A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story

By Linda Sue Park

Cherished by millions of readers, this #1 New York Times bestselling novel is a powerful tale of perseverance and hope. Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park interweaves the stories of two Sudanese children who overcome mortal dangers to improve their lives and the lives of others.

A Long Walk to Water begins as two stories, told in alternating sections, about two eleven-year-olds in Sudan, a girl in 2008 and a boy in 1985. The girl, Nya, is fetching water from a pond that is two hours’ walk from her home: she makes two trips to the pond every day. The boy, Salva, becomes one of the “lost boys” of Sudan, refugees who cover the African continent on foot as they search for their families and for a safe place to stay.

Enduring every hardship from loneliness to attack by armed rebels to contact with killer lions and crocodiles, Salva is a survivor, and his story goes on to intersect with Nya’s in an astonishing and moving way. Includes an afterword by author Linda Sue Park and the real-life Salva Dut, on whom the novel is based, and who went on to found Water for South Sudan.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Nov 15, 2010
• ISBN: 9780547532844

Linda Sue Park

Linda Sue Park, Newbery Medal winner for A Single Shard and #1 New York Times bestseller for A Long Walk to Water, is the renowned author of many books for young readers, including picture books, poetry, and historical and contemporary fiction. Born in Illinois, Ms. Park has also lived in California, England, and Ireland. She now lives in Western New York. Learn more at lindasuepark.com.

Book preview

A map of Sudan, showing geographic features such as mountains, hills, swampland, plains, deserts, and rivers. Salva's route is shown from the plains of southern Sudan across the Nile River through the Akobo desert to the east into Ethiopia and then south to Kakuma in northern Kenya.'

Map of Sudan, 1985

Copyright © 2010 by Linda Sue Park

Originally published in hardcover in the United States by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2010.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information address HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.

clarionbooks.com

Map illustration by Kayley LaFaiver.

THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS HAS CATALOGED THE PRINT EDITION AS FOLLOWS:

Park, Linda Sue.

A long walk to water : based on a true story / by Linda Sue Park.

p. cm.

Summary: When the Sudanese civil war reaches his village in 1985, eleven-year-old Salva becomes separated from his family and must walk with other Dinka tribe members through southern Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya in search of safe haven. Based on the life of Salva Dut, who, after emigrating to America in 1996, began a project to dig water wells in Sudan.

1. Dut, Salva, 1974?—Juvenile fiction. [1. Dut, Salva, 1974?—Fiction. 2. Refugees—Fiction. 3. Survival—Fiction. 4. Water—Fiction. 5. Blacks—Sudan—Fiction. 6. Sudan—History—Civil War, 1983-2005—Fiction.] I. Title.

PZ7.P22115Lo 2009

[Fic]—dc22

2009048857

ISBN 978-0-547-25127-1 hardcover

ISBN 978-0-547-57731-9 paperback

eISBN 978-0-547-53284-4

v8.0821

To Ben, again

Chapter One

Southern Sudan, 2008

Going was easy.

Going, the big plastic container held only air. Tall for her eleven years, Nya could switch the handle from one hand to the other, swing the container by her side, or cradle it in both arms. She could even drag it behind her, bumping it against the ground and raising a tiny cloud of dust with each step.

There was little weight, going. There was only heat, the sun already baking the air, even though it was long before noon. It would take her half the morning if she didn’t stop on the way.

Heat. Time. And thorns.

Southern Sudan, 1985

Salva sat cross-legged on the bench. He kept his head turned toward the front, hands folded, back perfectly straight. Everything about him was paying attention to the teacher—everything except his eyes and his mind.

His eyes kept flicking toward the window, through which he could see the road. The road home. Just a little while longer—a few minutes more—and he would be walking on that road.

The teacher droned on with the lesson, about the Arabic language. Salva spoke the language of his Dinka tribe at home. But in school he learned Arabic, the official language of the Sudanese government far away to the north. Eleven years old on his last birthday, Salva was a good student. He already knew the lesson, which was why he was letting his mind wander down the road ahead of his body.

Salva was well aware of how lucky he was to be able to go to school. He could not attend the entire year, because during the dry season his family moved away from their village. But during the rainy season, he could walk to the school, which was only half an hour from his home.

Salva’s father was a successful man. He owned many head of cattle and worked as their village’s judge—an honored, respected position. Salva had three brothers and two sisters. As each boy reached the age of about ten years, he was sent off to school. Salva’s older brothers, Ariik and Ring, had gone to school before him; last year, it had been Salva’s turn. His two sisters, Akit and Agnath, did not go to school. Like the other girls in the village, they stayed home and learned from their mother how to keep house.

Most of the time, Salva was glad to be able to go to school. But some days he wished he were still back at home herding cattle.

He and his brothers, along with the sons of his father’s other wives, would walk with the herds to the water holes, where there was good grazing. Their responsibilities depended on how old they were. Salva’s younger brother, Kuol, was taking care of just one cow; like his brothers before him, he would be in charge of more cows every year. Before Salva had begun going to school, he had helped look after the entire herd, and his younger brother as well.

The boys had to keep an eye on the cows, but the cows did not really need much care. That left plenty of time to play.

Salva and the other boys made cows out of clay. The more cows you made, the richer you were. But they had to be fine, healthy animals. It took time to make a lump of clay look like a good cow. The boys would challenge each other to see who could make the most and best cows.

Other times they would practice with their bows and arrows, shooting at small animals or birds. They weren’t very good at this yet, but once in a while they got lucky.

Those were the best days. When one of them managed to kill a ground squirrel or a rabbit, a guinea hen or a grouse, the boys’ aimless play halted and there was suddenly a lot of work to do.

Some of them gathered wood to build a fire. Others helped clean and dress the animal. Then they roasted it on the fire.

None of this took place quietly. Salva had his own opinion of how the fire should be built and how long the meat needed to cook, and so did each of the others.

The fire needs to be bigger.

It won’t last long enough—we need more wood.

No, it’s big enough already.

Quick, turn it over before it’s ruined!

The juices dripped and sizzled. A delicious smell filled the air.

Finally, they couldn’t wait one second longer. There was only enough for each boy to have a few bites, but, oh, how delicious those bites were!

---

Salva swallowed and turned his eyes back toward the teacher. He wished he hadn’t recalled those times, because the memories made him hungry. . . . Milk. When he got home, he would have a bowl of fresh milk, which would keep his belly full until suppertime.

He knew just how it would be. His mother would rise from her work grinding meal and walk around to the side of the house that faced the road. She would shade her eyes with one hand, searching for him. From far off he would see her bright orange headscarf, and he would raise his arm in greeting. By the time he reached the house, she would have gone inside to get his bowl of milk ready for him.

CRACK!

The noise had

Reviews for A Long Walk to Water

[sgrame_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A story of 2 children in Sudan- a boy named Salvo in the 1980's and a girl named Nya in 2008 and both have a long walk to water. Salvo's story starts when he is in school and his village is attacked. He's told to run for his life and not go back to his village or he may be captured and forced into the fight. This is his story as part of the Lost Boys roaming hundreds of miles before finding safety in a refugee camp. Nya has a 2 hour trek each day to a pond for water that she has to complete twice each day. However, their stories end on hopeful notes, proving perseverance can pay off. A harsh but true story. Grades 5-8

[henrog-315853 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the true story of Salva Dut. The civil war in Sudan reached Salva's village in 1985 when he was 11 years old. He was forced to flee and became separated from his family. All alone, he must walk with other refugees through southern Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya to finally end up many years later in the U.S. The story details his walk through the desert and many dangers and disappointments that happened during his journey. He is one of the Lost Boys of the Sudan. At the same time, the book highlights the life of 11 year old Nya in 2008. How these two lives come together is awesome. I was amazed to learn the way people live and the difficulties they must endure in my lifetime. Exellent book.

[marshapetry · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Darn, my review got deleted! Anyway, I'll try to remember... : good stories from Africa... If you like human interest stories this should be enjoyable. Not really my thing but, even so, I enjoyed this book. Excellent narrator.

[edutechteacher · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An amazing and powerful story. My tissue box is nearby.

[addunn3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A boy describes his experience walking through central Africa in search of safety.

[djlunchlady91404 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Many times when you have 2 stories going back and forth through a book it is quite difficult to tell the difference between the two but in this book that is not the case Nya and Salva's stories are fit together perfectly. The story primarily takes place in Sudan from the mid 80's to the early 00's following the life of Salva, A lost boy from Sudan. A long walk to water is a story of strength,hope and perseverance. I truly enjoyed it and could see myself recommending this book to others.

[kimkimpton · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a great book for middle school- maybe even older elementary students if they are mature. There is no objectionable language and the violence is not at all graphic. Yet, it is a heartwarming true story that comes together nicely in the end. Warning...you will want to donate money to Water for South Sudan when you are done reading this.

[mcorbink · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing story of a young boy, one of the "Lost Boys" during the time of the Sudanese 2nd Civil War. It is the children's version of a book I read about the same topic. Awe inspiring, paralleled by the second story running through the book of the water problem in the Sudan and how young children had to walk miles a day to fetch a container of water, in this case, twice a day. I read this book in a morning.

[mckaori · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A compelling story line that opens your eyes to immensity of the challenges faced by those who become refugees and should motivate us to change things. How do you change things, the story line covers that too.

[lissabeth21 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What an incredibly important book!!! Read it! Read it now! It's less than 120 pages... you can read it in a day, but it may change your life forever!

[acargile-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This novel is the 2017-2018 Global Read Aloud and it’s the Pentathlon novel for this year.The story alternates between 2008 and the 1980s - 2000s. Salva is at school in 1985 when the war in Sudan reaches his town. The teacher instructs the students to run to the bush; if they try to return to their homes, they will not survive the war. Salva runs. After a few days he does find an uncle; otherwise, he is alone for decades. This is the story of the children of Sudan who lost their families and spent years in camps as they struggled to know what happened to their families and to stay alive. The other story takes place in 2008. This story takes place in Sudan, showing what has happened in this country since Salva’s experience. Nya spends all day walking to water and bringing water back home. She literally just walks back and forth to get muddy water. This water is what they drink because there are no other sources. Because the water is tainted, it’s not unusual for people to get sick and die because medicine and medical help is not readily available.This novel is an important novel because it’s a true depiction of a real person and a real country. To know what goes on around the world makes each of us more aware of our own lucky lives. It’s a short book and well worth your time.

[benuathanasia · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fascinating and heartbreaking. This should be considered a must-read.

[sabrar-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In this novel there are two stories happening at the same time. The first story takes place in southern Sudan in 2008-2009 and is about an eleven years old girl named Nya who takes a long to water to get water for her family. The main story takes place from 1985-2007 and is about a boy named Salva Dut. One day when Salva was at school a war brock lose and there was shooting that was happening in the village. Salva teachers told all the students to run to the bush and don't look back. Salve did as he was told but also wanted to find his family. He got pushed with a big group of a people and just kept running. That night the groups stays the nigh in an old barn but when he wakes up everyone is gone. They had left without Salva because he was a child and they didn't want him to slow them down. Salva meets a older women that he calls Auntie but soon another group arrives and she make arrangements for him to travel with that group. Along the way more people join the groups and after being with the group for a couple of weeks Salva realized his uncle Jewiir was there. Salva was so delighted to see a familiar face and his uncle made him feel safe because he was in the army. His uncle is now the group leader and is trying to get everyone to Ethiopia where there is a refugee camp. They had to cross the Nile river which took days and they had to make their own boats. The hardest part of the journey was walking across the Akobo desert. Salva had a very hard time staying positive but his uncle gave him gaols such as walking to a bush or a rock, that way the journey didn't seem as long. The group finally stopped and rested but they were attacked and uncle was killed. Salve didn't know what to do but for some reason he felt stronger. The group didn't really help Salva at all, they would make him bag for food. Eventually they made it to the refugee camp where Salva stayed for 6 years. One day soldiers invaded the camp and started pushing everyone into the Gilo river where they were forced to swim across. That river was known for the crocodiles and many people were either eaten by them or they drowned. Salva made it across Salva finds himself the leaders of over a thousand boys and he leads them to another refugee camp in Kenya. He spends the next five years in that camp but then hears that some people are getting picked to go to America. Salva gets picks and get a new family that lives in Rochester New York. Salva eventually starts college and studies business but one day he gets an email saying his father is in the hospital. He eventually goes back to see his father that he hasn't seen in thirteen years. After seeing his father it makes him what to do something about the stuff that is happening on Sudan. Salva works on his idea for helping them for years but he finally accomplishes it. He even gets to got to the town where he put a well in and that is where he met Nya.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

At first I didn't really like the two different stories going on, but as the book neared the end, I really appreciated how the two stories come together and I loved the message from Salva at the end.

[erika.d · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a great story. It was emotional, sad, shocking, uplifting, inspiring and well written. It tells the story of one of Sudan's Lost Boys. We follow his story from age 11 to present day. There is another character as well that ties in nicely with the boy, Salva's story. The ending was a warming surprise. I am so glad I read this book. Couldn't put it down so I read it in one day. I highly recommend this title.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book was okay, but not a riveting read. While Nya's story only covered a couple of years, Salva's spanned over twenty and, being such a short novel, his story felt rushed and shallow. I liked how the two characters' paths intersected at the end, but for me the book lacked emotional depth and the story fell flat. Overall, disappointing.

[yourotherleft_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Park tells, side by side, the stories of two young characters, Salva, a young boy in 1980s Southern Sudan, forced to run for his life when the war against the northern government comes to his village, and Nya, a young girl in nearly present day Sudan whose life is defined by her endless walks to and from a distant pond to supply her family with precious and hard to come by water. When gunshots ring out near Salva's school, his teacher rushes the kids out the door insisting that they must not return to their villages and potential slaughter but flee into the bush alone. What follows is Salva's perilous journey among strangers across dangerous terrain to the safety of an Ethiopian refugee camp. Nya's village struggles to find fresh water that won't sicken people, but it's becoming more and more difficult, until strangers arrive in her village with an unexpected gift.A Long Walk to Water is a short book, but a weighty one based on the true story of Salva Dut's terrifying childhood in his war-torn native country. It digs into the harsh realities of war in Sudan caused by both rebellion against the northern government that wants to force its Islamic beliefs on the whole nation and the dangerous animosity between the rival tribes of the south. Salva's story is both heartbreaking and often hopeless, but his refusal to give up and his coming of age under impossible circumstances are ultimately inspirational. Nya's story seems almost out of place, at first, highlighting the practical implications of living in an area where struggling to survive is forced to be the top priority, but the dual stories come together to offer a touching and pitch perfect ending.

[kamgeb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I very fast read. A very basic book about the Lost Boys and the story behind them. None of the characters were developed very well. But it was interesting plot.

[lucybrown_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

My teammate is using this book in her social studies class this year. Since I am the Language Arts teacher for the team, she asked me to read it so that I might give her some tips on how to approach it. And so I have done.

Park's novel presents one young man's moving odyssey from war torn Sudan to the USA, and then back again. As one of the Lost Boys, Salva made the harrowing journey through southern Sudan to Ethiopia then later to Kenya. His story is told along side of a ficitional one about a young girl named Nya. Nya is a member of a tribe that is frequently at war with the Dinka, Salva's group over water rights. Nya spends most of her day walking to a pond for water. Their seemingly parallel stories address the tragedies of war, drought, and disease in Sudan in a manner that is accessible to younger readers.

[auj_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Short book, once I started reading it I did not put it down until finished. Amazing true story! Makes me thankful for the many blessings I have that I take for granted.

[engpunk77 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Required reading for all 7th graders starting next year, according to the Common Core Curriculum, and I'm thrilled that this was the choice. Not a phenomenal book, not rich in language and imagery, but the story is amazing and true. I love the author's chosen format, which you'll appreciate by the time you finish the novel. What I take from this reading experience is a frightful image that gives me an understanding of one risk of life on the Nile, a harrowing image of a real historical incident in Ethiopia that astounded me (something I can't believe happened and that I had not already known of it), the ability to identify Sudan, Kenya, and Ethiopia on the map, a feeling of helplessness about the refugee camp situation, and a hope that all painful experiences can lead to some "good."

[lilibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

During the war in Sudan in the 1980's an 11-year-old boy is separated from his family and joins a group of refugees walking across the desert to Ethiopia. Intertwined with his story is that of a young girl in a South Sudan village in 2008. Based on a true story.

[amrahmn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed the 2 interwoven stories of Nya, a Nuer girl and her daily 8 hour quest for water and that of the "lost boy", Salva as his story of fleeing his Dinka village in South Sudan. Salva's story is more detailed and thus, more compelling. I felt the fear and loss as Salva traveled east to the first refugee camp and then a few years later as he traveled to the second before finally coming to the US. I really enjoyed the linking of the two stories and the fact that Nya and Salva were from different tribes. I would use this book for study of "Lost Boys", refugees, and the importance of clean water everywhere in the world.

[tpollack-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book is not really a good crossover to the adult fiction world. It's written in fairly basic language. That's not to discount the serious themes; the book is simply, well, simple.

[nataliesw · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very moving.

[kateh.g1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a story of two children living in southern Sudan. One story includes Nya who provides water for her family. Even though the water she gets from the lake isn’t clean, but Nya and her family has no choice but to drink the water. Her town advances overtime and builds a school and well. Salva, who is the main character of the other story, travel from Sudan going through Ethiopia, ending in Kenya. He walks this distance all by foot. From Kenya he is chosen to fly to America. He moves to New York and discovers that a lot of his family survived the bombing in his village. When Salva grows up his and Nya’s pathes cross when he serves her water at the well that was just finished. I like the fact that the story is told so the story is appropriate for children to read. I did not find the book amazing, but I would say the author wrote the book well. I this is a great story of two people and this story has helped me look at the world differently. I admire Salva's courage. Salva and Nya are strong and brave people. Their stories have inspired me. My favorite part of the book was when Nya and Salva's paths crossed.

[jilldavis-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Engaging ture story paralleled with a fictin narrative that tells the details of a young boy to young man's heartbreaking journey and ultimate survial; uplifting with possitive messages that are not politically tinged; gives young readers a starting point for participating in a global cause

[mtome_48 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Inspiring story! Loved the way we feel we are there with Salva every step of the journey.

[adrian.gaytan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a story based on true story. The book is written with two stories occurring relatively around the same time and same are of the world. Salva is young boy that flees war stricken Sudan loosing contact with his family and village. He has to fend for himself as a young boy and with some luck and determinism finds his way back to uncle and refugee camp. Never loosing hope to be with family he develops relationship humanitarian aid worker and invited to go to America. And he is eager to find family or help his war torn country.The other story within the book is about Nya of Nue village describes how she takes part traveling distances to fetch water for her family and village. She recounts of how strangers came to her village to do construction with great metal "animals", and digging holes that would help get them water. Nya is not impressed or believes this will be done. She is having doubts about her role as the daughter of the village leader. Without giving away the end these two stories intertwine with a good surprise at end.Some topics to discuss: immigration, boy soldiers, role of women, education, language acquisition, humanitarian aide, involvement, GANGS

[lindsay_w_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Based on the real-life experience of one of Sudan’s Lost Boys, Park tells the harrowing story of Salva Dut who, in 1985 at only 11 years old, escaped soldiers in Sudan, and spent ten years in refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya. Dut credits his sense of hope and perseverance for keeping him alive all those years and for giving him the courage to carry on until he was sent to a family in America. Dut returned to Sudan in the mid 2000s, to give back to his homeland in the form of “Water for South Sudan” a non-profit organization that provides wells for Sudanese villages. One of these villages is the setting for the second narrative in this novel in which a young girl’s life is changed by the well provided by Dut’s organization.