The astounding story of one girl’s journey from war victim to UNICEF Special Representative.
As a child in a small rural village in Sierra Leone, Mariatu Kamara lived peacefully surrounded by family and friends. Rumors of rebel attacks were no more than a distant worry.
But when 12-year-old Mariatu set out for a neighboring village, she never arrived. Heavily armed rebel soldiers, many no older than children themselves, attacked and tortured Mariatu. During this brutal act of senseless violence they cut off both her hands.
Stumbling through the countryside, Mariatu miraculously survived. The sweet taste of a mango, her first food after the attack, reaffirmed her desire to live, but the challenge of clutching the fruit in her bloodied arms reinforced the grim new reality that stood before her. With no parents or living adult to support her and living in a refugee camp, she turned to begging in the streets of Freetown.
As told to her by Mariatu, journalist Susan McClelland has written the heartbreaking true story of the brutal attack, its aftermath and Mariatu’s eventual arrival in Toronto where she began to pull together the pieces of her broken life with courage, astonishing resilience and hope.
Now 22 years old, Mariatu Kamara has been named a UNICEF Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict; a Voices of Courage Honoree by the Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children; and has established The Mariatu Foundation, which aims to offer much needed refuge to the ongoing victims of the civil war in Sierra Leone. A documentary about child victims of war, featuring Mariatu, is in the works.
Susan McClelland is an award-winning journalist and two-time recipient (2005, 2008) of the prestigious Amnesty International Canada Media Award for excellence in human rights reporting. She also lives in Toronto.
Reviews:
“… a powerful commentary on one of the many costs of wars. An essential purchase …”
—Kirkus, starred review, 10/08
“… honest, raw and powerful …”
—School Library Journal, starred review, 11/08
“... this book will unsettle readers—and then inspire them ...”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review, 11/17/08
“Mariatu’s indomitable spirit will resonate most with teens.”
—VOYA, 02/09
“…recommended for older teens, but adults won’t be able to put the book down either.”
—ForeWord Magazine, 01/09
“... never less than rivetting and is notable for its emontional honesty.”
—Globe & Mail, 02/09
“... absolutely compelling, not to mention gut-wrenching …”
—Quill & Quire, 12/08
“… a story told with equal measures of compassion and detachment that allows the reader to be both shocked and locked in. It’s good, really good. Highly recommended.”
—CM Magazine, 11/08
“It is a testament to human will to overcome adversity.”
—Resource Links, 12/08
“Told simply and accessibly, Mariatu Kamara’s story will intrigue, inform and, in places, shock teen readers ... A remarkable book.”
—Canadian Children's Book News, 08/09
“... she may not have hands but she does have a voice—and it is a powerful one that deserves our attention.”
—Professionally Speaking, 09/09