Tears of the Desert
Published on 10. July 2008
Book
Paperback/Softback
384 pages
978-0-340-96360-9 (ISBN)
Description
The first memoir from a woman born and raised in South Darfur is an incredibly powerful account of the horrors of the genocide. Born into Zaghawa tribe in the remote western deserts of the Sudan, Halima Bashir had a wonderfully rich childhood in a close-knit family where she flourished. She went to university and to study medicine and returned to her people as their first practicing doctor. But this happy environment was shattered when Janjaweed Arab militias began savagely attacking her tribe, gang raping schoolgirls and innocent women. Unable to stand by and do nothing, Halima spoke out to a Sudanese newspaper and to the UN. But then her own nightmare began. She was captured, tortured and raped. Although she finally escaped, the army followed her and she knew that she would have to leave for good. She set out on an epic journey to escape the hell of Darfur. This inspiring story tells of one woman's determination to survive and her passion to defend her people. Personal and profound, her story presents a stark reality so often deadened by the anonymity of news reports.
Reviews / Votes
'This is a brave book. And a valuable one. Halima's story of the atrocities and immeasurable losses she has endured must be told. [She] leaves us with hope and awe in the face of her courage' -- Mia FarrowMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Hodder & Stoughton
Dimensions
Height: 233 mm
Width: 185 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
500 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-340-96360-9 (9780340963609)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Halima Bashir grew up in the remote deserts of Darfur, Sudan, in a loving family that was part of the black African Zaghawa tribe. She was sent to junior and secondary school in one of the large towns of the region, a rare privilege for a girl from the village. She proved herself to be academically gifted and went on to be the first person from her sub-tribe, the Coube clan, to ever study medicine at university. She qualified as a medical doctor in the same year that war broke out in Darfur, whereupon her life sprialled into an unimaginably dark nightmare, In 2005 she fled her homeland and sought asylum in the UK.