Beneath the Tamarind Tree

May 15, 2019
A longtime CNN Africa reporter delivers a close-up report on the Chibok girls, attempting to bring their story "full circle" and "resurrect public interest in this mass abduction." On April 14, 2014, the extremist group Boko Haram stormed into a predominately Christian school in Chibok, Nigeria, and kidnapped 276 schoolgirls. This event triggered worldwide press coverage, but as the months wore on and the girls didn't return home, the world's attention turned elsewhere. Fortunately, award-winning journalist Sesay--the former host of CNN Newsroom Live From Los Angeles who spent more than a decade reporting on Africa for the network--didn't forget this story, and she offers a compelling, empathetic tale that focuses on the lives of four of the Chibok girls and their immediate family members. The author, who grew up in Sierra Leone and Britain, intertwines her thoughts and feelings regarding the kidnapping with the history of the region, the political, social, and economic events that gave rise to Boko Haram, and the personal accounts of Priscilla, Dorcas, Mary, and Saa. Sesay's attention to detail places readers with the girls under a giant tamarind tree, one of their many naturally made prisons deep in the Sambisa forest, where they scrounged for food and water and fought off the constant demands of their captors to convert to Islam. Although many of the girls did convert and have not been heard from since, a greater portion remained steadfast in their Christian beliefs. The author also explains what the Nigerian government has done to find the missing girls. She notes that, in the beginning, many Nigerians believed the abduction was "no more than an elaborate hoax with political objectives." The joyous homecoming of 21 of the Chibok girls in 2016 prompted Sesay to compile her notes on this fascinating and emotionally charged telling of the girls' story, which will hopefully put those still missing back into the limelight. Rich details and dedicated, courageous reporting create a powerful tale of faith, love, and loss.

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 1, 2019

Award-winning journalist and CNN Africa correspondent Sesay sets out to "prick the world's conscience," detailing the kidnapping of 276 girls on April 14, 2014, from the Government Girls State School in Chibok, Nigeria, by members of the terrorist organization Boko Haram. Sesay provides an account of the girls' time in captivity, as related by members of the group of 21 girls freed in 2016. The author also narrates her own account against the backdrop of the Chibok girls' story, recalling the challenges inherent in navigating the rampant misogyny of Nigerian politics as a black, female reporter, while recounting her personal mission to see the Chibok girls reunited with their families, despite frequent challenges and setbacks. Sesay further sheds light on the events surrounding the rise of Boko Haram and its campaign against education, particularly women's education across the north of Nigeria, revealing the lack of reporting on African affairs beyond the continent and illuminating the role of African politics in the global arena. VERDICT Great for readers who want to learn more about African gender politics, the history of Boko Haram, and women in the media.--Gricel Dominguez, Florida International Univ. Lib., Miami

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.