Long Walk to Water, A

A Long Walk to Water

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by Linda Sue Park

In 1985 southern Sudan is ravaged by war. Rebels and government forces battle for control, with ordinary people…people like the boy, Salva Dut…caught in the middle. When Salva’s village is attacked, he must embark on a harrowing journey that will propel him through horror and heartbreak, across a harsh desert, and into a strange new life.

Years later, in contemporary South Sudan, a girl named Nya must walk eight hours a day to fetch water. The walk is grueling, but there is unexpected hope. How these two stories intersect is told in this fascinating dual narrative, performed by David Baker and Cynthia Bishop, with the assistance of dialect coach James Achueil…who actually made the same journey across Africa when he was one of the “Lost Boys of the Sudan.”

Author Linda Sue Park
Narrator David Baker, Cynthia Bishop
Length 2 hrs and 41 mins
© Copyright 2010 Linda Sue Park
℗ Audio Copyright 2013 Full Cast Audio

Reviews:

“A stirring performance by David Baker and Cynthia Bishop conveys the dramatic stories of two 11-year-old children who lived 10 years apart in war-torn South Sudan. Baker portrays the boy, Salva, with heartrending effectiveness. . . . By contrast, Bishop’s unrushed, almost meditative, narration brings out the girl Nya’s quiet resilience as she spends her day collecting water for her family. . . . an author’s note as well as words by Salva himself, echo the poignance of his story”  [udesign_icon_font name=”fa fa-headphones” color=”#dd9933″ size=”1.1em”] Earphones Award — AudioFile, October, 2013

“A LONG WALK TO WATER is ultimately a story about hope, and the human potential to make the world a better place in spite of the most difficult and terrible of obstacles. Highly recommended, especially for public library audiobook collections.” — Library Bookwatch, November, 2013

“Ultimately a story about hope, and the human potential to make the world a better place in spite of the most difficult and terrible of obstacles. Highly recommended, especially for public library audiobook collections.” — Library Bookwatch, November, 2013

Praise for the print version of A Long Walk to Water:
“This powerful dual narrative packs suspense and introspection into Park’s characteristic spare description; while there are lots of details offered to the reader, they come not in long, prosaic lines but in simple, detached observations. Both Salva’s and Nya’s stories are told with brutal, simple honesty, and they deliver remarkable perspective on the Sudanese conflict.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children

“[This] spare, hard-hitting novel delivers a memorable portrait of two children in Sudan. . . . Tragic and harrowing.” — Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review

“. . . young readers will be stunned by the triumphant climax of the former refugee who makes a difference with the necessities that we all take for granted. Teachers may want to point out the allusion to Nelson Mandela’s A Long Walk to Freedom (1995) echoed in this moving book’s title.” — Booklist [udesign_icon_font name=”fa fa-star” color=”#dd9933″ size=”1em”] Starred Review


Listen to samples from this audiobook:
  1. Long Walk 1:23

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