{"product_id":"9781250158444","title":"Soldier Boy","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA searing, shocking book—part non-fiction, part novel—based on the true story of a child soldier in Uganda who survived war and enslavement and went on to create a haven for others who suffered a similar fate.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSoldier Boy \u003c\/i\u003ebegins with the story of Ricky Richard Anywar, abducted at age fourteen in 1989 to fight with Joseph Kony's rebel army in Uganda’s decades-long civil war. Ricky is trained, armed, and forced to fight government soldiers alongside his brutal kidnappers, but never stops dreaming of escape. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe story continues twenty years later, with a fictionalized character named Samuel, representative of the thousands of child soldiers Ricky eventually helped rehabilitate as founder of the internationally acclaimed charity Friends of Orphans. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWorking closely with Ricky himself, debut author Keely Hutton has written an eye-opening book about a boy’s unbreakable spirit and indomitable courage. Beginning in Africa amidst the horrors of civil war, his is a story that is as uplifting as it is heartwrenching. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eSolider Boy\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003cb\u003eUnapologetically searing and catastrophically truthful\u003c\/b\u003e, a reminder to readers that it demands much to meet harsh realities with impossible courage.” —\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“In this \u003cb\u003ebrutal debut novel inspired by real-life events\u003c\/b\u003e, Hutton addresses the horrors of the Ugandan civil war through two child soldiers. Hutton approaches the setting, conflict, and characters with \u003cb\u003eunremitting honesty\u003c\/b\u003e, drawing from Anywar’s own life (he contributes an afterword) while using the fictional Samuel as a stand-in for the current generation of unwilling soldiers. This isn’t an easy or pleasant read—Hutton doesn’t shy from discussions of rape, torture, and abuse—but it’s eye-opening and relevant.” —\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly, \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003estarred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A visceral indictment of man’s inhumanity to man, while also \u003cb\u003ecelebrating human beings’ ability to empathize\u003c\/b\u003e and to rescue those who desperately need saving.” —\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003cb\u003estarred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003cb\u003eA compelling tale\u003c\/b\u003e . . . with a message of hope . . . A \u003cb\u003emust-purchase\u003c\/b\u003e for teen collections.” —\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003cb\u003estarred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Hutton’s debut novel seamlessly blends the biographical account of Anywar’s experiences with the fictional story of Samuel . . . Anywar will inspire a multitude of readers with his phenomenal ability to make peace with his past and his desire to help others like him . . . A \u003cb\u003emust-have\u003c\/b\u003e for every library with a teen collection.” —\u003ci\u003eVOYA\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A story that stands up for the unrelenting power of the human spirit to reject evil, the nigh-impossible odds that must be conquered to escape enslavement, and the deep scars that remain for a lifetime . . . \u003cb\u003eUnapologetically searing and catastrophically truthful\u003c\/b\u003e.” —\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Over the years I have read many novels and memoirs about children and warfare in modern Africa, but \u003ci\u003eSoldier Boy\u003c\/i\u003e stands out as one of the very best. Based on actual historical events, this \u003cb\u003ecompelling novel\u003c\/b\u003e is a story of great violence and pain, but it is also one of\u003cb\u003e tremendous strength, courage, and resilience\u003c\/b\u003e. I will definitely be assigning it to my students for many years to come.” —Alicia Catharine Decker, Associate Professor, Pennsylvania State University, author of \u003ci\u003eIn Idi Amin’s Shadow: Women, Gender, and Militarism in Uganda\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Square Fish","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47025940594928,"sku":"9781250158444","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781250158444_p0.jpg?v=1763702814","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781250158444","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}