Auma is racing toward her dreams as fast as possible--but can she turn
her back on her family when tragedy hits home? This acclaimed debut set
in 1980s Kenya is a poignant story of loss, grief, and the power of
resilience.
A track scholarship could put thirteen-year-old Auma one step closer to
leaving her small village in Kenya. She is determined to become a
doctor, and nothing--not her classmates, not her marrying age, and not
the night runners who come by the house while she sleeps--will stop her.
But then a strange new sickness called AIDS starts ravaging the town,
eventually spreading to her own father. How can she think of leaving
when her mother and siblings need her? Determined Auma finds herself in
a different kind of race: to find out if there's a cure and protect her
family, all while keeping a hold on her dreams.
Based on the author's childhood in Kenya, Auma's story humanizes the
AIDS epidemic and reveals hope amidst a devastating health crisis.
Paperback edition includes a reading guide at the back!