New
York: Perseus/Public Affairs; 2005. ISBN: 1586482696. $25.00 311
pages. |
They
Poured Fire on Us From The Sky: The
True Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan
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By Benson
Deng, Alephonsion Deng, Benjamin Ajak, and Judy A Bernstein
Reviewed
by Paula
Johnson
|
In all
of my years reviewing books, I have rarely come across a book as compelling
and timely as They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky. This book
is about a child's nightmare of being alone in the world, a nightmare
for all who have seen the images of masses of humans: mothers, fathers,
sisters, and brothers, who have been wiped off the face of this vast
amazing country of Sudan by a brutal civil war that still rages today.
Alephonsion
Deng, co-author, now works in the medical records department of Kaiser
Permanente in San Diego. He has endured a life few ever know and survive.
He is one of the Lost Boys of Sudan
In the
mid 1980s, when their villages in southern Sudan were attacked by troops
from the oppressive government in the north, thousands of young boys
fled into the wilderness as their parents had instructed them, to avoid
capture or death. As five and seven year olds, Benson, Alephonsion,
and Benjamin crossed a thousand miles on foot, surviving starvation,
thirst, wild animals, and disease along the way. Many boys never made
it. Brothers, Benson and Alephonsion, became separated for five years,
neither knowing if the other was still alive. After years on the run,
experiencing and witnessing the horrors of a terrible civil war, they
finally reached one of the most desolate refugee camps in the world
where they languished for nine years, surviving on a half cup of corn
meal a day. Finally in 2001, the United National High Commissioner for
Refugees arranged for the US Government to accept them. If ever there
were tired, poor, and homeless yearning to breathe free, it was these
Lost Boys of Sudan.
This unforgettable
story by Benson Deng, Alephonsion Deng, and Benjamin Ajak, with a forward
by Judy A Bernstein, is a vivid portrayal of three of the more than
25,000 Lost Boys of Sudan who crossed the most treacherous part of Africa
with the very human goal of surviving and uniting with their families
again. Strangely, as you read, you almost feel that you are with these
boys. The inspiration and hope of their story is so overwhelming that
our day-to-day annoyances seem petty by comparison.
Whether
it is the Lost Boys of Sudan, the Hmong of Cambodia, the Bantu of Somalia,
or any other refugee group that has entered the American health care
system, it is helpful for physicians, clinicians, and other health care
givers to gain insight into the experience and culture of the patients
by hearing the stories of their trauma. Although not everyone's experience
is the same, unfortunately many are similar and they do have an enormous
impact on the health of these people and their families.
Despite
the sadness and suffering, the beauty in their written language and
their tenacious spirits give us hope. Reading They Poured Fire On
Us From The Sky has forever changed my skeptical mind about the
future of this world. The boys are extraordinary examples of tremendous
strength and fellowship to this day. A fast read, this book has much
to teach while creating a vivid emotional experience. It brings alive
the TV news coverage of the Sudanese civil war. It speaks on behalf
of millions of children in Africa who are victims and cannot speak for
themselves. The story of these Lost Boys is a gift to all who read it
or who are touched by their lectures across this country.
Editor's note: The authors have recently been
honored with the National Conflict Resolution Center's 18th Annual Peacemaker
Award for surviving one of the bloodiest conflicts on Earth, many years
in UN refugee camps, and eventual relocation to San Diego where they
have become productive men and teachers of peace. --VJF
