THE GOOD BRAIDER by Terry Farish

 

Viola was born in South Sudan, Africa. She experienced the horrors of war and poverty. When her mother decided to buy passage to America, Viola hoped life might improve. What followed were years and miles of travel from Juba in South Sudan to Cairo, Eygpt. Immigration involved more poverty, filth, and disease and the death of her five year old brother before she and her mother arrived in Portland, Maine.

Adjusting to life in America was difficult for Viola's mother. She worked hard and tried to impose the Sudanese lifestyle on Viola. Viola, now going to school and meeting American friends, loves her mother, but wants to be more American than Sudanese. Her struggle to survive and combine her two cultures is inspiring and brave.

Author Terry Farish uses free verse to tell Viola's story. THE GOOD BRAIDER is a powerful and often painful read that focuses on the refugee experience of a young girl from Sudan.