Will I love A Long Walk to Water?

This is a simple story on the surface, but it carries a lot of weight.

I was drawn to how it shows resilience through everyday actions rather than big, dramatic moments. It reminded me that strength often looks like persistence. Just continuing when things are difficult. That message feels especially important for younger readers, but it is something that stays with you at any age.

I love the way A Long Walk to Water follows two characters in two different timelines to reinforce the importance of water to survival. It’s an exciting combination of a true story and fictionalized one that intersect in an unexpected but wonderful way. Readers of any age, but especially younger ones, will be shocked by what one 11-year-old girl must do to obtain just a minimal daily amount of water for her family’s survival. They will also be inspired by how one 11-year-old boy, after barely surviving wartime experiences in his African homeland, returns years later to make a… show more.

I bought this book for my daughter who is a biography and non-fiction fan. It did not disappoint. This best-selling novel, set in Africa, tells the story of two children who overcome many challenges to improve their lives (and the lives of others). It is a short novel that inspires child empowerment and exploring the world. 

Living in California, where droughts are becoming increasingly common, I was deeply moved reading this story of a Sudanese girl, Nya, who has to walk two hours every day to a pond to fetch water. My heart was also touched reading about the second main character, a homeless boy named Salva who loses his parents to war. There are so many homeless people everywhere now, and Salva’s true story of courage and persistence gave me hope that with kindness and help, even the most challenging situations can be solved.