I really did enjoy Helene Cooper's A House at Sugar Beach. I only wish she'd seen the similarities between life in her country and the challenges she found in Tunica, Mississippi when she reported for the Wall Street Journal. Human nature is the same all over the world. We wish we were not as bad as "others" but it's hard to escape or explain how mankind has tendencies to strive to be on the top, to stay there, and to forget those we've passed as we have focused on our own good life. Experience echoes the message of the Bible that says we are at our core selfish, thinking of ourselves over the needs of others. This story took place in Liberia, but it could have been Rwanda, Germany or Mississippi! We act surprised when revolt comes and more surprised that the ones who revolt end up committing the same injustices for which they revolted. So sad!
I am glad I read Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's book first. It gave me background that made this book more enjoyable.
Now what gripped me was finding out how young the little boys often were when stolen to become child soldiers. I wonder how much of this story my students will relate to. How similar are their personal stories with Helene Cooper's?
Last pondering today------should we care that because we have so many troubles and challenges in "our" world that so many of us seldom ponder such stories like this one?
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