The Bite of the Mango
Description
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 in her twenties, 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.
Reviews
“It is a testament to human will to overcome adversity.”
- Resource Links, 12/08
“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
“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
“Its brilliance lies in simultaneously revealing the shocking brutality of war and the immense will and courage of youth to rise up for justice.”
- WOW Reviews, 07/11
“An honest and true story told without glamour or artifice.”
- Africa Access Review, 09/12/14
“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
“Will unsettle readers—and then inspire them.”
- Publishers Weekly, *starred review, 11/17/08
“Recommended for older teens, but adults won’t be able to put the book down either.”
- Foreword Reviews, 01/09
“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 Reviews, 11/08
“Mariatu’s indomitable spirit will resonate most with teens.”
- VOYA, 02/09