of the “lost boys” who were walking long distances on foot in search of their family and fighting for their safety as well as survival.
The year is 2008. Nya is a 11 year old girl living in Southern Sudan. Her daily routine was to walk twice a day to the pond to fetch water in a plastic container. One may wonder what is the big deal about this. But there is a catch here. She has to walk eight hours a day to do this chore. Getting water to drink is such a difficult thing out there. Lot of people fall ill due to water related diseases. Can Nya hope to have a different kind of life? One where she doesn’t have to walk so far and face so many difficulties to get water for herself and her family? What about Salva? How does his journey go on? Can he hope against hope to be able to meet his family again? Read the book to find out all of these and how the stories of Salva and Nya intersect with each other in an unexpected way.
The story of both Salva and Nya were thought provoking and moved us quite a bit. My nine year old and I found the narrative extremely gripping and we just couldn’t put the book down despite him having his exams. This was our first book set in Sudan and we weren’t familiar with its history. The events mentioned in the book gave us a glimpse of the harsh realities of the lives of some people who brave so many obstacles in their lives and do not give up even in the most dire circumstances. Salva’s story is a testament to the undying human spirit and what can be achieved with hope and perseverance. It is hard to even imagine what he must have gone through being tossed into the middle of chaos with no family or friends by his side. His courage, grit, willingness to learn and kindness are awe inspiring. The story is going to be memorable for us and will stay in our minds for a long time for sure. While reading Nya’s story, we realised how precious water is and we should not take it for granted. We loved the way the author has built the narrative and woven both the stories in each chapter. Each chapter tells the story of both Nya and Salva and ends with a cliffhanger ending. One will start wondering as to what the connection might be between the two stories. The connection is revealed only at the end and we were awestruck by it. The book is a “MUST READ” for everyone aged 10 and above.
Recommended Age
The book is apt for children aged 9/10 years and above.