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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
Very moving story of a girl who got caught up in a rebel attack in Sierra Leone, had her hands chopped off, ended up having a baby at 12 due to a rape, and managed to emigrate to Canada and find a way to heal and make a meaningful life.
This was interesting. I decided to read this because it was mentioned in "End of your life book club". I wish it was longer and more detailed, but it did make want to learn more about Sierra Leone.
Mariatu Kamara was just 12 years old when child soldiers burned her village in Sierra Leone, cut off her hands, and left her to die. She trekked many miles to a hospital where she was eventually reunited with family members who had suffered the same injuries. With help from a Canadian family, Kamara emigrated to North America and attended school for the first time. This is a powerful, female counterpart to Ishmael Beah's memoir "Long Way Gone." Beah and Kamara actually met in Canada, and he encouraged her to write her memoir.
This story, already moving, was almost too harsh and horrible. I found it difficult to really get into the actual plot because it was so horrific. I also found it relatively predictable, and once I was beyond 1/3 of the way through I knew what was going to happen. That being said, I think that I liked it and Mariatu's story will stay with me for a while.