A 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.
Soldier Boy begins 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.
The 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.
Working 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.
Praise for Solider Boy:
"Unapologetically searing and catastrophically truthful, a reminder
to readers that it demands much to meet harsh realities with impossible
courage." --Kirkus Reviews
"In this brutal debut novel inspired by real-life events, Hutton
addresses the horrors of the Ugandan civil war through two child
soldiers. Hutton approaches the setting, conflict, and characters with
unremitting honesty, 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." --Publishers Weekly,
starred review
"A visceral indictment of man's inhumanity to man, while also
celebrating human beings' ability to empathize and to rescue those
who desperately need saving." --Booklist, starred review
"A compelling tale . . . with a message of hope . . . A
must-purchase for teen collections." --School Library Journal,
starred review
"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
must-have for every library with a teen collection." --VOYA
"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 . . .
Unapologetically searing and catastrophically truthful." --Kirkus
Reviews
"Over the years I have read many novels and memoirs about children and
warfare in modern Africa, but Soldier Boy stands out as one of the
very best. Based on actual historical events, this compelling novel
is a story of great violence and pain, but it is also one of
tremendous strength, courage, and resilience. I will definitely be
assigning it to my students for many years to come." --Alicia Catharine
Decker, Associate Professor, Pennsylvania State University, author of
In Idi Amin's Shadow: Women, Gender, and Militarism in Uganda
