The End of Where We Begin: A Refugee Story

by Rosalind Russell

Winning the 2021 Moore Prize for writing that promotes the values consistent with the advancement of human rights and dignity, an account of the true stories of three refugees fleeing the civil war in South Sudan

'A beautiful, moving and important book' - Simon Reeve, author, One Day in September

Veronica is a teenager when civil war erupts in South Sudan, the world's youngest country. Lonely and friendless after the death of her father, she finds solace in her first boyfriend, and together they flee across the city when fighting breaks out. On the same night Daniel, the son of a colonel, also makes his escape, but finds himself stranded beside the River Nile, alone and vulnerable. Lilian is a young mother who runs for her life holding the hand of her little boy, Harmony - until a bomb attack wrenches them apart and she is forced to trek on alone.

After epic journeys of endurance, these three young people's lives cross in Bidi Bidi in Uganda - the world's largest refugee camp. There they meet James, a counselor who helps them find light and hope in the darkest of places. In a gripping true-life narrative, Rosalind Russell tells their stories with uplifting empathy and tenderness.

304 pages, Paperback

Published October 12, 2023

About the author

Rosalind Russell is a journalist and editor with two decades of international experience. She has worked as a foreign correspondent for Reuters and the Independent in East Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Her reporting included the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan, the war in Iraq and Myanmar’s Saffron Revolution. Her first book, Burma’s Spring, was described by Asian Affairs as “reportage at its best” and reached number one in the UK Kindle non- fiction bestseller list. She lives in London with her husband and two daughters.

Reviews

[Katie OF · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartbreaking, true story of the refugee crisis in Sudan. An eye opening , important read.

[Jasmine Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking read and even more sad to know it still continues to this day

[Celia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this thought-provoking and powerful book. It tells the real-life accounts of Daniel, Veronica and Lilian, caught up in the conflict in South Sudan, who make their way to Bidi Bidi, a refugee camp in Uganda. The author lets their stories of the three young refugees unfold, and their voices have such immediacy, the whole book feels like a team effort, as if everyone has written it together. There is an astonishing account of how, with the help of a skilled healer, bone and wood can fuse together to replace a fractured tibia.

The author is a journalist, and this is reflected in depth of research and pace of the narrative. It seems personal and this makes the bewildering terror of sudden war even worse. But, as I learned here, life is unexpected and can be beautiful, and the kindness of strangers is life changing. The book is testament to the courage, resilience and sheer verve of the youngsters who contributed their stories.

[Jack Greenwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is terror, violence and tragedy in these pages. It’s a horrible conflict that destroys lives and devastated communities. But there are also little slices of hope and pockets of warmth in the face of struggle.

I was initially cynical of a westerner writing the stories of displaced Sudanese but ended up appreciative of these uncovered narratives. They helped me understand more about a conflict I know shamefully little about, and did so in a thoughtful and human way.

It’s striking the way lives can be ripped apart by civil war, and the book demonstrates how easily the tiny green shoots of recovery can be washed away to nothing time and again. Russell focuses on the personal consequences of such devastation and her prose is sharply impactful. The lives of Veronica, David and Lillian will stay in my memory for a long time yet.