How Fast Can You Run

by Harriet Levin Millan

A migrant novel based on the true story of Lost Boy of Sudan Michael Majok Kuch
"The best war novel told from a young boy's perspective since Jerzy Kozinski's The Painted Bird." --Nyoul Lueth Tong, author of There is a New Writing from the New Country of South Sudan

Set across a backdrop of refugee migration that spans East Africa, the US and Australia,  How Fast Can You Run's  story of "Lost Boy" of Sudan Michael Majok Kuch unfolds with equal measures of inspiration and heartbreak. Five-year-old Majok wakes in the middle of the night to his burning hut and flees from the soldiers torching his village in South Sudan. He gets separated from his mother and begins a ten year journey, trekking through war zones and living in refugee camps, until he receives political asylum to the US. 

Majok, now Michael, is given a new start in the US. Yet his new life mirrors his migrant life as he faces discrimination once again, and ultimately betrayal.
This extraordinary novel, chosen as a 2017 Charter for Compassion Global Read and now a  Foreword Review  Book of the Year finalist, is in the words of Mukoma Wa Ngugi, "a beautiful and crucial story told by two people, one Sudanese with dreams of independence, the other, an American poet who listens to Michael Majok through her imagination...reminding us that the most human of all activities, the one thing that binds us all, is finding beauty even in impossible situations."

Genres: Fiction, Africa

322 pages, Hardcover

Published December 20, 2016

Reviews

[Laurie Jean Cannady · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this beautiful book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. I loved it How Fast Can You Run so much, I am purchasing copies for friends. This is a heart-wrenching, skillfully executed narrative. I couldn't stop reading! Millan's writing voice, coupled with Kuch's epic story, sings off the page. The generosity of both writer and narrator had me laughing, crying, mourning, and hoping. I'm so taken by this book, I intend to teach it in future semesters.

If you want to know the horrors of children surrounded by war and the horrors they too often face when rebuilding the lives they've always yearned to live, read this book and then read it again. If you want to witness human spirit at its best, amidst the worst the world can offer, you will not be disappointed with Millan and Kuch's offering.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!

[Djuna Wojton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author’s voice is filled with compassion, as she recount’s the compelling story of Sudanese refugee Michael Majok Kuch. Milan tells his story with the grace of a poet and capture’s the beauty of the human spirit that triumphs after enduring incredible loss and hardship when he finds asylum in the United States. A great read that will open your heart to those who have been separated from their families and forced to abandon their war-torn countries. This book is very timely and worthwhile reading.

[Saadia Faruqi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an inspirational book! Millan writes the true story of a Sudanese refugee Michael Kuch, possibly one of the lost boys of Sudan. It is a harrowing account of bravery and despair, war and peace, flexibility and perseverance. Michael’s loss is ours, as he escapes his village at the age of five, travels thousands of miles to search for safety and his parents, and then faces the ultimate test as a refugee in several countries, including, finally, the U.S. Wow, this young man has been through a lot, and readers have much to learn by reading his account. As we struggle with an unprecedented refugee crisis today, also fueled by a civil war in Syria, we need stories like these to humanize the faces of refugees. We need to learn about the past so that we can ensure that the same mistakes are not made again in the future. Michael’s life can help us understand much about the human condition. It gives us pause, not only to rethink our politics, but also to hug our own children tightly and remember our blessings. A wonderful book!

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harriet Levin Millan's debut novel (she's already an accomplished poet) tells a compelling story of survival that is moving and full of suspense. This is a story of overcoming adversity not only in war torn Sudan, but also right here in the U.S. I urge anyone looking for a great read to pick this one up right away!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeously written portrait of an innocent victim in hard times -- still thinking about the last scene because the image is so resonant.

[Liz Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is well-written and an important story for us to be considering right now.

[Ian Yarington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being privileged enough to be born in the United States I often times forget how tough it is for some folks to simply live without fear of war and basic living essentials like food. This book is completely heart felt and eye opening for people like me that forget the struggles some folk go through just to live life in some sort of comfort. Michael's journey to the US is incredible and this is very much worth a read.

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[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Several books have been written about the "Lost Boys" who escaped from Sudan under horrific conditions during brutal wars. I haven't read them all, but I'm sure this is one of the best. It's based on the true story of a boy, Majok (now Michael), who raced to safety with a host of other boys during the 1990s. I'm not sure why it was written as a novel--perhaps so the author could alter time sequences and protect the privacy of some characters. Majok's trek across East Africa, through jungles and swamps, rivers and refugee camps, and hiding from soldiers, lasted some ten years. The privations and difficulties were ghastly, and the kids were always hungry, yet they managed to find fun along the way, dunking each other in a river, playing soccer with a ball made from a blown-up rubber glove. They got some schooling in the camps. Majok, clearly an exceptionally intelligent person, eventually got to America, but what he wanted most was to find his mother again. The book's writing style is somewhat jerky, like the journey itself, jumping from one harrowing experience to the next, constant action and reaction. Only near the end, in dramatic court scenes, does the reader see the full depth of Majok/Michael's character, when people who know him stand up to speak about him. It's powerful stuff. I recommend it for several reasons: it describes a situation of concern to the world, it reminds us of the plight of refugees who need our help, it's a testimony to the incredible resilience of the human spirit, and it's a darn good story, told well.

[Celeste Kline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harriet Millan's How Fast Can You Run is the beautifully crafted true story of Michael Majok Kuch's
flight as a small boy separated from his family in war torn southern Sudan, his perilous journey and his quest to find his mother. A timely reminder of the plight of all refugees and the resilience of the human spirit.
A Must Read

[Gwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting life story. I would like to know more about Majok (Michael) and his family after having read this. So glad Harriet "found" me.

I received this book free from Goodreads First Reads.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story, excellent story telling

This story is full of pain, loss and stark truths. It is also a story of boundless love, faith, and hope. Really well written. An important description of events that continue to happen in so many parts of our planet. Highly recommend.

[E.V. Legters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, provocative, and timely.

[Samantha Frese · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does a beautiful job capturing the experience of the refugee and immigrant experience from beginning to end. Every American should read this book, especially in this time when it feels like the immigrant stories of this country are so often forgotten. Michael's story leaves a reader with a lot to think about, both from the perspective of a refugee and later an American as the book progresses. Millan manages to capture the racism and other American oddities Michael encounters with an honesty that will leave you with a lot to think about. A lot of comments here mention how grateful it made them feel to have the privilege they grew up with, but that is not the entire point. The point is also to encourage you to realize how the American experience can be strange and difficult in its own way. The book does a good job of defamiliarizing the American experience as we know it and forcing someone to look at it again. Michael was smart to have someone other than himself write the story. I say this because there are certain pieces of Michael's experience that seemed normal to him that he might have missed had he tried to write it himself, like the fact that his soccer ball was in fact a balloon wrapped in socks. By having an outsider perspective write about something unfamiliar, someone with no knowledge of Sudan can better see the story.

The snapshot style of the chapters is also one of the coolest parts of this novel. It feels authentic to the way memory works and the way stories get told. This feels authentic to the culture Michael comes from as well as the way childhood memories work. It also makes for a reading experience that allows you to read each chapter at a time and take it in on its own. In such a dense book with such dark subject matter, it’s a very poetic and smart way to handle it, making the story more memorable and real to the experience I would highly recommend to anyone.

[Zash Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a harrowing tale of running for his life and struggling to locate his separated family, Michael Majok Kuch escapes the Sudanese war sweeping through his homeland.
A collaboration with one of the famous Lost Boys of Sudan, "How Fast Can You Run" tells the real story of young Majok, a five-year-old living in a South Sudanese Dinka village, being awoken from a peaceful sleep to the sounds of Jallaba soldiers razing his home to the ground. He is forced to flee, leaving his family behind; an action he later regrets. Through starvation, exhaustion, anxiety, confusion and a driving hope to see his mother, Majok follows a group of boys not much other than himself through an unrelenting desert to a boys-only, trainee camp in Ethiopia. War continues to follow the boys and pushes them further towards the larger, zone-sectioned Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. Here, Majok gets the opportunity to not only excel in school but reconnect with his brothers and sister and travel to the United States, guided by the hope of finding his parents; using this drive to find his mother to propel him through the hardships of living as a refugee in America. This fictional biography that Millan carefully crafted through intense research and collaboration with Michael shines a light on the personal side of the war in South Sudan during the late 1980s. Several of the scenes depicted highlight the real horrors and tragedies mere children had to endure while fighting for their lives. Miller has spoken about the struggles of correctly portraying not only Michaels own story, as told from memory, but also events that many of the Lost Boys shared. The characters feel as real as their counterparts and the novels overall depiction of Michaels journey is consistently engaging.
Informative and eye-opening read; highly recommended.

[AaronkWalker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the tale of a child refugee from South Sudan as he flees across the continent and to the United States. We gain insight into his search for his mother and family.
The book itself begins in the middle of the raid on Majok’s village. And after that we are taken along on a journey through various refugee camps. He is always searching for his mother and family during this journey. Majok eventually reconnects with his siblings in one of these camps, and in a turn of events he becomes the head of his family. Having found some of his family, his resolve to find his mother strengthens, and he comes to the conclusion that he needs help to do so. Majok hears about the possibility of Political Asylum in America, and applies his family for Asylum. He manages to be accepted and they move there. They meet several people who help them deal with the trauma they received during the war. Majok struggles with this in particular, and still attempts to try and find his mother. He contacts people in the refugee camps in an attempt to find them. But much of their efforts are unsuccessful, and as the years pass he faces a difficult situation where he is falsely accused of sexual assault by a white woman. This situation places the political asylum granted to him and his family at risk.
The story itself is a difficult one to consume, and much of it is not for the faint of heart. The reader is exposed to many of the tragedies that occurred in the war in southern Sudan, specifically those that the refugees face. We see the difficult conditions they are forced to live in, physically, mentally, and emotionally. This story is Millan’s first work of fiction, as she mostly writes poetry. But overall the subject matter is handled respectfully and is presented well.

[Rory · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fiction based on the life story of Michael Majok Kuch, How Fast Can You Run shares the harrowing tale of one of many Lost Boys of Sudan.

It begins in 1988, when five-year-old Majok’s village is attacked. His mother calls out for him to follow her, but scared of the noise and the flames, he runs in the opposite direction - away from his family. He runs into two other boys who are also fleeing, though they are heading to Ethiopia to join the army. At some point, Majok separates from them, finding himself with another group of boys who are also fleeing the war. Majok ends up chased by war from refugee camp to refugee camp, ending up in Kenya, where he gets the opportunity of school and resources. He is reunited with his siblings in this camp, and his determination to survive to see his mother again pushes him to compete with many other refugees for the chance to go to the United States. Majok is one of 4,000 chosen to go to America, where he believes will have the resources to reunite with his mother. How Fast Can You Run is lyrically written, describing the horrific acts of war and terror that still plague many Sudanese people in detail while managing to never be too much for the reader. The story is about the people displaced by the Second Sudanese Civil War, covering very little of the details of the war, instead centering around those who became victims of it. If you have no background knowledge of the war, it will no doubt be confusing as to what is happening - but this too, was the experience of many of the refugees. This book manages to capture the life many of the experiences of the Lost Boys of Sudan without sensationalizing or exploiting them. It is an eye-opening book that takes great care in sharing a perspective that is often untold or overlooked.

[Annika Leitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story of hope and heartbreak unfolds through a young refugee’s journey, uncovering the transformative meaning of home in this stand-alone novel.

Michael Majok Kuch’s story begins in the late eighties as civil war wages in his home country of Sudan. Throughout this novel, Majok experiences intense challenges. He faces the loss of his family, starvation, crocodiles, in-group competition, and eventually an adjustment to an entire new country and culture as he immigrates to America. Majok is one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, who, after being orphaned from their parents, spent a decade searching for safety and comfort. This novel shares an intimate look at what these now men have been through, while maintaining an ending that is unique to Majok himself. This is a story written with a purpose, and it reads that way. Each moment is carefully selected to expose more of the main character, flowing throughout the years. However, these moments do not always transitions smoothly and the writing can feel choppy, while simultaneously overwhelming the reader with detail. This style of writing serves a purpose just as the story does, maintaining the feelings and experiences of Majok himself, which must have been jarring, confusing at points, and definitely overwhelming. Both devastating and uplifting, this novel exposes the dark path that many boys faced during that period of Sudan, exposing how our own meanings of home and family, can grow, change, or be ripped away throughout our lifetime.

Stark, confusing and overwhelming while remaining deeply powerful and purposeful in its prose.

[Griffin Scheel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harriet Levin Miller’s How Fast Can You Run is the almost biographic novel about the life of one of the Lost Boys of the Sudan, Michael Majok Kuch.
The book opens with Majok Kuch Chol-Manga’aai, at five years old, getting separated from his mother when his village is attacked, hiding instead of following her. He joins up with other boys as they truck across Africa, searching for safety and sanctuary. There is no shortage of horrors in these chapters, but they are masterfully dealt with; while the characters are constantly surrounded by death and the need to survive, the writing conveys the character’s coping mechanisms- looking away, passing over, whatever it takes to not directly confront each tragedy. Eventually, the boys make it through Africa and Majok is chosen as one of the 4,000 refugees the United States allows to seek asylum, and the book shifts. The first part is all about survival, but surviving is not the end of the story. Once they reach America, the story becomes one of Majok, whose name then changes to Michael, struggling to understand the new world he is in, all the while never losing sight of his original goal; finding his mother. All the way through this book, Majok feels rivetingly real. It is helped by the foreword, letting you know that he does exist, that this is his story, but the prose itself is what truly transports you into the experience. It is easy to believe, and more than that, it is easy to empathize, with Michael that Miller captured on these pages.
An uncomfortable read in the most powerful way.

[Elise Salsman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poet Harriet Levin Millan tag-teams with Activist Michael Majok Kuch to create a powerful fictional story that is strongly grounded in the life of Kuch. Using the fictional character Majok, Millan breaks the story into three compelling parts. The first covers Majok’s experiences across various countries in the continent of Africa as he must learn how to survive in an incredibly tumultuous environment at the age of only five years old. Whether it be surviving a crocodile attack on a boat to operating underneath one of two rival liberation armies, Majok learns how to handle each new intense situation thrown at him. Millan does an excellent job, as her writing focuses less on showing the details of the violence in each scene and more so on how Majok is processing the situations he is thrust into as a small child. Through focusing the narrative on Majok’s experience, Millan paints an incredibly realistic portrait of Majok’s experiences. With careful attention to detail, Millan builds her story through the second and third portions of the book. When he finally escapes to the United States, Millan covers the struggles of Majok’s assimilation to American culture. As he later attends college, Majok is still dealt instances of inconsideration, and Millan strongly considers Majok’s experiences from the first portion and how they relate and intensify experiences that, to the American characters involved, seem to be simple.

[Shelby Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a boom, a young boy is thrust into the middle of the Sudanese Civil War where the only option is run or die.
Michael Majok Kuch is just five when the war strikes his village. Alone and running for his life, he meets a number of unlikely allies from child soldiers to freedom fighters to boys just like him. Determined to be reunited with his mother, Majok crosses crocodile filled rivers while bullets whizz by his head, nearly dies of dehydration and starvation, and gets attacked by Ethiopian tribes who view boys like him as a threat. Eventually he reunites with his siblings in a refugee camp before they travel to America where Michael encounters many more trials as he continues his search for his mother and tries to build a new life. Though told during a time where war and death dominated, Levin spins a tale full of hope and the determination of one boy. Each chapter is filled with lyrical prose and poetic language, not unexpected from Levin as this is her first book of prose, and leaves the reader turning the page to find out what happens next. Told in three different parts: Africa, the early years in America, and the later years in America, we follow Michael as he tries to make sense of the life he has been given while also make the best of it. By the end, Levin leaves even the most jaded of readers believing in the power of hope and family.
A hard but worthwhile read that opens a door to the true meaning of determination.

[Nat · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Harriet Levin Millan’s book “How Fast Can you Run”, the story follows the path of Majok Kuch, (based on the life of Michael Majok Kuch) a Lost Boy of Sudan who is separated from his family at the age of five fleeing his home in search of safety. Along the way, Majok traverses danger and the horrors of war and life as a refugee, seeking sanctuary and a way to reconnect with his family. In the United States, he is given a new name and is forced to learn an entirely new way of life.
I gave this book a four out of five stars because there were a lot of elements of the book that were intriguing, such as the distant third person point of view, the voice of the narrator and rich, dramatic imagery. One reason why I could not give this book five stars was due to some of the content, particularly in part three, **spoilers** which dives into the litigation of a sexual assault case. Maybe there is nothing that can be done to remedy the story which is based on true events, but it is challenging as a female reader to move past the concept that a woman in a story claiming sexual assault charges is “crazy” and untruthful, even if that is the case within the story. I would have really liked to not see that.

[Jane Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author taught a workshop at the Philadelphia Writers Conference a few years ago which I really appreciated. I think her name, Harriet, is pretty cool too. Also, I learned in that workshop that Lyndsey Addario provided the cover photo so between all of that I had to read this book.

It was a dramatic story that I wished was told in a bit more compelling manner. The scenes of the boy in his native land were poignant and vivid and the best parts of this book, and his constant yearning for his mother were touching. As I read I wondered whether he'd ever connect with her again. I thought the title was great too, because it implies that someone has asked him this at some point and that he must save his own life by running. But in the end, the reader must ask the question and that disappointed me. I also wanted a more literary take on it rather such a literal telling of the story since it seems ripe for that.

Overall this book is a joy to read because it opens us up to a world we cannot know otherwise. It shows us how it might be to struggle so mightily and live without everything for so long. It shows how important our ties in life are. I just wished it pulled at my heartstrings a little more.

[Noah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. I would recommend this book for really anyone who likes a survival story with A LOT of obstacles and challenges. Also, know that there's a lot of sad moments for every happy moment, but it just makes the exciting moments that much more exciting.

Overall, I would say that this book is about perseverance. No matter what obstacles face Majak, the main character, he finds a way to overcome those obstacles. Whether it be for survival, or he's on a mission to do what he thinks is right, and he always seems to find a way to make it happen.

I think to truly understand a story, it is important to understand the author. When I read this for class, we actually got to Skype Harriet Millan, and ask her about it. She talked a lot about how her Jewish ancestry almost enabled her to feel like she had some sort of authority to write a survival story, having some relatives who survived World War Two Europe. Putting that information together with Majak's story, it's easier to understand how this book was written so eloquently.

Overall, I would recommend it to those of you who can handle a bit of sadness, it really combined an interesting story with great writing. Five Stars.

[Thomas Schulte · Rating 4 out of 5]

How Fast Can You Run is a novelization of the life of Michael Majok Kuch written by Harriet Levin Millan. It details his life as he was separated from his family during the Sudanese civil war, and his struggle both to survive and to be reunited with his loved ones. Much of the book focuses on his struggles as a child refugee—he was only five years old when he and his family were separated by an attack on their village. It is heartbreaking and deeply uncomfortable to feel along with Majok as he experiences exhaustion, hunger, pain, terror and trauma. The later chapters detail his struggles to get used to a completely new way of living as the United States accepts as refugees Majok and a few thousand other Lost Boys separated from any family.
The book is vividly written, and portrays the events of Majok’s life in an unforgettable way. It is an important firsthand account of the Sudanese civil war, a case study of how much of a difference outreach can make, and a striking argument against solving problems with violence. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants a story about the tenacity of the human spirit, and the power only family can give.

[Tracy Jentzsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been so very long since I read a book that moved me to tears, but this one, well, many tissues were used. I won't give away the ending, which really isn't an ending at all but another beginning for Majok. The story of an incredible journey of a five year old boy, the story of war and human resilience, the story of cultures, of injustice, of loss. I have friends from all over the African continent, including South Sudan, and this book was like a punch in the gut to realize what these people have had to endure in my lifetime. Millan tells the story in a very authentic way, a very respectful way. I literally read the book in less then 24 hours as it was so engaging. It is also, in some ways, not just one man's story but a call to action for all of us to think about our place in this world, about family, and about how we should all be sensitive to others because we can never really know what their life circumstances have been or what brought them to this moment in time. I guess it hit me so hard as a mother, knowing the endless love and hope that the thought of his mother brought to Majok, and how it carried him through unimaginably dark times.

[Booknblues · Rating 4 out of 5]

How Fast Can You Run by Harriet Levin Millan is a fictionalized account of Michael Majok Kuch's life. Millan needed to fictionalize to protect people in the book as life in Kuch's native Sudan is precarious at best. This book packs a punch from beginning to end and is not to be read without a good supply of hankies.

5 year old Majok is awoken when his house catches fire and when he runs outside soldiers are shooting at him and his family. In his mad dash for safety, he loses track of his family and travels with the refugees to Ethiopia. I work with 5 year olds and I can't even imagine this but this his amazing story over the next 20 years. It is so compelling. I could not put it down until finished.

I highly recommend it.

For a spoiler watch



https://www.goodreads.com/videos/1082...

[Samuel Schindelar · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the storytelling seems a tad jumpy from chapter to chapter, Millan has done a masterful job at portraying just how difficult life can be for other people. The writing is done in such a way that it really emphasizes just how worried Michael Majok Kuch is for his family and friends. Millan captures the horrors of war and how the human spirit can move past it in such a way that it feels like you are right alongside the characters. The book is a wonderful read for those who are curious about the journey refugees embark on and an inspiration to everyone who has the pleasure of reading this book.

[Pure · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good book , the reason am giving it four stars is because I do not like the way it ended, I was hoping for more a better conclusion in the whole saga , non the less it is still a very good book full of ups and downs, twist and turn, will definitely recommend.

Its a good book, the read am giving it four stars is because I do not like the way it ended, I was hoping for a more, a better conclusion in the whole saga, non the less it is still a good book full of ups and downs twist and turn, will definitely recommend.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a harrowing tale told with grace and nobility. I learned about a culture and a war I new little about, but the ramifications of which were prevalent in my home city and throughout the USA. It is an important story about the struggle of a refugee and an immigrant that resonates with current events.