A harrowing journey of courage and forgiveness.
A Forest, a Flood, and an Unlikely Star is the third book in J.A. Myhre’s The Rwendigo Tales. This tales follows the story of Kusiima who is on a journey through the African rain forest. This amazing story is one of Kusiima, his sister, an orphaned gorilla and gives a message to give up bitterness and forgive.
One of the things that I so love about The Rwendigo Tales is that they were first written by Myhre as Christmas gifts for her children. Stories that are written as gifts always fascinate me.
My favorite thing about A Forest, a Flood, and an Unlikely Star is that it so richly shows life in another culture, and because of the storytelling format it’s easy for kids to listen and understand that people in different parts of the world live differently from them. I love the conversations that it brings up. Also, the strong message of forgiveness that this tale shares is priceless.
The only thing I wish is that there was a pronunciation guide! There is a glossary in the back of the book which is helpful, however, much of my time was spent googling the pronunciation of words!
More about A Forest, a Flood, and an Unlikely Star (from Litfuse):
Follow along with thirteen-year-old Kusiima in the third book of J.A. Myhre’s The Rwendigo Tales.
Just thirteen years old, Kusiima has no time for school, sports, or hanging out with the other boys in his African village. With no father or mother to take care of him, he works long hours to support his grandmother and sickly baby sister. Then one day, Kusiima’s life suddenly changes when he travels into a nearby protected forest. In the forest, Kusiima is presented with many choices, all with uncertain outcomes. Should he go along with illegal logging? Help to save an endangered baby gorilla? Follow a donkey to who knows where?
With each choice, Kusiima has to make yet another decision about what is right in front of him. As he does, he meets a mysterious doctor who holds the key to his past and his future. In the end, Kusiima is faced with the hardest choice of all. Can he forgive a great wrong and heal a broken relationship?
Readers of all ages won’t want to put down this exciting book that addresses current realities like AIDS, malnutrition, and environmental destruction, all set in a richly detailed African adventure story. Following along as Kusiima makes his decisions, readers will find themselves considering their own choices and growing in empathy for others. This action-packed tale of a boy, his sister, and an orphaned gorilla is also a clear call to give up bitterness and forgive deep hurts, restoring broken lives and relationships.
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More about J.A. Myhre:
J. A. Myhre serves as a doctor with Serge in East Africa where she has worked for over two decades. She is passionate about health care for the poor, training local doctors and nurses, promoting childhood nutrition and development, and being the hands of Jesus in the hardest places. She is married to her best friend and colleague Scott, and together they have raised four children for whom many of her stories were written as Christmas presents.
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