Bite of the Mango - Softcover

Kamara, Mariatu; McClelland, Susan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1408805138 ISBN 13: 9781408805138

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2009

Synopsis

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. In this gripping and heartbreaking true story, Mariatu shares with readers the details of the brutal attack, its aftermath and her eventual arrival in Toronto. There she began to pull together the pieces of her broken life with courage, astonishing resilience and hope.

About this title

Review:

'Powerful and timely ... in my culture, every story is told with the purpose of either imparting knowledge, reparing a broken bond, or transforming the listener and teller. Mariatu's story embodies all of these elements' Ishmael Beah, author of the Number One New York Times bestseller A Long Way Gone 'Deeply personal yet devoid of self-pity. As it aims to correct misperceptions about Sierra Leone and to raise awareness of the needs of child victims of war, this book will unsettle readers - and then inspire them with the evidence of Mariatu's courage' Publishers Weekly

About the Author:

Now 23 years old, Mariatu Kamara has been named a UNICEF Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflicts; 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 development. She lives in Canada. 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 lives in Toronto.

About this edition

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1408805138
• ISBN 13: 9781408805138
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224