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Don't Look Back
In this propulsive memoir from Achut Deng and Keely Hutton, inspired by a harrowing New York Times article, Don't Look Back tells a powerful story showing both the ugliness and the beauty of humanity, and the power of not giving up.
I want life.
After a deadly attack in South Sudan left six-year-old Achut Deng without a family, she lived in refugee camps for ten years, until a refugee relocation program gave her the opportunity to move to the United States. When asked why she should be given a chance to leave the camp, Achut simply told the I want life.
But the chance at starting a new life in a new country came with a different set of challenges. Some of them equally deadly. Taught by the strong women in her life not to look back, Achut kept moving forward, overcoming one obstacle after another, facing each day with hope and faith in her future. Yet, just as Achut began to think of the US as her home, a tie to her old life resurfaced, and for the first time, she had no choice but to remember her past.
I want life.
After a deadly attack in South Sudan left six-year-old Achut Deng without a family, she lived in refugee camps for ten years, until a refugee relocation program gave her the opportunity to move to the United States. When asked why she should be given a chance to leave the camp, Achut simply told the I want life.
But the chance at starting a new life in a new country came with a different set of challenges. Some of them equally deadly. Taught by the strong women in her life not to look back, Achut kept moving forward, overcoming one obstacle after another, facing each day with hope and faith in her future. Yet, just as Achut began to think of the US as her home, a tie to her old life resurfaced, and for the first time, she had no choice but to remember her past.
368 pages, Paperback
First published October 11, 2022
38 people are currently reading
2235 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
November 11, 2022
About a month ago, a woman walked into my library. Her name was Achut and she wanted to tell me about a book she had written. I was a bit caught off guard in the moment, as we don’t have authors just show up at our school to talk to the librarian. She asked some questions about how we purchase books, and if we might be interested in putting her book in the library. Not knowing much about her, or her book, I said I’d check it out and if I thought it was a good fit that we’d definitely consider putting something from a local author in our library. We made small talk for a bit longer. I asked her why she decided to write a book, and about the writing process. I’ll admit, the whole experience was a bit odd being so out of the blue and unexpected, but after she left, I Googled her book, and read the first chapter. At that moment, I knew I had just met somebody special.
Our meeting was a few weeks prior to her book release. After reading the first chapter, I knew we needed this in our library. We needed this available to our classroom lit circles. We needed this available to our school community. I pre-ordered copies from our book vendor, knowing they wouldn’t arrive until later in the fall. Our public library had the audiobook available before our copies came in, so I decided to listen. It’s a very odd experience to listen to something so heartbreaking and moving, having met the person who wrote it.
While I had heard of Sudan’s Lost Boys, I’m not sure I really understood the magnitude of the Civil War in Sudan. The terror inflicted by the rebels. The fear. The loss. Achut is very close to my age, but she has lived so much more life. So much terror, so much loss, so much challenge, and at such a young age. I can not even begin to wrap my mind around the childhood she endured. She truely is a survivor. Hearing Achut’s story was heartbreaking. Chapter after chapter of unimaginable loss. I cried listening to her words, my rural midwestern American privilege so apparent. The privilege I have to not know the stories that refugees here, in my own city, have to share. How naive was I to not know that people in my own community have suffered so much?
Don’t look back is a heartbreakingly beautiful story, and I am so happy for the life Achut has found.
Our meeting was a few weeks prior to her book release. After reading the first chapter, I knew we needed this in our library. We needed this available to our classroom lit circles. We needed this available to our school community. I pre-ordered copies from our book vendor, knowing they wouldn’t arrive until later in the fall. Our public library had the audiobook available before our copies came in, so I decided to listen. It’s a very odd experience to listen to something so heartbreaking and moving, having met the person who wrote it.
While I had heard of Sudan’s Lost Boys, I’m not sure I really understood the magnitude of the Civil War in Sudan. The terror inflicted by the rebels. The fear. The loss. Achut is very close to my age, but she has lived so much more life. So much terror, so much loss, so much challenge, and at such a young age. I can not even begin to wrap my mind around the childhood she endured. She truely is a survivor. Hearing Achut’s story was heartbreaking. Chapter after chapter of unimaginable loss. I cried listening to her words, my rural midwestern American privilege so apparent. The privilege I have to not know the stories that refugees here, in my own city, have to share. How naive was I to not know that people in my own community have suffered so much?
Don’t look back is a heartbreakingly beautiful story, and I am so happy for the life Achut has found.
August 27, 2022
INSANELY GOOD. I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!! first, there are a lot of triggers like brutal death and SA but omg this biography is like a story. which i guess it is, but it’s in storytelling form, if you know what i mean. by no means is this a happy book, at least from the beginning. it causes you to FEEL a lot. it’s very emotional. but it is SO good. you FEEL everything and experience with Achut. I would recommend to everyone. And if you see this Achut, thank you for sharing your story with us. I’m sure many people could benefit from this, I definitely could. You’re amazing, and deserve everything.
May 7, 2023
After reading this book for my book club, and a Achut being a guest at our book club, she has become a true hero in my eyes. This book should be read by all.
April 3, 2024
Achut may be the strongest person I know. Her story of loss, sacrifice, and her harrowing journey fleeing Sudan are hard to read. Even once she arrives in America, I kept praying it would get better! But that brings its own set of hardships.
April 5, 2025
An American only needs to read this book to realize how appreciative we are to be living in the United States.
April 9, 2024
“I want life.”
April 19, 2024
This book was so good! So enlightening, but so heart-wrenching. Definitely worth the read!
December 18, 2024
This is Achut Deng’s story of her survival through a Sudanese civil war, her years at a refugee camp in Kenya and her life in the United States. It is incredibly full of heartbreak. She is a girl but she’s a contemporary of the Sudanese “lost boys”
I really loved the book, obviously it’s so sad to read, but I thought it was well written and important. It’s not my first book about refugees or even a Sudan refugee, but it was one of my favorite. If I had to put my finger on why, it might be that it was just written simply and in a straightforward manner. I was very interested in what the next part of the story. It could also be the strength of Keely Hutton‘s writing. I recommend it!
I really loved the book, obviously it’s so sad to read, but I thought it was well written and important. It’s not my first book about refugees or even a Sudan refugee, but it was one of my favorite. If I had to put my finger on why, it might be that it was just written simply and in a straightforward manner. I was very interested in what the next part of the story. It could also be the strength of Keely Hutton‘s writing. I recommend it!
May 25, 2023
Such a troubling story. To read about and try and comprehend “the genocide” that was taking place then and now, as whole tribes and cultures are being decimated is gut wrenching.
“What I realized, while considering sharing my story, was even though I’d shut my mind to the painful memories of my past, my heart and soul were still suffering. “ “It’s a step toward healing.”
Maybe for the readers also.
“What I realized, while considering sharing my story, was even though I’d shut my mind to the painful memories of my past, my heart and soul were still suffering. “ “It’s a step toward healing.”
Maybe for the readers also.
December 4, 2022
This is a must read. I could not set this book down. This book had me celebrating Achut's wins and mourning her losses. Don't Look Back has helped open my eyes to some of the traumas refugees suffer before, during, and after their journey to a new home. I am so thankful to Achut for sharing her voice with the world. This woman is a force.
10/10 recommend this book.
10/10 recommend this book.
January 16, 2023
Great book. Very raw and very real. I feel like the decision to write Achut’s story in narrative form really draws out the emotions you’re meant to feel while reading a story like this one. A must read!
April 23, 2023
What an amazing yet heartbreaking story of survival and the bond of a family! I was in tears by the end. It was very well written. Feeling very blessed for the life I have lived after finishing this book!
February 4, 2024
Loved this book! Achut is such an incredible storyteller; she writes in a way that is both incredibly powerful and easy to read. So thankful she chose to tell her incredible story of bravery and perseverance!
February 11, 2024
Well written, the author takes you on her painful journey with such beautiful description that you cannot help but feel the complete pain in her reality. This book is IMPORTANT. We have heard about the wars in Sudan on the news, but to hear just ONE story from ONE person of her complete experience gives necessary insight to another's human experience.
February 15, 2023
This was a very good book! The content was delivered well. Really puts things into perspective.
April 10, 2024
I listened to this book in 2 days because it was that compelling. This book was gritty and harsh, but only because it had to be. The writing lead us on her journey and through her difficulties and continuous heartbreak. I shed tears and hoped the ending was happy. I won’t tell you if it is. It’s worth the read!
August 23, 2024
This is a story of courage and perseverance that I would recommend to young adult readers.
September 2, 2024
Generated good conversation at the book club.
August 13, 2025
A MUST read, for everyone!
April 1, 2024
Achut's account of surviving war opened my eyes to a war I had no knowledge of. Her perseverance is astounding. It was so hard to put down, and I'm so glad she is doing well in her life now.
February 9, 2024
It’s always hard to rate a book like this because so much of this story is NOT “good”. This really opened my naive, sheltered, privileged eyes to the very real challenges faced by refugees. It taught me more about the journey of fleeing, living in refugee camps, the strenuous process of moving to another country permanently, and the endless challenges of adjusting to a new life and a new culture. This author is only a few years older than me, and every year that passed by I automatically thought about what that year in my life was like. It made me painfully aware of how easy my life has been. I can imagine writing this book was incredibly challenging for Achut, but I am so glad she had the courage to do so because her story is so so so important for people to hear.
June 10, 2024
I had heard of the Lost Boys of Sudan and knew there was as a population of them living in Sioux Falls. But this was the first time I had heard of girls also leaving Sudan. Achut’s story was very interesting and moving, I am grateful she had the courage to tell it.
April 24, 2024
This book tugged at all my emotions! As I expected there were many parts that were heart-wrenching and sad. But there were also moments of anger, laughter, relief, happiness and encouragement. It was one of those stories that are hard to put down, because you want to know what's going to happen. But it was also so powerful knowing that this was a true story. I highly recommend this book if you want to understand and have more compassion for the plight of many refugees.
January 23, 2024
Watch the path of your feet
And all your ways will be established.- Proverbs 4: 28
Don't Look Back by Achut Deng taught me that I must think before I move and that good decisions that time and careful thought between myself and God.
Quote:
"Achut, you must think before you move"
I learned that I must think before I move. Always. Be silent like a cat and think. Never say a word. Never respond. Do not be strong-headed and sass back verbally. Instead bury your feelings into poetry and journal in letters. Remember those who are silent are considered wise. Think before you move means that I am playing chess for the long haul to win for the future prize of financial wisdom and prudence and emotional wealth and stability as well as relationship success and joy. Think before you move to me means means that i have to carefully plan what I am doing each day. What I am reading each day. What musick I am recording each day. And what conversationns I will have that day. Thinking is important. Talking is not.
'Good decisions take time and care. Always use both."
Listen to this advice. Think better. Think wiser. Think smarter. Think the future. Think before you move. Good decisions that you make now will bless you and your progenitors in the future.
"We must trust in God's plan, Achut."
Trust in God's plan. No matter what. Always. Even when your family scream at you in your face or curse you out or ignore you or do not talk to you. Still trust in God. Even when everyone seems to want to be friendly with others but not you. Still trust in God. Even when no one wants to love you enough to stick around to be your lifelong companion in marriage. Still trust in God. God has a plan. He is creating the perfect marriage partner for you. He is building a family tribe just for you to call upon in your time of need. He is surrounding you with His love and protection everywhere you go when it seems no one is for you or with you He is still with you and for you. So look up and be encouraged. Because God will never fail you. Just trust in His plan. Whatever it may be. Not on the plans of humanity.
"If we are to survive," Koko told her son, the hard edge of her voice softening, "we must keep moving forward."
If you want to survive keep moving forward into your destiny of greatness with God. Do not look back at yesterday. Look at each stepping stone in your journey as a learning curve to greatness. Move forward in confidence that you are a child of the Most High God and that God loves and supports and cares for you as His Own. Even when others reject you. God accepts you! Keep moving forward. Do not stop.
"There is still too much good for you to still do in the world for God to take you now."
There is a lot of good for you to do in the world. Finish your work that you started in poetry and in your novels and in your letters. Stop talking and start producing works. Be like Abraham a person of complete faith and communion with God. Be at peace with God and yourself. Release all anger and hate and bitterness that your family feels from you. Live your life. A life of positivity and peace and joyful nature. Not screaming in your face, justification, gaslighting, blame-shifting, emotional and financial control.Live your own life. A Godly life. Do not rely on your genetic parents. Or your realm of genes. Eventually they will tire of you and walk away. You only have yourself to rely on. But while they are still around use them for your benefit and treat them with courtesy. Even if they really do not deserve it. Do it. Because God wants you to.
"Let your heart be strong."
Let your heart be strong. You have overcome much. Keep fighting for your goals. Keeping fighting for your mission. Keep fighting for your God-given Purpose! Keep being open and forthcoming with those you trust and can speak candidly to. Openness. Trust. Honesty. At all times. In all areas. That is your credo.
"Koko was right. I could not reach out for my future while holding on to the past."
Reach out for your future. Do not hold on to the past. Let it go. Yet work through your issues quietly and privately in poetry and in discussions and release it to God. Holding on to the past means to me that I am holding on to something that is no longer available or no longer feasible. It means I have not properly grieved over the issue as of yet. Take my time to grieve and heal and release the pain and sorrow and then release it like a balloon.
"I could not move forward while looking back."
Move forward in life without looking back. Those who look back look back because they have regrets. Or because they do not want to face an issue or grieve over an issue. You cannot move forward while looking back. Trust in God to carry you through. He has the Master Plan for you. Not man. But God.
"Don't look back. It will slow your steps."- Koko Deng
This taught me that I cannot look back because looking back will slow my steps. I can however reflect on issues through fanfics and books that I am having questions about. But do not look back. Looking back shows regret or sadness. Do not regret a life well lived. Regret not living your own life. Start living your own life chess piece by chess piece with Christ daily through musick, letters, and poetry.
"I could not move forward to my future if I remained stuck in my past, and neither could Deborah."
You cannot move forward in your future if you remained stuck in your past like your relatives. You are stable yes. But question everything your family tells you in poetry. You need to understand that they have their own issues they are dealing with that have nothing to do with you. They say they do. But they really do not. So stop trying to have a relationship with them. It just is not worth it. If they want a relationship with you let them make the effort. Not you. You did your part. Now it is their turn. If they do not then it shows that they do not and never really did give a shit about you anyways. You can live with that!
Your parents cannot live your life. You cannot live theirs. You cannot live your siblings lives. You cannot be them. You cannot be anything else but God's Creation. You cannot be anything else but you. So ignore everything people say to you negatively and use it in your writing to make yourself a better person. Not because you are egotistical. But because you want to improve yourself and be inspired in poetic format! And also to process your feelings. Even though you cannot speak them out loud. Or what you want to say. But through poetry you can. Poetry is your voice. So use it!
"We must be patient and silent."
Be patient. Be silent. Speak only when directly spoken to. Instead of speaking verbally speak your truth in poetry. But never, ever out loud. Keep your mouth shut. Keep your eyes open and your ears piqued and your feet dancing. Because with God He will surely deliver and uplift you from sinking sands to forever dancing in Him in happiness.
So do not look back. Look ahead. For God is looking down at you and is proud to call you His Blessed One. You are strong. Do not look back....do not look back.
And all your ways will be established.- Proverbs 4: 28
Don't Look Back by Achut Deng taught me that I must think before I move and that good decisions that time and careful thought between myself and God.
Quote:
"Achut, you must think before you move"
I learned that I must think before I move. Always. Be silent like a cat and think. Never say a word. Never respond. Do not be strong-headed and sass back verbally. Instead bury your feelings into poetry and journal in letters. Remember those who are silent are considered wise. Think before you move means that I am playing chess for the long haul to win for the future prize of financial wisdom and prudence and emotional wealth and stability as well as relationship success and joy. Think before you move to me means means that i have to carefully plan what I am doing each day. What I am reading each day. What musick I am recording each day. And what conversationns I will have that day. Thinking is important. Talking is not.
'Good decisions take time and care. Always use both."
Listen to this advice. Think better. Think wiser. Think smarter. Think the future. Think before you move. Good decisions that you make now will bless you and your progenitors in the future.
"We must trust in God's plan, Achut."
Trust in God's plan. No matter what. Always. Even when your family scream at you in your face or curse you out or ignore you or do not talk to you. Still trust in God. Even when everyone seems to want to be friendly with others but not you. Still trust in God. Even when no one wants to love you enough to stick around to be your lifelong companion in marriage. Still trust in God. God has a plan. He is creating the perfect marriage partner for you. He is building a family tribe just for you to call upon in your time of need. He is surrounding you with His love and protection everywhere you go when it seems no one is for you or with you He is still with you and for you. So look up and be encouraged. Because God will never fail you. Just trust in His plan. Whatever it may be. Not on the plans of humanity.
"If we are to survive," Koko told her son, the hard edge of her voice softening, "we must keep moving forward."
If you want to survive keep moving forward into your destiny of greatness with God. Do not look back at yesterday. Look at each stepping stone in your journey as a learning curve to greatness. Move forward in confidence that you are a child of the Most High God and that God loves and supports and cares for you as His Own. Even when others reject you. God accepts you! Keep moving forward. Do not stop.
"There is still too much good for you to still do in the world for God to take you now."
There is a lot of good for you to do in the world. Finish your work that you started in poetry and in your novels and in your letters. Stop talking and start producing works. Be like Abraham a person of complete faith and communion with God. Be at peace with God and yourself. Release all anger and hate and bitterness that your family feels from you. Live your life. A life of positivity and peace and joyful nature. Not screaming in your face, justification, gaslighting, blame-shifting, emotional and financial control.Live your own life. A Godly life. Do not rely on your genetic parents. Or your realm of genes. Eventually they will tire of you and walk away. You only have yourself to rely on. But while they are still around use them for your benefit and treat them with courtesy. Even if they really do not deserve it. Do it. Because God wants you to.
"Let your heart be strong."
Let your heart be strong. You have overcome much. Keep fighting for your goals. Keeping fighting for your mission. Keep fighting for your God-given Purpose! Keep being open and forthcoming with those you trust and can speak candidly to. Openness. Trust. Honesty. At all times. In all areas. That is your credo.
"Koko was right. I could not reach out for my future while holding on to the past."
Reach out for your future. Do not hold on to the past. Let it go. Yet work through your issues quietly and privately in poetry and in discussions and release it to God. Holding on to the past means to me that I am holding on to something that is no longer available or no longer feasible. It means I have not properly grieved over the issue as of yet. Take my time to grieve and heal and release the pain and sorrow and then release it like a balloon.
"I could not move forward while looking back."
Move forward in life without looking back. Those who look back look back because they have regrets. Or because they do not want to face an issue or grieve over an issue. You cannot move forward while looking back. Trust in God to carry you through. He has the Master Plan for you. Not man. But God.
"Don't look back. It will slow your steps."- Koko Deng
This taught me that I cannot look back because looking back will slow my steps. I can however reflect on issues through fanfics and books that I am having questions about. But do not look back. Looking back shows regret or sadness. Do not regret a life well lived. Regret not living your own life. Start living your own life chess piece by chess piece with Christ daily through musick, letters, and poetry.
"I could not move forward to my future if I remained stuck in my past, and neither could Deborah."
You cannot move forward in your future if you remained stuck in your past like your relatives. You are stable yes. But question everything your family tells you in poetry. You need to understand that they have their own issues they are dealing with that have nothing to do with you. They say they do. But they really do not. So stop trying to have a relationship with them. It just is not worth it. If they want a relationship with you let them make the effort. Not you. You did your part. Now it is their turn. If they do not then it shows that they do not and never really did give a shit about you anyways. You can live with that!
Your parents cannot live your life. You cannot live theirs. You cannot live your siblings lives. You cannot be them. You cannot be anything else but God's Creation. You cannot be anything else but you. So ignore everything people say to you negatively and use it in your writing to make yourself a better person. Not because you are egotistical. But because you want to improve yourself and be inspired in poetic format! And also to process your feelings. Even though you cannot speak them out loud. Or what you want to say. But through poetry you can. Poetry is your voice. So use it!
"We must be patient and silent."
Be patient. Be silent. Speak only when directly spoken to. Instead of speaking verbally speak your truth in poetry. But never, ever out loud. Keep your mouth shut. Keep your eyes open and your ears piqued and your feet dancing. Because with God He will surely deliver and uplift you from sinking sands to forever dancing in Him in happiness.
So do not look back. Look ahead. For God is looking down at you and is proud to call you His Blessed One. You are strong. Do not look back....do not look back.
June 20, 2023
A challenging and hard read. Difficult for my sheltered, American brain to comprehend, but so important to read. My heart feels wrung out after finishing. Achut’s story is traumatic, but laced with beauty in the form of the women and people around her who gave her hope and protection. May we never take for granted the basics of survival (food, water, shelter, safety), and may we offer empathy and compassion to those we meet whose stories echo the themes of Achut’s.
April 2, 2023
This author lives here in SF and I was excited to read her memoir of survival. A must read to better understand the trials faced by so many people like her.
February 1, 2023
Don’t Look Back tells the story of Achut Deng, a survivor of the Second Sudanese Civil War. At the beginning of the book, Achut’s grandmother tells her, while they are running from their attackers, to “never look back.” After losing everything and living in a refugee camp, Achut Deng finally escapes to the Unites States. Even when she was supposed to be safe, new and dangerous obstacles stood in Achut Deng’s way. I enjoyed this book immensely. I connected with the characters, but what I loved about this book is the unique story and perspective of a young woman. I knew about the Second Sudanese Civil war before reading this, but Don’t Look Back went into depth and made me even more aware of the tragedies of this war, as experienced by a real person. This is the story of Achut Deng, and the story is the true events, the only things that are changed are the names of some people. My favorite scenes are when Achut Deng is struggling, because she always manages to stand up and face her problems, which is incredibly uplifting. Sometimes, this book can be too real, and it is hard to get through, but Don’t Look Back is the reality of war and the reality of the world. This story is horrifying but inspiring and my favorite part pulls it all together – the ending where Achut Deng finally faces her past and DOES “look back.”
October 9, 2023
This is a refugee story that inspires compassion and empathy and hopefully a desire to act to help refugees.
The author’s memoir, starting from childhood and going through her citizenship journey in the USA, is full of every sort of trial imaginable. From losing track of her parents (they would only find each other decades later), genocidal maniacs slaughtering entire villages, starvation, being hunted first by rebels and later by the government in Sudan’s long-running civil war, to seeing her grandmother die protecting her, to almost a decade in a refugee camp, to arrival in America only to endure months of sexual assault by one of her fellow refugees (who carefully engineered the lives and schedules of their small group of refugees into making his assaults possible, then isolated her socially, and then frightened her into silence based on their refugee status), to the challenges of acclimating to all the new things in America (including misadventures in shopping), Ms Deng has provided a memoir of what I suspect is a not uncommon set of experiences for refugees from Sudan.
I hope her story inspired many to get involved with helping a refugee resettlement agency in their area and will inspire us toward understanding and empathy for the newest Americans (or Canadians, Britons, Australians, etc).
The author’s memoir, starting from childhood and going through her citizenship journey in the USA, is full of every sort of trial imaginable. From losing track of her parents (they would only find each other decades later), genocidal maniacs slaughtering entire villages, starvation, being hunted first by rebels and later by the government in Sudan’s long-running civil war, to seeing her grandmother die protecting her, to almost a decade in a refugee camp, to arrival in America only to endure months of sexual assault by one of her fellow refugees (who carefully engineered the lives and schedules of their small group of refugees into making his assaults possible, then isolated her socially, and then frightened her into silence based on their refugee status), to the challenges of acclimating to all the new things in America (including misadventures in shopping), Ms Deng has provided a memoir of what I suspect is a not uncommon set of experiences for refugees from Sudan.
I hope her story inspired many to get involved with helping a refugee resettlement agency in their area and will inspire us toward understanding and empathy for the newest Americans (or Canadians, Britons, Australians, etc).
March 19, 2024
This book is the 2024 One Book One County Selection. It's a memoir of war, survival, and journey of a young girl (Achut) from Sudan to America. This information is from the front cover because it's a better description of the book than I can write. My overall take, it's a little hard to read about her painful experiences.
This was Achut Deng's reality at Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya for ten years after her family was ripped apart by the Second Sudanese Civil War. The twenty-two-year conflict essentially orphaned more than 20,000 children and drove them from their villages in southern Sudan. Some children walked over a thousand miles, through dangerous war zones and across unforgiving deserts, seeking sanctuary at refugee camps.
It's a story of unimaginable hardship and selfless bravery, of tormenting physical pain and amazing emotional resilience, and of the unbreakable bonds of friendship and family.
I'm really excited to hear Achut's story. She came to the United States when she was sixteen years old, and now is an American citizen living in South Dakota and is a mother with three sons. She had to endure terrible hardships and trauma. She decided to share her story to heal herself and to hopefully help other girls and boys who are hurting. She wants them to know they are not alone.
This was Achut Deng's reality at Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya for ten years after her family was ripped apart by the Second Sudanese Civil War. The twenty-two-year conflict essentially orphaned more than 20,000 children and drove them from their villages in southern Sudan. Some children walked over a thousand miles, through dangerous war zones and across unforgiving deserts, seeking sanctuary at refugee camps.
It's a story of unimaginable hardship and selfless bravery, of tormenting physical pain and amazing emotional resilience, and of the unbreakable bonds of friendship and family.
I'm really excited to hear Achut's story. She came to the United States when she was sixteen years old, and now is an American citizen living in South Dakota and is a mother with three sons. She had to endure terrible hardships and trauma. She decided to share her story to heal herself and to hopefully help other girls and boys who are hurting. She wants them to know they are not alone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2023
I loved this book! A memoir that reads like a novel - but so much more. This book starts in Houston, Texas (where I live) but goes back to Sudan to follow the life of Achut from 6 to 16 as she runs from the horrors of the civil war in her country and makes her way to Kenya and finally to the United States. Her trials and painful experiences are many. Her resilience and ability to survive are inspirational.
The pain and horror is real and deep throughout this book. It is one that I had to read in parts because I cried often as I read it. There are parts that I don't think I will forget - her special relationship with Koko, her grief, her candid response in her interview to come to the United States, but mainly her ability to survive. Many people failed her and many helped to save her. I felt almost ashamed to have so much in comparison - a subconscious guilt that I suspect many will feel while reading this book.
There is a dignity to the combined writing of Keely Hutton and Achut Deng. I did think the ending felt abrupt. I wanted to more about her life after she escaped Jacob and her reunion with her family in Africa. Maybe there wasn't as much to tell. Mostly, I just wasn't ready to be done and let go yet.
The pain and horror is real and deep throughout this book. It is one that I had to read in parts because I cried often as I read it. There are parts that I don't think I will forget - her special relationship with Koko, her grief, her candid response in her interview to come to the United States, but mainly her ability to survive. Many people failed her and many helped to save her. I felt almost ashamed to have so much in comparison - a subconscious guilt that I suspect many will feel while reading this book.
There is a dignity to the combined writing of Keely Hutton and Achut Deng. I did think the ending felt abrupt. I wanted to more about her life after she escaped Jacob and her reunion with her family in Africa. Maybe there wasn't as much to tell. Mostly, I just wasn't ready to be done and let go yet.
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