A Long Walk to Water
Description
"A Long Walk to Water" by Linda Sue Park intertwines the true story of Salva Dut, a Sudanese boy displaced by war in 1985, with the fictional account of Nya, a young girl from Sudan in 2008. Salva's journey begins when he is separated from his family during the Second Sudanese Civil War. He traverses Ethiopia and Kenya, eventually resettling in the United States. In 2003, Salva learns that his father is alive and recovering in a UN clinic in Sudan. He reunites with his father and discovers that his mother and sisters are also alive. Salva returns to the U.S. with plans to help his homeland. In 2009, Nya's village receives a well, providing clean water and eliminating the need for her daily walks. She attends school, and the well is named after the school in the U.S. that funded it. Nya thanks Salva, who reveals himself as the man responsible for the well.