The Bite of the Mango

Gr 9 Up—This is the heartbreaking but inspirational autobiography (Annick Press, 2008) of Mariatu Kamara, a victim of the war in Sierra Leone in the 1990s. The 12-year-old girl's hands were cut off by boy soldiers. She made a devastating trek to a hospital in Freetown, where she learned she was pregnant. She was not raped by rebels, but by an older man from her former village. Eventually, she moved to a refugee camp with relatives, some of them maimed as well, and survived by begging. Kamara explains some of the culture in Sierra Leone, including the practice of female circumcision. As a result of interviews she did while living in the refugee camp, she received help from people in Britain and Canada. This account details the guilt she felt at the death of her child, her frustration with prosthetic limbs, and the pressure to get an education to support her family. Today she lives in Canada and is a UNICEF Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict. Production qualities are high with African flute music beginning and ending each disc. Narrator Jessica Almasy uses a slightly stilted cadence with well-enunciated words, probably to convey English as a second language. Once into the story, the rhythm makes Almasy sound realistic. This harrowing chronicle fulfills the need for diverse reading and better understanding of Sierra Leone. Kamara's powerful story will resonate with mature listeners and raise awareness about child victims of war.—C.A. Fehmel, St. Louis County Library, MO