''A Long Walk to Water'' is a short novel written by

Linda Sue Park Linda Sue Park (born March 25, 1960) is a Korean-American author who published her first novel, ''Seesaw Girl'', in 1999. She has written six children's novels and five picture books. Park's work achieved prominence when she received the presti ...

and published in 2010. It blends the true story of Salva Dut whose story is based in 1985, a part of the Dinka tribe and a Sudanese Lost Boy, and the fictional story of Nya whose story is based in 2008, a young village girl that was a part of the

Nuer Nuer may refer to: * Nuer people * Nuer language The Nuer language (Thok Naath) ("people's language") is a Nilotic language of the Western Nilotic group. It is spoken by the Nuer people of South Sudan and in western Ethiopia (region of Gamb ...

tribe. Park used this book as a platform to support Dut's organization,

Water for South Sudan Water for South Sudan (formerly known as Water for Sudan) is a not-for-profit US 501(c)(3) corporation founded in 2003 whose mission, according to their website, is to "deliver sustainable quality-of-life services to the people of South Sudan by e ...

Characters

Salva Dut

Salva Dut was separated from his family during a civil war in what is now South Sudan. He has to walk for weeks with only the hope that one day he will find his family again. Salva also struggles to find food and water to survive along with avoiding rebels, lions and other threats. Salva leads one thousand five hundred fellow lost boys to a refugee camp near the Gilo River. On his way, many people die including his uncle and some of his friends. Seven years later, he arrives in America. He lives with a family in Rochester, New York. Years later, he finds his father who tells him that most of his family survived. Hearing that, Salva starts a volunteer group to build wells in South Sudan called "Water for South Sudan". He helps others in need of clean water in South Sudan.

Nya

Nya is an 11-year-old girl who walks eight hours to fetch water from the pond. She and her family live in South Sudan in 2008. Her family home is far from the nearest pond, where she walks twice a day to support her parents and younger sister, Akeer. She also has a little brother that her mom takes care of at home. Throughout the story, her sister, Akeer, gets sick and told that the water was contaminated. Later in 2009, a well is built in her village so she will not have to walk so far and drink unsafe water. A school is built along with the well and Nya is overjoyed by this. She then introduces herself to Salva Dut at the end of the book, because she was confused by the fact that Salva, a Dinka would help her Nuer village.

Water for South Sudan

is a non-profit organization created by Salva Dut which drills wells for villages in

South Sudan South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the ...

Reception

''A Long Walk to Water'' has received generally positive reviews from critics. On Common Sense Media, Kate Pavao rated the book five stars. Pavao praised the book for Salva's courage and perseverance through his struggles. Reviewing the book for ''

The Newcastle Herald The ''Newcastle Herald'' (formerly branded as ''The Herald'') is a local tabloid newspaper published daily, Monday to Saturday, in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. It is the only local newspaper that serves the greater Hunter Region and ...

,'' Stacey Dombkins praised Park's execution of the dual narrative, stating that the book's "unsurprising but very satisfying ending" successfully shows how Salva's hope and determination brought positive changes to those residing in Sudan.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Long Walk to Water, A 2010 American novels 2010 children's books American children's novels Novels by Linda Sue Park South Sudanese culture Novels set in Sudan Lost Boys of Sudan Clarion Books books