Synopsis In the fictional African city of Bonang, many people are afflicted with AIDS, and as Chanda discovers, her family is no different. Despite being so widespread, the disease is considered a disgrace, something to hide at all costs. After the horrible death of her baby sister, Chanda's family begins to fall to pieces, and at 16, she must take on the pressing burden of adulthood far sooner then she feels ready for. Afraid, but undaunted, Chanda risks ostracism and cruelty as she does everything she can to care for what's left of the ones she loves. A 2005 Printz Honor Book.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 2004-03-01 |
| Size | | Length: | 176 pages | | Height: | 7.3 in | | Width: | 5.3 in | | Thickness: | 0.5 in | | Weight: | 6.4 oz |
Publisher's Note When her baby sister dies, Chanda begins to fear that her parents' illness may be something more than they are willing to say, in a novel about a young girl struggling with the AIDs epidemic in her native African homeland, the shame of molestation, and the pain of living in poverty. Simultaneous.
Industry Reviews "[A] searing book on an important subject...[T]here is not a maudlin moment in the novel, just genuine grief and understanding as the epidemic assumes some of its many human faces." Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (10/01/2004)
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