Mariatu KamaraRecensioni

Wow. I read this for the BookRiot 2020 Read Harder challenge 'read a YA non-fiction book' and I'm really glad I did.

The Bite of the Mango is the story of Mariatu Kamara, a young girl who lived an ordinary village life in Sierra Leone before she was ambushed by rebels at age 12. She saw people be burned alive and shot, before boys not much older than her chopped off her hands. Mariatu managed to make it to safety and was transported to Freetown where she received medical care, reunited with her family, and was placed in a cramped amputee camp with hundreds of others in the same position as her. While there it was discovered that she was pregnant and she gave birth to a boy who died from malnutrition before his first birthday. Eventually, she was brought to Canada where she learned English, attended high school and began to share her story with the rest of the world.

The language of The Bite of the Mango is very simple, childlike, but also clear and insightful. Though the language is simple, it serves as a constant reminder that Mariatu is only a child experiencing the worst things a human can go through. She doesn't shy away from the despair and depression she suffered or the times she wanted to die, but the overall feeling of the book is positive, a message of hope. Though all the bad things that happen to Mariatu are spoken of in a matter-of-fact, unflinching manner, there is a focus on the people in Mariatu's life as a way of showing that acts of kindness and love do exist, even in the worst of circumstances.

One of the most astounding things is that later, in Canada, Mariatu mentions giggling with friends at school and I felt such overwhelming happiness that a girl who had been through so much could still have such normal experiences. I believe that Mariatu may have attended my old high school not long after I graduated, which added a personal note for me as well.

The Bite of the Mango is such a heartbreaking and inspiring story, told by a clearly wonderful and compassionate woman, I feel lucky to have read it.

This is a story that deserves to be read.

When one reads a truly shocking narrative (the Sierra Leonean author here was caught up in civil war; aged twelve, the drug-fueled rebels cut off both her hands with a machete. And she didn't know at the time that she was pregnant by an unwanted oldeer suitor...), one feels mean-spirited not to give them a *5 for just getting it together and managing to share their story.

But despite Mariatu's incredible will to survive (she ultimately started a new life in Canada), this barely keeps the reader reading. I feel less of a cad when I think she had a ghost writer helping.) The characters, even the narrator, just feel flat and unrelatable. There is much dwelling on events and less on feelings and emotions. I'm currently engaged in a global reading challenge and have read a few of these memoirs from different troubled parts of the world and have noticed that, lacking the wherewithal to portray emotion in any depth, the protagonists rely on simplistic ideas. They're not beset by complex, life shattering doubts, fears and depression (I'm sure they are, but how to describe it?) but they forever 'scowl' or 'shout', and tend to come across as stroppy and unreasonable. The reader, unfairly, starts to lose patience.
May be an informative read for the YA market. Subject matter should make this a compelling read, but sadly it is not.

Mariatu is living peacefully with her family in a small village in Sierra Leone. She is attacked by a group of rebel soldiers, who brutalize her and cut off both her hands. She wanders around the countryside for awhile, and somehow, through her own grit and will to live, she survives. She enters life in a refugee camp, but to actually survive there she takes to begging in the streets of Freetown. This story was truly remarkable in showing Mariatu's struggle to survive, and her will to live that kept her moving forward even in the most dire of situations. Eventually Mariatu makes her way to Canada, where she begins the process of healing from her traumatic experiences. I think her story is compelling and that most teens would gravitate towards. The actual biography is written by a journalist, so the book lacks some narrative depth, and is pretty straightfoward story telling. I think it would be a good purchase for libraries looking to expand their world-literature selection.

The author is 12 when rebel children soldiers attack her in her village in Sierra Leone. They also amputate both hands. Amazingly she survives and makes her way with help to a clinic. Her journey with recovery and her life is amazing and inspiring. I don't want to say too much about her life, but she does end up in Canada. I learned a lot about this small country, like it is the poorest in the world with a life expectancy of 40! I also learned about a community of refugees living in the Toronto area who help those who make it here. Very good and well written memoir.

This memoir of Mariatu will draw you in. It is about Mariatu's life in Sierra Leone (an African country) and subsequent move to Canada. Mariatu lived though a civil war in her native country, but while she and many others have lived to tell their story they also lost their hands. It is a book about survival and overcoming a disability.

Heather H. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.

I'm ashamed to say that I had no idea about this country, about this war, this violence, these people, this particular hope for a better future. I am so glad I listened to this story about a girl who kept on surviving.

Here is more about this book on my blog: http://sydsavvy.blogspot.com/2013/04/wonderfully-woman.html

RGG: Memoir about a young girl's survival of the violence of the civil war in Sierra Leone. Explicit descriptions of the violence and hardships of Mariatu's life.

The Bite of the Mango by Mariatu Kamara is a memoir based on her experiences in the civil war that raged through Sierra Leone from 1991 to 2002. Mariatu and her family lived a life of relative peace and happiness in a small rural village. They knew of the rebels but thought they would be safe if they ran and hid in the forest if they came. Unfortunately, twelve year old Mariatu and three of her cousins were captured, tortured and mutilated.

Mariatu was able to stumble away and through her own will and the help of kindly strangers she was taken to the capital, Freetown and received medical assistance. Eventually most of her family was reunited and placed in a refugee camp. Food and medicine was so scarce that the camp children had to take to the streets to beg for additional funds. The way out for these children was to be matched with a sponsor who would send funds or bring them out of Sierra Leone.

The Bite of the Mango relates Mariatu’s story of survival in a simple, straight forward style that asks for no pity but gives the reader a glimpse of the emotional strength of this young girl as well as her courage and resilience. This is a heart-rendering story but as it is aimed at a YA audience I felt it left me feeling like I needed a little more depth and information.½

I apparently have a soft spot for Sierra Leone. I loved Ishmael's book, A long way gone, and I really liked this book also. Both are such brave people for sharing THEIR personal stories!

The true story of Mariatu Kamara, born in Sierra Leone, who endured the evils of civil war in her country before moving to Canada with the assistance of a sponsor family.

This autobiography tells the life story of a young African girls life. I never realized before reading this book how war can hurt people so much. Our protagonist suffers so much tragedy, loss, and pain in her life and truly connects with the readers on such a personal level. It's almost hard to believe what you're reading is real which is why I recommend it. People need to understand what it's like in some parts of Africa and this book can help that understanding grow.

Compelling memoir of a girl who suffered horrific events during the civil war in Sierra Leone.

A girl loses her hands at 12 to armed rebels in Sierra Leone. Many years later she is a student in Toronto, a UNICEF representative and now... an author. Can't wait to read this.

When Mariatu Kamara was 12 years old, the civil war in Sierra Leone changed her life forever. Up until that fateful day, Mariatu lived with her extended family in a small village in rural Sierra Leone. After the rebels invade her village, Mariatu must overcome obstacles that no 12 year old should have to endure. When her village is invaded, Mariatu is captured and her hands are amputated. Mariatu's life is spared but she must find her way to the hospital on her own, as she was separated from her family. Believing them dead, she makes her way to Freetown and from there, eventually, finds her way to Canada.

Mariatu's story is filled with beauty, innocence, hardship, heartbreak, courage, optimism, resilience, and hope. This an amazing story, told from Mariatu's point of view as a 12 year old. The descriptions of people and places in the book are colourful and vivid. This is a great book for any teenager looking for more substance in their reading list.

Awards and nominations:
White Ravens Collection, International Youth Library, Munich
Silver Award Winner, Book of the Year, ForeWord Magazine
Silver Award Winner, Nautilus Book Awards
Next Generation Indie Book Award
National Parenting Publications Award
Tayshas High School Reading List
IBBY Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities 2011
CBC’s Young Canada Reads
Canadian Children’s Book Centre, Norma Fleck Award
Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award finalist
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults nomination
Best Books for Kids & Teens, starred selection, Cdn Children’s Book Centre
Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Snow Willow Award nomination

Mariatu had both her hands cut off during a rebel uprising, civil war in her country. Her survival is remarkable, and her resilience is inspiring. Eventually Mariatu became a UNICEF spokesperson and her story is reaching the world bringing more attention to issues of child soldiers, and innocent victims of civil war. She lives in Canada now.

RGG: Memoir about a young girl's survival of the violence of the civil war in Sierra Leone. Explicit descriptions of the violence and hardships of Mariatu's life.

So sad. In 1999, Mariatu was 12 years old when armed rebels attacked her village in Sierra Leone and cut off her hands. She survived and got medical help only to find out that she was pregnant. The story of her survival and eventual education is powerful and inspiring and she is trying to get the story out to help others in her country as well.
I highly recommend this book.
http://mariatufoundation.com/

Vreselijk wat dit meisje heeft meegemaakt, maar het boek an sich vond ik niet bijzonder boeiend geschreven.

incredible story of young woman who had here arms severed and how she adjusted. Was sponsored to live in Canada (after going to US 1st). She went on to educated people about her situation in her country.

I was warned that the beginning of this book may not be suitable for the children who are the targeted audience. While there is brutality of a sort we usually save for films, I think given the right conversations the kids who are supposed to read this book can get through it. Yes, this is a non-fiction account of a child who was brutally assaulted by other children during the civil war in Sierra Leone, a child who was raped by the man who professed an interest in marrying her, and yet it is more a story of a child who went through terrible circumstances and survived them, becoming stronger each and every day.

I congratulate Mariatu for having the bravery to tell her story; to not only face her past, but face her future as well.

Read it. And then do something about what you have read.

The fact that I read this novel in a day should give you an indication as to my appreciation for it. This book demands that it be consumed in one sitting. It tears you down and you have to keep with it if you want to be built back up. The Bite of the Mango is the story of Mariatu Kamara, who was caught by armed child rebels on her way back home to get some supplies from a small town in Sierra Leone. In gruesome detail, she tells us of her experience of losing her hands--the price she paid to live. Mariatu is an inspiring human being and a very honest narrator. It amazes me still that no matter how many novels I read about civil war in African countries, I am constantly captivated by the beauty and resilience of its residents. Mariatu has an infectious spirit that has allowed her to overcome tremendous odds and hardships. Reading her story is humbling, and I implore you to pick up her book. Read more reviews on my blog: bookstress.blogspot.com

It will be hard pressed to find another more deserving Snow 2010 Willow nominee than this novel. This was a hard emotional read but an important read. The hardships endured beyond the loss of her hands, but begging to survive, overcoming genital mutilation, rape and the subsequent birth and loss of her child is almost too much to overcome yet overcome Kamara does. The fact that she can forgive all those who harmed her is a testament for the world to witness what forgiveness and courage is all about.

Reading Journal
Before you started reading this book/story, what hints did the title give you as to what this book was going to be about ?
I thought that this book was going to be about how somebody was going to be hungry or someone would solve world hunger, or something like that but I was very surprised when I noticed that the book had nothing to do with hunger that it was about how things could change in the bite of a mango.

What kind of message does the author want the reader to get from his book/story ?
I think that the author wants people to know that thing like this really happen in Africa and other places in the world.

What do you admire or dislike about this person? Explain your position.
I admire that the young girl Mariatu is so strong in this book and she does not give up hope that someone will come and help her and that she will find her family.