War Child: A Child Soldier's Story

I have been wanting to read this book for years and finally purchased a little more than a month ago and was very excited to begin. The first 50 pages or so were difficult but manageable as the horrors that Emmanuel saw were unbelievable, yet something that should be shared. I finally put the book down for good yesterday at page 104 after walking away from it for several weeks distancing myself from the horrors of war that he and other children were forced to endure.Emmanuel did an excellent job of recapturing the horror, fear, and impossibility of his situation. My heart exploded when he watched in horror what was done to his family and knowing that he was not only too young to witness these horrible acts, but also because he was too young to even understand some of the events that were occurring. His descriptions were vivid and life-like...I still remember vividly the horror I felt when he described the events between he and his friend during training.My intent of this review is not to bash the book as it was very well written and drew you in. However, I do wish there were more reviews avaialable before I purchased the book that let me know how emotionally draining and heart-wrenching it was to read. I have never not finished a book that I thought was well-written with a great story line...However, the horrors of this situation truly made reading anymore unbearable.

It is a compelling read, Though it is a heart breaking story, and I had tears in my eye, I did not want to put the book down. His eye for detail is impressive, he creates such vivid pictures, full of imagery and poetic language, Even though he often says that he was angry his tone is mostly gentle and forgiving. I had the opportunity to listen to his interview on BBC, and I was under the impression that he is rather timid, but there was no hint of bitterness which was to be expected of a person who had to endure so much. I have read a number of biographical books written by children who had to endure a hard life, but this one was far more engaging. M.G.Oliveira

I read the war in Sudan through the news and this book gave life to it. It brought me to the war and I felt the horror. It's inspiring that he was able to come out of it and live peacefully and continue to work for peace in spite of the hate and violence that surrounded him as a child.

I read this book after watching "The Good Lie." I became more and more interested in the war in Sudan. Reading what this man has witnessed in his life and what hope has helped him overcome, makes me smile. It's hard to imagine what his life was like growing up privileged in America. My hope is to share his story and continue to educate myself on this topic.

This book moved me. It is well written and easy to read as it flows well. It is hard to read because of the emotion it provokes. Leaves the reader with much to contemplate about our very small world and how blind we can be to things outside our protected circles.

I purchased this book as an assigned reading, hoping that it would give me more insight to the war in Sudan. When I had finished reading it, though, I realized that it was less about the war and more about the way that it affected Jal and his musical career after the war. I was very disappointed by the unsuspected focus of the book, but it was still enjoyable and well-written.

If you like the book ,"A Long Way Gone", this is similar in that in being a well-written memoir. If you have a heart for Africa..interested in learning more about child soldiers/children in warfare, then this would be a great read!

"War Child" is a powerful story about a child soldier that turns his life around right into an up and coming world peace leader! As a mother I can't imagine my child as a child soldier and it hurts my heart thinking about it. Once you pick up this book to read...its hard to put it down. A must read book for everyone!

This is the story of Emmanuel Jal born in the village of Tonj, He lived with his mother, sisters Nyakouth and Nyaruach and brothers Marna and Miri, father was a commander in the army, it was dangerous where they were so they headed south to live with their grandmother, there was a war between Muslims and Christians, in 1983 the Dinka and other tribes joined to become the Sudan Peoples Liberation ArmyBombs fell on the village, he was sent with his Aunt Sarah and an orphan to buy sugar, the rebels caught up with us, his auntie was raped, we ran from village to village, he was 7yrs old, he got separated from his family and joined refugees, one day an SPLA soldier said he had come to take him to school with 200 other kids, Emmanuel wanted to go to school so was happy, they walked a long way, but what met them was an SPLA training camp where they began to train as soldiersEmmanuel had no idea of the things he would be made to do or the horrors he would see

If you have read Maggie McCune's book about her daughter, Emma's, experience in Sudan, then this is a must. It is sad, shocking and inspirational. Emmanuel Jal is an extraordinary man (talented musician/singer too!) and he leaves me in awe. The book sends out a very strong message .......... whatever life throws at you, you can overcome those difficulties. I think he will go on to achieve great things and his birth Country should be proud of him.

War is an experience that noone should experience let alone a child. It is horrific, brutal and society destroying. Africans especially are known for the cruelty they inflict on each other. What Mr Jal does is to post into the window frame of one of many of Africa's forgotten wars and brings us face to face with the terror, horror and the drive for vengeance that is all part of war for those who experience it.What is particularly brilliant about this book is the Jal tells the story through a child's eyes, and through these eyes we initially see innocence with no harbour of hatred but for what is told to him, piece by piece through violence and hatred we see that innocence crushed, the hatred fester and then explode to create the enigma that was the child warriors. Children filled with hatred, completely indoctrinated and single minded in there quest for vengeance. Watching the conditioning of a human mind from one of normality to one brutality is as fascinating as it is horrific. Not only that but what this child had to to endure, the hardships and privitations that Jal survived can only be described as remarkable, it is hard to put into place the distances that he travelled or the conditions he had to travel in, Sudan is more than twice the size of UK with half the country either desert or swamplands pretty much hostile to human life and for a young child to survive all this to tell the tale speaks testaments to the man.The book is a fantastic incite and an amazing tale. Perhaps I am being harsh in marking down the book but I felt it was more an incite than a story book. It lacked polish and structure in some places especially the latter parts, which flowed more like a memoir than a book. Parts where patchy and one section in particular confused me. By the end of the book he seemed eager to finish as they are rushed.All in all, I recomend this book to anyone, the conditioning of a boy brought to hatred and the love that brought him back to inner peace is a testament of how the world of cruelty and love can change people. Amazing book, not to be missed.

A heart rending insight into Emmanuel Jal's life as a child and a young man in Sudan and Kenya. Since reading this I have read other books about the Lost Boys and have immersed myself in their stories. I read this whilst in Africa and could not put it down. Since then I know that this book has been passed avidly from reader to reader, and it will continue to inspire and educate. Emmanuel Jal inspires hope, determination and ultimately faith in human nature and leaves the reader with a deeper knowledge and understanding of what the boy soldiers endured. This is a book which should be recommended for children also as it is very accessible and would help many young people to realise how lucky they are and what horrors other young children faced and still face today.

A book everyone should read. Having met Emmanuel Jal and seen him singing and dancing for peace helped me through the awfulness of his story. The resilience of the human spirit is incredible.