“I didn’t understand this complicated war, how it mortally devoured the land and left it so full of skeletons.”– Benson Deng, They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky
Reading Levels
Interest Level: 6-9
Reading Level: 3-8
Review and Comments
When I was teaching high school, I taught the book They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky. This was my first real introduction to the Lost Boys and the war in Sudan. I’d heard mention of it on the news and in conversation, but had no real personal connection. You see, I live half-way around the world, and at the time it had no real significance to my day-to-day life. But this is the beauty of what books can do. When I read They Poured Fire… I was given a personal, first-hand account of the absolute horrors of the war that occurred and the devastation of the people (mostly young boys) who were left behind. The book gave me insight, connection, and a desire to help, to know more, and to be more aware…more prayerful…for the people suffering every day in other parts of the world. Books can make that happen, they connect history and news to our hearts and help us see the pain and suffering of others. Continue reading A Complicated War: A Review of ‘A Long Walk to Water’ →
“Dear friends, let us not forget the flesh of Christ which is in the flesh of refugees: their flesh is the flesh of Christ.”—Pope Francis
Suggested Grade Levels:
Grades 6-8
Review and Thoughts
Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai is a beautifully written coming-of-age story about a young Vietnamese girl named Ha. While Ha is a young girl in Vietnam, she witnesses the fall of Saigon, escapes with her family to Alabama, and struggles to learn to adapt to a new life in America. The innocent viewpoint of the young girl is a stark contrast to the seriousness of the war and of her position as a refugee. The novel, which is written entirely in poetry, is simple and delicate and tells a story of survival and growth for Ha and her family.
The novel is broken into four parts. Each part speaks of a different portion of Ha’s journey. She tells about her life in Saigon before the North comes and her eventual escape from Saigon. Next, she describes her terrible journey on boat floating at sea and nearly starving until she and her family are rescued by the Americans. Her family’s “adoption” by a man in Alabama and their struggle to adapt to a new culture is a difficult one. Finally, she accepts her family’s fate and learns to live as a young girl in Alabama. Continue reading Let Us Not Forget: A Review of ‘Inside Out & Back Again’ →
Literature reviews from the Catholic side
