Linda Sue Park

As a parent, I've spent a lot of time protecting my childrens' innocence about the world. We've been blessed beyond belief to live in a first world country, in a safe community, where our needs our met, where my kids have been able to be kids. Sure, they're aware of "the needy", we sponsor a child through World Vision, and they've learned about Haiti and Rwanda through some mission programs at our church. But they don't really know the details of the suffering. My older child has now reached an age where some of that protection needs to be turned to education. "A Long Walk to Water" is an excellent novel to do just that.

"A Long Walk to Water" has two parallel story lines. The first, which starts in 1985, focuses on Salva, who becomes one of the Lost Boys of Sudan when his village is attacked in the middle of the school day and he must flee for safety -- a heartbreaking journey which takes years and spans countries and continents.

The second story line starts in 2008 and focuses on Nya, a Sudanese girl whose sole activity in life is to walk miles to and from a watering hole each day to collect dirty water (the only available kind) for her family.

The book is written for middle grade readers, so adults may find it lacking in depth and predictable. However, I think it hits the sweet spot for its intended audience. Middle grade readers will find suspense, action, and a sense of empathy for the characters in both of the story lines. My daughter was compelled to find out more about both the Lost Boys as well as access to clean water -- and I doubt she is alone. The book has given us an opportunity to discuss not only history and geography, but also better helps her understand the current Syrian refugee crisis. I highly recommend this for middle grade readers.… (more)

There are several reasons I did not give this audiobook a higher rating. After reading the synopsis for this book, I imagined a culturally sensitive and historically accurate story representing children of Chinese descent. Unfortunately, Park does not delve very deeply into the reasons behind racism during the 1800s. Also, I had read that Linda Sue Park was inspired to write this historical fiction novel due to her childhood fascination with the Little House on the Prairie series. This set up a pretty high set of expectations in my mind in terms of writing style. Overall, the idea for this story was good but the writing style didn't click with me and some portions of the narrative sounded wooden or repetitive. Still, I wouldn't want to dissuade anyone from reading this. Just don't set your expectations too high.… (more)

Based on the book's blurb and my interest in learning more about the Lost Boys of the Sudan, I had added the audio version of A Long Walk to Water to my wishlist over a year ago. Although the narrative is written for a younger audience, I quickly realized how woefully inadequate my knowledge is of the cultural history for this region.

The story is told through a partially fictionalized dual narrative, one based on the true story of a boy named Salva who is uprooted from his home and family in 1985 due to civil war. He goes through a harrowing journal of survival across the Akobo Desert . The second story is set during 2008 and describes the hardships a girl named Nya faces, as she spends most of her day making the arduous journey to collect water for her family.

The story is beautifully written, though there are some gruesome scenes which are integral to the story. Beyond the despair and sadness, there is also a focus on the power of hope and determination. The audio version is well produced with two narrators and the occasional use of sound effects or music, to mark the end of a chapter.

“One step at a time, one day at a time, just today, just this day to get through,” Salva would say. Perhaps these are words everyone can relate to on a basic level, given the extremely troubling and distressing times we are currently living though.

Interview with author Linda Sue Park and Salva Dut:
https://youtu.be/GkxkisRUmMM… (more)