Book Analysis: A Long Walk To Water

Surviving The Sudanese Civil War While sitting in class, a Sudanese boy heard gunshots erupt and his life was never the same again. Linda Sue Park’s book A Long Walk To Water depicts the incredible true story of Salva Muwien Dut Ariik’s journey from South Sudan to Kenya when his home becomes war-torn. The factors that made survival possible for Salva were his decision to flee his home, receive help from others when most needed, and the motivation from his loved ones even after their deaths. Survival was dependent on eleven year old Salva making the decision to flee his home. The Sudanese Civil War had been going on for two years. The Northern Sudanese government wanted all of Sudan to be a Muslim country. Whereas, the people in the south practiced different

Six years later, Camp Itang closed down and Salva had to consider his options of where to go: “Not home. There is still war everywhere in Sudan. Not back to Ethiopia. The soldiers would shoot us. Kenya. The. There are supposed to be refugee camps in Kenya” (Park, 79). When Salva decided to walk to the Kenya refugee camps, a group of kids started to follow him without asking any questions. During the journey, Salva remembered his Uncle's advice to keep walking, which he also shared with the group of kids. One step at a time. one day at a time. Just today--just this day to get through.” (Park, 82). After using Uncle's technique, it took a year and a half, where Salva successfully reached Camp Kakuma in Kenya, accompanied by twelve hundred kids. Despite abandonment from his village, starvation, dehydration, witnessing the death of loved ones, insect bites, and nearly drowning in a crocodile-infested river, Salva never gave up on his journey from South Sudan to Kenya. As proven, the factors that made survival possible for Salva were his decision to flee his home, receive help from others when most needed, and the motivation from his loved ones even after their