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The Good Braider
In spare free verse laced with unforgettable images, Viola’s strikingly original voice sings out the story of her family's journey from war-torn Sudan, to Cairo, and finally to Portland, Maine. Here, in the sometimes too close embrace of the local Southern Sudanese Community, she dreams of South Sudan while she tries to navigate the strange world of America a world where a girl can wear a short skirt, get a tattoo or even date a boy; a world that puts her into sharp conflict with her traditional mother who, like Viola, is struggling to braid together the strands of a displaced life.
Terry Farish's haunting novel is not only a riveting story of escape and survival, but the universal tale of a young immigrant's struggle to build a life on the cusp of two cultures.
Terry Farish's haunting novel is not only a riveting story of escape and survival, but the universal tale of a young immigrant's struggle to build a life on the cusp of two cultures.
213 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2012
131 people are currently reading
2515 people want to read
About the author
Terry Farish
16 books40 followersTerry Farish is a writer with a passion for writing the stories of people from many cultures. Her novels include THE GOOD BRAIDER, a YALSA and SLJ Best Book for young adults and EITHER THE BEGINNING OR THE END OF THE WORLD. Her picture books include LUIS PAINTS THE WORLD (Carolrhoda, 2016), illustrated by Oliver Dominguez, set in Lawrence, MA, and JOSEPH'S BIG RIDE (Annick, 2016) illustrated by Ken Daley about a boy from South Sudan. Through the New Hampshire Humanities Council, Terry leads literacy programs with refugee and immigrants. The New England Reading Association has awarded her their 2016 Special Recognition Award for Outstanding Contributions to Literacy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 384 reviews
August 10, 2016
Full Review at Rumor Has It
To date, this has to possibly be the hardest review I’ve had to type. The best books are not only those that transport you to a far, far away alternate universe. Although I love those books very much, every now and then I have to be reminded of the ones that keep you grounded enough to thank whatever entity you believe in that you haven’t had to go through what others go through in this world. The best books will always remain, at least for me, those that make you FEEL, THINK and WONDER. Not only while you are reading but hours, days, months later. Great books embed themselves into your DNA.
This is that kind of book.
I signed up for Netgalley and this was the first book I requested and received. I saw the cover and title and had to read the description. I read the description and knew I would like this story. I read the story and walked away in love.
I cannot begin to describe how much I felt this book mine, knowing fully well that it couldn’t be because I’m 34 and no I haven’t had to live with a war right outside my front door. Yet I could still relate and many parts of this book could be my story.
Perhaps it’s because some of my ancestors are from Africa. “For this moment, let’s be free, I say to them. They could not know the dance of the journey I am just beginning, but they dance with me always.”
Perhaps it’s because when my mind wanders it too sways to the beat of drums and they too beat “Be Free”.
Perhaps it’s because I know what it’s like to live in the United States and your elders desperately want to hold on to their history, culture and traditions while raising you in a very different world because “no one in America is from America” yet are.
This entire book is written in free verse, a poem if you will. It flows and you are instantly transported to Sudan where you meet Viola, her mother, brother and grandmother. You walk the streets as she does in constant fear until she escapes her town and then follow her to the United States as a refugee. This book was written by a WHITE woman, Terry Farish, who became a part of the Sudanese community in Maine in order to give Viola the most accurate/beautiful voice I have read to date. She did her research and did it incredibly well.
As I mentioned before a great book is one that will stay with you and it has been a month since I’ve read this book and stuck with me it has. As I also mentioned a great book will have you thinking and so this one has. One thought is this…
Not too long ago we were raving about The Hunger Games movie and the trilogy. We continue to rave about dystopian novels similar to The Hunger Games. What we fail to recognize is that there are people in present day living these dystopian novels only hours away.
Although Viola’s story is “fictional” it is very much real and we should make sure our children know this.
With that said I’m gifting this book to every member in my family.
To date, this has to possibly be the hardest review I’ve had to type. The best books are not only those that transport you to a far, far away alternate universe. Although I love those books very much, every now and then I have to be reminded of the ones that keep you grounded enough to thank whatever entity you believe in that you haven’t had to go through what others go through in this world. The best books will always remain, at least for me, those that make you FEEL, THINK and WONDER. Not only while you are reading but hours, days, months later. Great books embed themselves into your DNA.
This is that kind of book.
I signed up for Netgalley and this was the first book I requested and received. I saw the cover and title and had to read the description. I read the description and knew I would like this story. I read the story and walked away in love.
I cannot begin to describe how much I felt this book mine, knowing fully well that it couldn’t be because I’m 34 and no I haven’t had to live with a war right outside my front door. Yet I could still relate and many parts of this book could be my story.
Perhaps it’s because some of my ancestors are from Africa. “For this moment, let’s be free, I say to them. They could not know the dance of the journey I am just beginning, but they dance with me always.”
Perhaps it’s because when my mind wanders it too sways to the beat of drums and they too beat “Be Free”.
Perhaps it’s because I know what it’s like to live in the United States and your elders desperately want to hold on to their history, culture and traditions while raising you in a very different world because “no one in America is from America” yet are.
This entire book is written in free verse, a poem if you will. It flows and you are instantly transported to Sudan where you meet Viola, her mother, brother and grandmother. You walk the streets as she does in constant fear until she escapes her town and then follow her to the United States as a refugee. This book was written by a WHITE woman, Terry Farish, who became a part of the Sudanese community in Maine in order to give Viola the most accurate/beautiful voice I have read to date. She did her research and did it incredibly well.
As I mentioned before a great book is one that will stay with you and it has been a month since I’ve read this book and stuck with me it has. As I also mentioned a great book will have you thinking and so this one has. One thought is this…
Not too long ago we were raving about The Hunger Games movie and the trilogy. We continue to rave about dystopian novels similar to The Hunger Games. What we fail to recognize is that there are people in present day living these dystopian novels only hours away.
Although Viola’s story is “fictional” it is very much real and we should make sure our children know this.
With that said I’m gifting this book to every member in my family.
March 30, 2012
title: The good braider
author: Terry Farish
date: Marshall Cavendish, May 2012
main character: Viola/Keji
I usually reviews books some time after they’ve hit the market, however I’ve been intrigued by the cover of The good braider for too long. I picked it up one afternoon and finished reading it that evening. Upon turning the first page, I was transported to the Sudan where all the men are gone (forced to fight) and women and children live in fear not of what the soldiers will do to them, but when they will do it. The story is told in poem form, sometimes too sparse for a complete understand of specific incidents but not too sparse to prevent us from feeling the dusty roads on our bare feet. Keji and the women of her village take pride in the braids they create as their fingers instinctively created patterns that tell stories, relate circumstance and exhibit pride. “All men in Sudan will want to marry you…you are a girl from Juba” her mother tells her.
Keji and her family flee their home as conditions become increasingly dangerous and they eventually arrive in Maine, where Keji’s uncle lives. The bulk of the story takes place here, where Keji must redefine herself.
Mrs. Mejia takes my ESL class to the library.
We gather around her. I am the tallest and can see over
the head scarf of a Somali girl. Mrs. Mejia tells us to find
a book of poem, check it out, and take it home.
I worry about the poems. How can I afford them?
She opens a small book.
With one arm in the air and her red fingernails dancing,
she reads a poem called
“Spring-Watching Pavilion.”
I don’t completely understand it,
though I like the way it sounds.
It opens with the lines
“A gentle spring evening arrives
airily, unclouded by worldly dust.”
And ends with:
“Where is Nirvana?”
Nirvana is here, nine times out of ten.”
I’d like to discuss Nirvana with Lokolumbe tonight.
When Mrs. Mejia says again that we should each
pick a book, one student says she forgot her money.
“This is not a libraria, a bookstore. You don’t have to pay.
These are books you borrow. When you find your book,
take it to the desk and show your student ID.”
My eyes follow a red, gold, and blue river of books
up one shelf, then circling to the next shelf and the next.
I can take any of these? Habuba [grandmother], you cannot imagine.
Do I have to state that Farish is a White author because really, it's just that she’s a talented storyteller. She did her research: learned the food, languages and nuanced life not only in Sudan but of Sudanese immigrants in Maine. We’re told a story that relates the human search for identity when so much is lost while basic, common human dignity remains intact. Her characters are real people and their story is quite affecting. In the same way that Keji artistically weaves the braids, Farish weaves the words.
This is Farish’s third book for young adults. She’s also written books and articles for children and adults. She blogs at The Elephant Rag and coordinates a Connections, a literacy program with the NH Humanities Council.
author: Terry Farish
date: Marshall Cavendish, May 2012
main character: Viola/Keji
I usually reviews books some time after they’ve hit the market, however I’ve been intrigued by the cover of The good braider for too long. I picked it up one afternoon and finished reading it that evening. Upon turning the first page, I was transported to the Sudan where all the men are gone (forced to fight) and women and children live in fear not of what the soldiers will do to them, but when they will do it. The story is told in poem form, sometimes too sparse for a complete understand of specific incidents but not too sparse to prevent us from feeling the dusty roads on our bare feet. Keji and the women of her village take pride in the braids they create as their fingers instinctively created patterns that tell stories, relate circumstance and exhibit pride. “All men in Sudan will want to marry you…you are a girl from Juba” her mother tells her.
Keji and her family flee their home as conditions become increasingly dangerous and they eventually arrive in Maine, where Keji’s uncle lives. The bulk of the story takes place here, where Keji must redefine herself.
Mrs. Mejia takes my ESL class to the library.
We gather around her. I am the tallest and can see over
the head scarf of a Somali girl. Mrs. Mejia tells us to find
a book of poem, check it out, and take it home.
I worry about the poems. How can I afford them?
She opens a small book.
With one arm in the air and her red fingernails dancing,
she reads a poem called
“Spring-Watching Pavilion.”
I don’t completely understand it,
though I like the way it sounds.
It opens with the lines
“A gentle spring evening arrives
airily, unclouded by worldly dust.”
And ends with:
“Where is Nirvana?”
Nirvana is here, nine times out of ten.”
I’d like to discuss Nirvana with Lokolumbe tonight.
When Mrs. Mejia says again that we should each
pick a book, one student says she forgot her money.
“This is not a libraria, a bookstore. You don’t have to pay.
These are books you borrow. When you find your book,
take it to the desk and show your student ID.”
My eyes follow a red, gold, and blue river of books
up one shelf, then circling to the next shelf and the next.
I can take any of these? Habuba [grandmother], you cannot imagine.
Do I have to state that Farish is a White author because really, it's just that she’s a talented storyteller. She did her research: learned the food, languages and nuanced life not only in Sudan but of Sudanese immigrants in Maine. We’re told a story that relates the human search for identity when so much is lost while basic, common human dignity remains intact. Her characters are real people and their story is quite affecting. In the same way that Keji artistically weaves the braids, Farish weaves the words.
This is Farish’s third book for young adults. She’s also written books and articles for children and adults. She blogs at The Elephant Rag and coordinates a Connections, a literacy program with the NH Humanities Council.
July 14, 2012
Terry Farish's "The Good Braider" is a beautiful, lyrical novel that tugged on my heartstrings in many moments. It's the story of a teenage African girl named Viola who survives hardships in her homeland to travel with her family to America in search of a better life, out of the heart of war. The novel is written in verse, and the flow of the language and Viola's voice feels authentic and heartfelt. I really gained a sense of who Viola was and how much she cared for her family, alongside the fear she feels in her homeland. She endures some horrid tragedies, yet expounds upon them with a maturity that I couldn't help but admire. I was glad to see that, through the hardships she relives and ultimately comes to terms with, she finds happiness as she pursues an education, and finds a relationship with a boy who cares for her. The book proved a fast read for me, and I think it's one that young adults would appreciate for not only the voice of the young woman and her respective experiences, but also gain a sense of what its like moving from one country and adjusting to life and common place ideals and values in another. In the end, Viola stands as a strong character that's hard not to feel proud of in her respective accomplishments and happiness.
Overall score: 4/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Marshall Cavendish.
Overall score: 4/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Marshall Cavendish.
January 5, 2014
This book's CONTENT deserves five stars. I gave three because I did not like the free verse style. This book tells the plight of a South Sudanese girl under the brutal control of Sudanese soldiers in Juba, South Sudan. We in the west think of the victims of rape as just that, victims. It is not so in Africa. The victim is as guilty as the perpetrator for bringing shame upon not only the family but the community. The story of "the good braider" and her laborious efforts to survive in South Sudan, then to reach a refugee camp and, finally, adjust to life in America is both grim and triumphant. This is a good story for high school aged and up, especially for those who know refugees and, most especially, for those who DON'T know refugees. This is an important story that we in the "fantasy land" that is America need to hear.
August 15, 2013
Novels in verse make me want to run screaming, so good thing I hadn't noticed the format of this story about a Sudanese refuge and her family's fraught path to freedom and life in the U.S. I've been waiting for a book about the African community I've heard so much about in Portland, ME for YEARS! How fortuitous. then, that this novel for young readers turned out to be so frank, honest, and thoughtful -verse and all. There are some very heavy topics within, but I think the treatment of sexual violence and death (not spoilers!) are such that I'd hand the book off to a young person without a whole lot of agonizing over whether s/he can make it through without a chaperone. In this book: no easy fixes, but there is love, connection, understanding, and perseverance. This is one to read.
August 23, 2018
I was completely drawn in to the story of Viola and her horrific experiences in South Sudan. This story of a young refugee fighting to get to America is powerful, raw and engaging. During this period of instability, with more people fleeing conflict in mass migrations than ever before, it is important to hear a story, to hear many stories that bring to light the plight of refugees. When we close our doors and our borders, we close our doors on humanity.
I will recommend this book to my students in the hope that it will increase their empathy for and understanding of the incredible students who come to the U.S. seeking asylum and safety.
I will recommend this book to my students in the hope that it will increase their empathy for and understanding of the incredible students who come to the U.S. seeking asylum and safety.
May 1, 2013
Viola’s story is one that will resonate with immigrants, their children, and people who care about others struggling under oppressive regimes and in war-ravaged lands. Those from South Sudan must become Muslim, or the soldiers from the North can kill, conscript, or rape them. This last is what happens to Viola. Her innocent days with her mother singing hymns and braiding her hair, her grandmother telling her about the strength of the elephant and giving her a bone to help her remember, and her sweet little brother are over—completely.
Their escape to Cairo on a United Nations plane comes nearly too late, and it will always be too late for some things lost in that journey of refugees. They must wait a long time living in a Cairo church to apply for refugee status, so Viola makes the best of it with a new friend who also escaped Juba. Together she and Lokolumbe make it their business to study as much as they can in a night school for two, using Just So Stories, an enormous Responding to Literature book, the USA Today—anything they can put their hands on. They want to be ready to succeed in the United States when they get permission to emigrate.
Finally, a South Sudanese community in Portland, Maine that includes Viola’s uncle provides a safe haven for Viola and her mother. She is amazed at so much in America: her own bed and bedroom, cell phones, cars, a job in a frozen chicken plant, and school! She has wonderful English as a Second Language teacher who is amazed at how much she already knows, so I guess that “night school” paid off. Many things are different. Not just snow, but boys—one boy in particular, Andrew with the red hair who is willing to teach her to drive and makes her feel something new. Can she and her mother adjust to a life here, where girls can actually talk with boys without it ruining their reputations, their bride worth.
Told in verse without rhyme, like Out of the Dust, this story moves quickly and will be a poignant read for many young readers, but not too young. Mature middle school and lower secondary seem like the best audience.
Their escape to Cairo on a United Nations plane comes nearly too late, and it will always be too late for some things lost in that journey of refugees. They must wait a long time living in a Cairo church to apply for refugee status, so Viola makes the best of it with a new friend who also escaped Juba. Together she and Lokolumbe make it their business to study as much as they can in a night school for two, using Just So Stories, an enormous Responding to Literature book, the USA Today—anything they can put their hands on. They want to be ready to succeed in the United States when they get permission to emigrate.
Finally, a South Sudanese community in Portland, Maine that includes Viola’s uncle provides a safe haven for Viola and her mother. She is amazed at so much in America: her own bed and bedroom, cell phones, cars, a job in a frozen chicken plant, and school! She has wonderful English as a Second Language teacher who is amazed at how much she already knows, so I guess that “night school” paid off. Many things are different. Not just snow, but boys—one boy in particular, Andrew with the red hair who is willing to teach her to drive and makes her feel something new. Can she and her mother adjust to a life here, where girls can actually talk with boys without it ruining their reputations, their bride worth.
Told in verse without rhyme, like Out of the Dust, this story moves quickly and will be a poignant read for many young readers, but not too young. Mature middle school and lower secondary seem like the best audience.
May 17, 2017
I re-read this popular paperback as part of the 2017 Hub Challenge & loved it even more that when I read it in 2013!!! Viola's harrowing journey with her family from the war torn country of Sudan to Portland, Maine. Before laving Juba, Viola is raped by a soldier; her self worth and her bride price are stripped. Farish does a superb job painting the fear, anguish and despair of Viola and those in her community in fear for their lives while trying to flee a country gripped in civil war. Once Viola, her mother and little brother escape, Juba, they begin a long perilous journey to Khartoum. Once Viola arrives in Portland, Maine settling into a community of African immigrants, attending school and working a job there is the clash of the new American culture and preserving the Sudanese culture. This novel in verse achieves the beauty of Viola's new American world and harsh reminders of the brutal civil war, Viola's voice is strong, happy, conflicted, scared, and hopeful. I loved the braiding title, which symbolized Viola's African world of beauty and how once in the US, she does not braid anymore and will not have her own hair braided. It is through her friends and family from the Sudan as well as her American friends that Viola finds her place in her new world of Portland, Maine. This is a must read for young adults; they will learn about the genocide the Sudanese suffered through, they will appreciate the customs and community that are so important to Viola. What is even more important for teens is to see the world through Viola's eyes and the positive and negative impact of American culture on immigrant communities. Powerful, this book is beautiful!
May 2, 2017
The Good Braider is a book written in free-verse about a girl named Viola. The book chronicles Viola's journey from war torn South Sudan to America.
I love love love this book! I am not always a fan of books written in free-verse because I like books to stay within one...box. However, I completely understood the need for this book to be written in verse format. This format helps with the aesthetic of the story. Each poem brings you closer to understand life in South Sudan for Christians; the good, the bad, and the scary.
I think this book spoke to me because I identify with feeling like you're from two worlds. In going from Sudan to America, Viola has to come to terms with being an African girl in America and an American girl from Africa all at the same time. I feel like this is one of the first books I have read that has elaborated on that without being preachy or harping on it. I also love the addressing of the mental illnesses (though not diagnosed) that occur when one escapes a war torn country. The Things I disliked about this book are minimal and spoiler-y so I will not disclose them but this was definitely a great read that I may pick up again before the year ends.
I love love love this book! I am not always a fan of books written in free-verse because I like books to stay within one...box. However, I completely understood the need for this book to be written in verse format. This format helps with the aesthetic of the story. Each poem brings you closer to understand life in South Sudan for Christians; the good, the bad, and the scary.
I think this book spoke to me because I identify with feeling like you're from two worlds. In going from Sudan to America, Viola has to come to terms with being an African girl in America and an American girl from Africa all at the same time. I feel like this is one of the first books I have read that has elaborated on that without being preachy or harping on it. I also love the addressing of the mental illnesses (though not diagnosed) that occur when one escapes a war torn country. The Things I disliked about this book are minimal and spoiler-y so I will not disclose them but this was definitely a great read that I may pick up again before the year ends.
July 11, 2018
3.5 stars.
Don’t get me wrong: The Good Braider was a good book and I am very glad I read it. I came very close to giving it four stars. It taught me a lot about Sudanese refugees and the struggles they faced escaping their war-torn country and eventually learning to integrate in American life, while staying true to themselves and their culture.
My main issue with the book was that while the author did a great deal of research on the issue and talked extensively with many former refugees, it is obvious from the writing that she was not a refugee herself. Don’t worry, I am not saying I wish Terry Farish had gone through any the awful things Viola goes through in the story. It’s just that it sometimes feels like our narrator is telling the story secondhand (as the author actually is) and not experiencing it herself. I also found some aspects of the story (including the central braiding metaphor) a little underexplained, and thus a tiny bit confusing.
Once again: do not let my three stars discourage you from reading this book! It is a GOOD BOOK. It is just not as good as it could have been.
Don’t get me wrong: The Good Braider was a good book and I am very glad I read it. I came very close to giving it four stars. It taught me a lot about Sudanese refugees and the struggles they faced escaping their war-torn country and eventually learning to integrate in American life, while staying true to themselves and their culture.
My main issue with the book was that while the author did a great deal of research on the issue and talked extensively with many former refugees, it is obvious from the writing that she was not a refugee herself. Don’t worry, I am not saying I wish Terry Farish had gone through any the awful things Viola goes through in the story. It’s just that it sometimes feels like our narrator is telling the story secondhand (as the author actually is) and not experiencing it herself. I also found some aspects of the story (including the central braiding metaphor) a little underexplained, and thus a tiny bit confusing.
Once again: do not let my three stars discourage you from reading this book! It is a GOOD BOOK. It is just not as good as it could have been.
September 1, 2016
Teenager Viola lives in Juba, in southern Sudan, with her mother, grandmother, and little brother. They live in constant fear for their lives as civil war erupts all around them. This novel in verse describes how Viola, her mother, and brother escape through Sudan north to Egypt and end up in Cairo, from whence they emigrate to Portland, Maine. Frankly, I found the first half of the book, where they're trying to survive while on their way through Sudan and Egypt, more gripping than the latter half of the book, where they are settled in the Sudanese area of Portland. Nevertheless, though less gripping, I did find the depiction of refugee life in the U.S. interesting. The conflict between the customs and traditions from Sudan, which in some cases were very different from those here in the U.S., was vividly portrayed when Viola's mother is arrested for beating Viola, a punishment method considered a parent's right in Sudan. Will her mother adjust to her new life? Since Utica, where I work, is home to a large population of refugees, reading Farish's book gave me insight into the problems refugees can have. I'm very glad I read this book. I have vicariously walked in their shoes, and now feel more sympathetic to their situation here. I highly recommend this book to young and old as a means of understanding refugees better.
November 5, 2013
This book is about a refugee girl and her family from Africa. I enjoy reading authors who write from a different perspective but I had a feeling that the author was not an ethnic person in any way. The way she wrote about the main character's fascination with the boy with red hair. I could tell this person did not have kinky curly hair.
I have negative feelings towards the book because there are so many writers who are from Africa who never get the opportunity to write about a true experience. The author wrote the book like someone told her what they were feeling. BTW, I did not know the author's background until after I read the book. I was slightly shocked but sensed as I was reading that the author was writing from a viewpoint of someone not familiar with the culture or hair type.
The publishers should remove the picture from the cover. If it was a story about an experience of the author or if she was better able to convey the little things that someone who is ethnic would know about she would have improved the story.
I have negative feelings towards the book because there are so many writers who are from Africa who never get the opportunity to write about a true experience. The author wrote the book like someone told her what they were feeling. BTW, I did not know the author's background until after I read the book. I was slightly shocked but sensed as I was reading that the author was writing from a viewpoint of someone not familiar with the culture or hair type.
The publishers should remove the picture from the cover. If it was a story about an experience of the author or if she was better able to convey the little things that someone who is ethnic would know about she would have improved the story.
October 6, 2018
This book is well written, I won't take away from that. But I constantly found my self questioning who has the right to tell such a delicate, painful story? Some of the moments in the novel felt forced and inauthentic. And upon researching the author's other works, I found most of her books are written about POC and the characters are placed in the center of war and struggle. I think this matters. I think when it comes to stories like this, questioning the lens we see it through, as presented by the author, matters.
March 4, 2017
Good insights into the troubles of refugees as they flee from Sudan and try to integrate into American culture.
I'm not sure the verse form was as powerful and as necessary as it was in Sold.
I'm not sure the verse form was as powerful and as necessary as it was in Sold.
September 1, 2013
*spoilers!*
Goodreads recommended this book to me when I was looking around on listopia for a YA novel about another culture. I’m very glad it did. I have never read a book written in free verse before. Poems! How can a good story be told simply in poetry, which is, although enjoyable and interesting, lacking in the detail that can make a story great? How can a world be built, a character explored fully in only a few words each page? The Good Braider showed me how. It was brilliantly written, touching and left a lasting impression- I even found myself thinking in free verse for the next day after having devoured this book in a night.
This book has really opened my eyes to some of the things refugees have gone through and the stories that they have hidden inside while they try to scrape by in a new country. It made me realise how lucky I am to not live in a country where you have to flee your own roots and home because it is just too dangerous to stay, and then try to fit into a new culture without even speaking the language properly. This book taught me a lot and was an emotional and engaging read.
The category this book completes is a book that teaches you about another culture. This book follows the story of Viola who lives in Southern Sudan with her mother and younger brother. When the war becomes too much and they feel they are in too much danger they contact American relatives and try to gain refugee status to come into America. They make a highly dangerous journey to Cairo, so they can get onto a plane to America. It takes months and months for the journey alone, and when they arrive in Cairo it takes two years of waking at five every morning and walking to the place where they can obtain papers to finally get to America. While in her war-torn country Viola sees some terrible things – a boy gets shot standing next to her, her little brother dies on the journey to Cairo, she is raped by a soldier (fortunately this is not described in detail) and she and her mother deal with terrible conditions in which they have no shelter and sleep on the streets. In Cairo they sleep with a whole bunch of others in a church for two years. The book is a really shocking wake up call, and has made me wonder about and think about the refugee families who have really been through this. It is a sad and shocking truth that people and children have experienced these things and I can’t believe the terrible stories some people have to tell. It has made me wonder if there are people in our community who have come from such a background and how they find the strength to carry on?
The character I found most interesting was Viola’s mother. Viola adjusted easily enough to American life- it was her mother who really suffered the culture shock. It is understandable she would be confused moving into a country with a culture so different to hers, and becomes very protective over Viola. I think this was mainly because she didn’t want Viola to become more American than Sudanese, she wanted to keep her roots and culture alive. I found it fascinating to read how she adjusted and eventually accepted that she needed to give Viola some space- Viola didn’t want to forget her past anyway.
My favourite quote from this book was “The story rolls along like drumbeats from house to house.”I liked this quote because it expresses imagery and also shows us the closeness of the immigrant families and the community in Juba. It also tells us of how a story is passed along between people by and the importance in African culture of drums.
This book also contained some pretty wonderful cultural things about Sudan and Africa and used really beautiful metaphors and phrases to convey its message. The storytelling itself was like the intricate braids Viola was so skilled at doing - carefully winding in symbols of Viola’s culture, symbols like the elephant and the African moon.
“My mother describes for him
The feel of the earth when the elephants walk,
And Jamal’s eyes grow wide.
I shut my eyes and can feel the heat
Of the cook fire in our courtyard.
There comes a hint of the smell
Of the earth by the Nile.
I’m an American girl in Portland, Maine.
But I’m also
A girl from Juba.”
I learned from this book so many things: firstly, the tragic predicament of refugees’ and how shocking their terrible tales can be. Even here in New Zealand there are people who have suffered through this and are now trying to make ends meet in a country so different from their own. This book really teaches me how lucky I am to live in a country where there is no war, where we all have roofs over our heads, where children don’t die of dirty water, where people do not get shot on the streets. I am lucky to live in a country where soldiers don’t try to impose a religion on us, where the government is stable. I am so lucky not to live somewhere where to survive I have to escape, lucky not to even have to consider this. The book also taught me to value my education, as some children in other countries have none. When Viola arrived in America she worked so hard in school and gained straight A’s. I should consider this when I complain about my homework! I also learned we should never forget where we came from or our heritage. It makes us strong; it is the blood that runs in our veins. We need to remember where we came from, but not let the old rules of our cultures dominate us forever - just hold on to the important and good ones.
Overall, this was a fascinating and eye opening read about another culture and refuges. I would recommend it to anyone. Also the writing isn’t terribly difficult to read, and fantastic imagery is held between the pages if you look between the lines. I would give this book a 5/5 star rating. I learned a lot from reading it.
Goodreads recommended this book to me when I was looking around on listopia for a YA novel about another culture. I’m very glad it did. I have never read a book written in free verse before. Poems! How can a good story be told simply in poetry, which is, although enjoyable and interesting, lacking in the detail that can make a story great? How can a world be built, a character explored fully in only a few words each page? The Good Braider showed me how. It was brilliantly written, touching and left a lasting impression- I even found myself thinking in free verse for the next day after having devoured this book in a night.
This book has really opened my eyes to some of the things refugees have gone through and the stories that they have hidden inside while they try to scrape by in a new country. It made me realise how lucky I am to not live in a country where you have to flee your own roots and home because it is just too dangerous to stay, and then try to fit into a new culture without even speaking the language properly. This book taught me a lot and was an emotional and engaging read.
The category this book completes is a book that teaches you about another culture. This book follows the story of Viola who lives in Southern Sudan with her mother and younger brother. When the war becomes too much and they feel they are in too much danger they contact American relatives and try to gain refugee status to come into America. They make a highly dangerous journey to Cairo, so they can get onto a plane to America. It takes months and months for the journey alone, and when they arrive in Cairo it takes two years of waking at five every morning and walking to the place where they can obtain papers to finally get to America. While in her war-torn country Viola sees some terrible things – a boy gets shot standing next to her, her little brother dies on the journey to Cairo, she is raped by a soldier (fortunately this is not described in detail) and she and her mother deal with terrible conditions in which they have no shelter and sleep on the streets. In Cairo they sleep with a whole bunch of others in a church for two years. The book is a really shocking wake up call, and has made me wonder about and think about the refugee families who have really been through this. It is a sad and shocking truth that people and children have experienced these things and I can’t believe the terrible stories some people have to tell. It has made me wonder if there are people in our community who have come from such a background and how they find the strength to carry on?
The character I found most interesting was Viola’s mother. Viola adjusted easily enough to American life- it was her mother who really suffered the culture shock. It is understandable she would be confused moving into a country with a culture so different to hers, and becomes very protective over Viola. I think this was mainly because she didn’t want Viola to become more American than Sudanese, she wanted to keep her roots and culture alive. I found it fascinating to read how she adjusted and eventually accepted that she needed to give Viola some space- Viola didn’t want to forget her past anyway.
My favourite quote from this book was “The story rolls along like drumbeats from house to house.”I liked this quote because it expresses imagery and also shows us the closeness of the immigrant families and the community in Juba. It also tells us of how a story is passed along between people by and the importance in African culture of drums.
This book also contained some pretty wonderful cultural things about Sudan and Africa and used really beautiful metaphors and phrases to convey its message. The storytelling itself was like the intricate braids Viola was so skilled at doing - carefully winding in symbols of Viola’s culture, symbols like the elephant and the African moon.
“My mother describes for him
The feel of the earth when the elephants walk,
And Jamal’s eyes grow wide.
I shut my eyes and can feel the heat
Of the cook fire in our courtyard.
There comes a hint of the smell
Of the earth by the Nile.
I’m an American girl in Portland, Maine.
But I’m also
A girl from Juba.”
I learned from this book so many things: firstly, the tragic predicament of refugees’ and how shocking their terrible tales can be. Even here in New Zealand there are people who have suffered through this and are now trying to make ends meet in a country so different from their own. This book really teaches me how lucky I am to live in a country where there is no war, where we all have roofs over our heads, where children don’t die of dirty water, where people do not get shot on the streets. I am lucky to live in a country where soldiers don’t try to impose a religion on us, where the government is stable. I am so lucky not to live somewhere where to survive I have to escape, lucky not to even have to consider this. The book also taught me to value my education, as some children in other countries have none. When Viola arrived in America she worked so hard in school and gained straight A’s. I should consider this when I complain about my homework! I also learned we should never forget where we came from or our heritage. It makes us strong; it is the blood that runs in our veins. We need to remember where we came from, but not let the old rules of our cultures dominate us forever - just hold on to the important and good ones.
Overall, this was a fascinating and eye opening read about another culture and refuges. I would recommend it to anyone. Also the writing isn’t terribly difficult to read, and fantastic imagery is held between the pages if you look between the lines. I would give this book a 5/5 star rating. I learned a lot from reading it.
August 25, 2018
I couldn’t put this down. It’s been a very long time since I read a book in one sitting. I tried to go to bed after the first 93 pages but ended up laying there wishing I was still reading. Ultimately, I turned the light back on and finished the book a couple hours later. This is a book that so many people should read. It’s an excellent fictional representation of the refugee experience. I highly recommend this to teachers and hope that some may implement this as a reading for their students. I can only imagine the rich discussions of refugee resettlement, cultural appropriation versus appreciation, and shared humanity this book could spark!
June 10, 2020
I found this a really powerful book that shows the struggles of refugees trying to escape their violent world and adapt to a new foreign world. The main character is a teenage girl dealing with extreme trauma and trying to decide what part of her is still Sudanese and what part of her is a new American. I truly recommend this book for middle school and high school social studies classes
June 24, 2017
This was the first time I read a novel written in prose. It was quite a quick read, about a family trying to escape civil war in Sudan, and their subsequent life in Maine, USA. I enjoyed it very much and hope to read more from this author and on this subject in the future.
January 17, 2019
There is a simplistic quality to this book; it felt like a YA book. The prose is nice but not poetic. I thought the story was interesting, has a bit of "outsider" sentimentality, but I wouldn't look for another by this author.
March 11, 2019
I really liked this book! I thought the figurative language was beautifully written. I was always following the story!
December 15, 2020
Really liked the character development that evolved in the book
February 26, 2021
I always enjoy a book that teaches me something new. This is a good about Sudanese refugees. The free verse style of prose makes it a quick, easy read despite the heavy content.
March 14, 2017
This story of a young girl and her family who live in South Sudan surrounded by the horrors of war is beautifully written in free verse. The author's spare use of words cuts right to the heart of the story and easily captures and portrays the fear, pain, and uncertainty that these characters endure and surmount to keep their spirit and their culture alive. You come to know Viola so well and, yet, her character is not handed to you on a platter. You understand it all through the powerful feelings and senses that come through the words. It will stay with me for a while, reminding me over and over of the charmed life that so many of us lead and how, conversely, others have few means to escape the death and fear on their doorstep.
April 5, 2017
Beautiful, beautiful. The language is so stripped down, nothing can hide in the words.
March 15, 2025
What a great book. I bought this years ago with the intent of giving it to one of my young nieces, but procrastinated. Written in simple yet masterful and lyrical prose, it captures the life of a young girl who flees with her mother from war-torn south Sudan to live in Portland, Maine.
January 17, 2018
Some of the scenes here broke my heart.
October 19, 2018
In the book, The Good Braider by Terry Farish, it tells you the story of a young girl's journey from at first being in Juba, Africa, where there is a war going on, and the United States, where she becomes a new woman. Her name is Viola and in the beginning of the book she describes the war and how that is affecting her, and then she meets this boy named Andrew. Andrew is also affected by the war and both of them are mistreated by the soldiers, ultimately moving them to the United States. In the United States, the rules and the behavior is different than of Juba and the rest of the book describes what Viola and her family need to do, what they need to change. Without spoiling anything, the end of the book is a very good ending and is very good to more than one character.
Overall, I didn't really enjoy this book. The author did a really good job, though, on giving a picture to her audience and letting us know how other traditions might look like in a different person's perspective. Another thing I really enjoyed that the author did was how she let the main character, Viola, develop as a character and how she needed to change or adapt when she was forced to go somewhere she wasn't aware of that much. I didn't really enjoy the concept of the book, but I did appreciate how the author made this book and the certain word descriptions and the character development and the description of the war.
The book, The Good Braider by Terry Farish, would be a great book for a person who would love learning about different cultures and traditions. The book would also be a great book for a person who would love slight romance within their novel. Even though I didn't enjoy the book, I would recommend it because I know that there are people out there who love romance, a chance to learn different cultures, and people who love 3rd person omniscient.
Overall, I didn't really enjoy this book. The author did a really good job, though, on giving a picture to her audience and letting us know how other traditions might look like in a different person's perspective. Another thing I really enjoyed that the author did was how she let the main character, Viola, develop as a character and how she needed to change or adapt when she was forced to go somewhere she wasn't aware of that much. I didn't really enjoy the concept of the book, but I did appreciate how the author made this book and the certain word descriptions and the character development and the description of the war.
The book, The Good Braider by Terry Farish, would be a great book for a person who would love learning about different cultures and traditions. The book would also be a great book for a person who would love slight romance within their novel. Even though I didn't enjoy the book, I would recommend it because I know that there are people out there who love romance, a chance to learn different cultures, and people who love 3rd person omniscient.
September 9, 2016
I was skeptical at first; after all, The Good Braider proposes to cover a lot of ground for a book that’s just five discs long on audio. I guessed it would be too shallow to be very powerful, too abbreviated to do its subject justice. I’m happy to report I was very pleasantly surprised.
There is something about the way Terry Farish writes that makes The Good Braider just work. Farish only needs a few words to communicate layers of emotion and significance with power and truth. She calls up vivid images with ease. Her scenes are short, and she dips in and out of time at various intervals, but her ability to zoom in on precisely the moments and details she needs makes the story feel amazingly substantial.
I appreciate that Farish doesn’t shy away from tough issues. She doesn’t sugarcoat Viola’s life or shelter her from reality by any means. At the same time, though, she’s not more graphic in her telling than she needs to be.
Overall, this is a powerful story, expertly told and seamlessly narrated. Full review is posted on Erin Reads.
There is something about the way Terry Farish writes that makes The Good Braider just work. Farish only needs a few words to communicate layers of emotion and significance with power and truth. She calls up vivid images with ease. Her scenes are short, and she dips in and out of time at various intervals, but her ability to zoom in on precisely the moments and details she needs makes the story feel amazingly substantial.
I appreciate that Farish doesn’t shy away from tough issues. She doesn’t sugarcoat Viola’s life or shelter her from reality by any means. At the same time, though, she’s not more graphic in her telling than she needs to be.
Overall, this is a powerful story, expertly told and seamlessly narrated. Full review is posted on Erin Reads.
December 28, 2015
5 Platypires for The Good Braider by Terry Farish
I need to start off by saying that at first I was completely put off by the free verse written style of the novel. I even put the book down because I never read a book written that way and assumed it must have been a mistake. The only mistake was my way of thinking after realizing it was done on purpose.
I decided to give it a second chance and quickly immersed myself in Viola story. I truly couldn't put this book down. I just found this story to be so engrossing and enlightening. I actually feel that this is a story I will not forget.
Kudos to the author for shining a light on the plight of a Sudanese refugee. The story truly came alive in my mind and I felt everything Viola felt. The research was really well done. Even though the author isn't from the Sudan , I felt she captured the true essence of that region.
Overall, this is a great novel that I would highly recommend.
I need to start off by saying that at first I was completely put off by the free verse written style of the novel. I even put the book down because I never read a book written that way and assumed it must have been a mistake. The only mistake was my way of thinking after realizing it was done on purpose.
I decided to give it a second chance and quickly immersed myself in Viola story. I truly couldn't put this book down. I just found this story to be so engrossing and enlightening. I actually feel that this is a story I will not forget.
Kudos to the author for shining a light on the plight of a Sudanese refugee. The story truly came alive in my mind and I felt everything Viola felt. The research was really well done. Even though the author isn't from the Sudan , I felt she captured the true essence of that region.
Overall, this is a great novel that I would highly recommend.
March 29, 2020
The story had potential but lacked 2 things, substance and authenticity. It lacked substance because the spare free verse required the prose to have more meat, more depth, more bite, more ethos and pathos. It fell short.
It lacked authenticity because as a POC myself I can tell that it wasn't written by a POC. There is only superficial treatment of what it would be like for a black immigrant in what is a totally alien culture and in a majority white state like Maine. Where is the culture shock? I didn't feel it.
It lacked authenticity because as a POC myself I can tell that it wasn't written by a POC. There is only superficial treatment of what it would be like for a black immigrant in what is a totally alien culture and in a majority white state like Maine. Where is the culture shock? I didn't feel it.
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