Carolyn Marsden and Philip Matzigkeit tell a difficult story in Sahwira: An African Friendship. Blessing and Even are
friends against all odds- Blessing is black and Evan is white. At the same time that Dr. King is fighting for the rights of African Americans, tensions are boiling in Rhodesia. The Africans want their civil rights too and they are willing to fight for them. Living on the mission Evan feels like a brother to Blessing. But when his all white school enlists him as a cadet to fight the terrorists, Evan is tempted to betray his African friends to earn a medal.
Is it terrorism to fight for your civil rights? What is your ethical responsibility to report suspicious activities? If doing the right thing feels wrong, was it really the right thing to do? And how do you ever make things right again? These are the powerful questions that keep Evan up at night.
Complete with a glossary of terms, Marsden and Matzigkeit successfully immerse the reader in Africa during the 1960s.
If you liked The Rock and the River, you'll have even more to talk about after reading Sahwira.
Score: 4 out of 5
To suggest other titles to the committee, please email newberysuggestions@kcls.org.
friends against all odds- Blessing is black and Evan is white. At the same time that Dr. King is fighting for the rights of African Americans, tensions are boiling in Rhodesia. The Africans want their civil rights too and they are willing to fight for them. Living on the mission Evan feels like a brother to Blessing. But when his all white school enlists him as a cadet to fight the terrorists, Evan is tempted to betray his African friends to earn a medal. Is it terrorism to fight for your civil rights? What is your ethical responsibility to report suspicious activities? If doing the right thing feels wrong, was it really the right thing to do? And how do you ever make things right again? These are the powerful questions that keep Evan up at night.
Complete with a glossary of terms, Marsden and Matzigkeit successfully immerse the reader in Africa during the 1960s.
If you liked The Rock and the River, you'll have even more to talk about after reading Sahwira.
Score: 4 out of 5
To suggest other titles to the committee, please email newberysuggestions@kcls.org.
In Sahwira: An African Friendship, readers will learn about Rhodesian history and culture and how colonization affected the lives of everyday people. But this book is more than just historical fiction. It is a coming of age story that explores the universal values of forgiveness, friendship, peace, tolerance and civil rights. The subject matter is a little intense, but the novel’s core message is valuable and thought-provoking. My rating: 4 out of 5.