When I read the introduction, which gave a detailed account of what happened the night his village was attacked by Arab soldiers called 'Djellabas', I felt like crying. Perhaps it is because I normally fiction that ends 'happy', but to know that events like that take place and are real is sometimes very difficult to understand. John's journey from Sudan to America is inspiring. And his comparisons of the Sudanese lifestyle and American lifestyle is very thought provoking. I liked what he said about America and it's 'tribes'.
"America as many tribes. Irish, German, Mexican, Greek, Chinese, Italian, and on and on through scores of other ethnicities, religions, and languages. Jews and Christians and Muslims. Great-grandchildren of slaves and great-grandchildren of slaveholders. Those who crossed the ocean in first-class cabins on luxury liners and those who traveled in steerage. Red-state citizens and blue-state citizens. Unlike the Dinka [John's tribe from Sudan], whom God placed along the Nile long, long ago, Americans live in a young and restless country. Everyone is an immigrant in this nation of immigrants; even the so-called 'Native' Americans once traveled to this continent from Asia. As an outside to the U.S., who knew next to nothing about America before arriving on these shores in 2001, I have observed many things that others have stared at but failed to see. Too many Americans have put on blinders. They see only what they choose to, not taking the time or effort to try and understand the big picture. I believe a macroscopic view of America must take account of all things that make this country great, as well as the things that stand in the way of its achieving even more greatness." (God Grew Tired of Us, chapter 6)
John is very proud of America, he continually blesses it and will do anything to help America, just as he would do anything to help his homeland. I love what he had to say about America's great strength too.
Without even pausing to think, I can tell you America's greatest strength is its enormous spirit, manifest in its generosity. Americans deserve huge credit for giving to those in need. They open their checkbooks and make donations to people in Africa, in Asia, in Latin America, and in devastated New Orleans, and they seldom know personally who benefits from their altruism. Nowhere else in the world do people give so much, so freely, with no expectations in return...You tell an American you need assistance, and chances are you will find in his or her response the spirit that made this country grow and prosper. (God Grew Tired of Us, chapter 6)
After reading this book, I feel good. I feel inspired. I feel like my opportunities here in America as an American citizen are endless, and I am so proud of this country God has blessed us with. I also have a great respect for the Dinka culture, and want to learn more about them. I think it would be a good thing to incorporate some key Dinka teachings into my everyday life. This is a book that makes you think, and is well worth it.
I love the story that John Bul Dau shared with us, and I hope you will take the opportunity to read his story too.
One of the goals for this blog is to provide information for parents and readers alike to find 'clean' reads suitable for their children or themselves. In all my reviews I will mention general themes from the book, language, sexual/romantic interaction, and violence.
Themes:
Survival, Hope, perseverance, war and its aftereffects.
Language:
None.
Sexual/Romantic Interaction
The Dinka practice polygamy, John marries a woman, but it's all done in a modest and 'courtship' like manner.
Violence
War time violence. Shooting, starvation, burying dead friends who get eaten during the night, and so on.
I would give God Grew Tired of Us a rating of light to mild PG-13
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = horrible, 2 = OK, 3 = I liked it, 4 = I really liked it, 5 = I loved it), I would give God Grew Tired of Us a 4.5
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