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They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky: The Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan |  | Authors: Benjamin Ajak, Benson Deng, Alephonsian Deng, Judy Bernstein
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Category: Book
List Price: $13.95
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Seller: Books Squared
Rating:  76 reviews
Sales Rank: 58091
Media: Paperback
Pages: 336
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.8
ISBN: 1586483889
Dewey Decimal Number: 962.40430922
EAN: 9781586483883
ASIN: 1586483889
Publication Date: June 12, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
A stunning literary survival story, hailed by the Los Angeles Times as a "moving, beautifully written account, by turns raw and tender." Across Sudan, between 1987 and 1989, tens of thousands of young boys took flight from the massacres of Sudan's civil war. They became known as the Lost Boys. With little more than the clothes on their backs, sometimes not even that, they streamed out over Sudan in search of refuge. Their journey led them first to Ethiopia and then, driven back into Sudan, toward Kenya. They walked nearly one thousand miles, sustained only by the sheer will to live. They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky is three boys' account of that unimaginable journey. With the candor and the purity of their child's-eye-vision, Alephonsion, Benjamin, and Benson recall by turns how they endured hunger and strength-sapping illnesses. How they dodged the life-threatening predators-lions, snakes, crocodiles and soldiers-that dogged their footsteps. How they grappled with a war that threatened continually to overwhelm them. Their story is a lyrical, captivating portrait of a childhood lost to war, and of the perseverance of the human spirit.
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 76
How children survived an adult mess August 13, 2005
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net)
40 out of 40 found this review helpful
In a land where family life was everything and the most fearsome thing was a prowling hyena or lion, fire suddenly exploded from the sky. THEY POURED FIRE ON US FROM THE SKY is the vivid description of the war in southern Sudan as seen through the eyes of three little boys, Benson, Benjamin and Alephonsion - who suddenly became homeless orphans and were forced to trek across Sudan to Kenya and Ethiopia without food or water. No longer having a father to frighten away the animals or a mother to prepare food, these five-year-old boys had to figure out how to survive. In addition to the horrors brought on by nature in the form of heat, no water, no food, hunting animals, biting snakes and insects, they soon discovered that people were not very nice to boys traveling alone. Frequently their food, clothing and blankets were taken from them or they were beaten and driven away. Even their own soldiers mistreated them and they found that after surviving so much and traveling so far, they were not exactly welcome in Kenya or Ethiopia. But survive they did to come to the United States to begin life anew.
This gut-wrenching book is a real page-turner and I found myself unable to put it down, even when the stories brought tears and indescribable anger. It was a real eye-opener to read of United Nations aid gone astray as locals took the best for themselves and left the refugees starving. There were, of course, the good people who helped the refugees with food and transportation and even lost their jobs because of it. If you never believed that war could change ordinary people into selfish monsters, then this is the book for you. The book is well written, flows well, and the transitions are so smooth that sometimes I found myself going back to the beginning of the chapter to see which lost boy was telling this particular portion of the story. There were amusing sections such as when the boys were preparing to go the US and they were attempting to learn about flushing toilets. One of them didn't remember what the book instructions said and managed to flood the restroom at the airport terminal. The things we take for granted get a new life when viewed through these boys' eyes. I recommend this book for everyone in America.
Reviewed by alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers
A courageous and inspirational book. A must read! June 14, 2005
P. Bernstein MD (Rancho Santa Fe, CA United States)
31 out of 31 found this review helpful
Rarely does a book come along that is so moving and inspirational that it is hard to put down and at the same time thought provoking. "They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky" is told in the unique voice of three young men who overcame and survived obstacles we can hardly imagine. Their mentor wrote a heartfelt introduction and helped to weave this book into a page-turner. But it is not the hardships that you will remember after reading this book, it's their unique views on life, their courage, and their will to survive that will live in your memories for a long time to come.
It is by far the best non-fiction book in print and a must read for all book groups and readers looking for inspiration in a world where atrocities and genocide have become common place.
It will transform you August 6, 2005
Quilterkat (California)
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
This is a book that I was afraid would be too painful to read. Most of us will never have the experience that these 3 young men and their "brothers" have had. But it is not about pain and sorrow. It is ultimately about Hope, Family, Education and their faith in God to get them through. This is a book that will surprise you, engage you and enrage you. Thank you , Judy Bernstein and everyone who knew this story needed to be told!
Couldn't put it down September 9, 2005
Dave Elliott
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
As a former NFL player, I thought I was tough. But when I read what these young boys overcame, it made me appreciate what life is really about. A friend recommended the book and after I started it, I couldn't put it down until I finished it the next morning. Their triumph over all odds is uplifting. After the tragic events of recent days, this is a must read for all to learn about the strength of the human spirit.
Inspirational and Poignant June 22, 2005
Sharon Kennedy (San Diego, CA)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
I found this to be a great read. Thoughtful and poignant, I got a sense of what it is to be a small child caught up in the devestation of a country at war. Several times I paused in my reading to take in parts of their story. I was emotionally touched. I was so taken by the book that I read it in two sittings. This is a great book for adults and teens - a personalization of a war in a faraway place written by three young men who now call America home. You will come to care deeply about these three little boys and understand the saying, "When two elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled".
Showing reviews 1-5 of 76
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