Chasing the Rain

by Jon Arensen, Jon Arensen

This book follows the life of a man named Lado. He was born in Sudan approximately 1920. He grew up living the traditional life of his Murle people- herding the goats, planting sorghum and hunting antelope with a spear. But Lado was different. Even as a young boy he wondered about the world around him. As he grew older he was increasingly confused by the different manifestations of the tribal god named Tammu. As a teenager he was captured in a raid and taken away as a slave. He was later adopted into the tribe that enslaved him. Under these conditions his questions about suffering and God became more intense. He was rescued by British troops and learned Arabic under the protection of the District Commissioner. Eventually he returned to his home at Boma as the official translator for the military. It was here that Lado met Kemerbong (Richard Lyth). A meeting that changed the rest of his life.

177 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 13, 2011

Reviews

[Barbie N]

This is a well written biographical fiction of Lado, from the Murle tribe that live in what is now called Sudan. It is written from an anthropological perspective, beautifully describing the Murle people, their customs and beliefs. Based on the real person,Lado, and his true longing to understand Tammu, the word for God in Murle, the story follows him from a boy who had never seen a white man to a man who through his contact with white man finally has his many questions about Tammu answered.

[Kyle Horton]

Written by my favorite Houghton professor Jon Arensen. Good story of redemption and faith, rich with cultural details about the Murle people of Southern Sudan.