Chanda's Secrets
Sixteen-year-old Chanda tries to hold her life together in southern Africa as HIV/AIDS reshapes her family and community. The novel traces the weight of secrecy and loss while showing the strength and responsibility that can emerge in adolescence.
Work Information
In a world shadowed by HIV/AIDS, a girl fights to keep her family together.
Sixteen-year-old Chanda tries to hold her life together in southern Africa as HIV/AIDS reshapes her family and community. The novel traces the weight of secrecy and loss while showing the strength and responsibility that can emerge in adolescence. The story follows young people caught between personal choice and pressure from the world around them, with quiet but sustained tension.
Book Information
- Publisher
- Annick Press
- Published
- 2004-02-01
- Pages
- 200 pages
- Language
- 英語
- Size
- 13.34 x 1.27 x 18.42 cm
- ISBN-13
- 9781550378344
- ISBN-10
- 1550378341
- Price
- 4814 JPY
- Category
- 洋書/Teen & Young Adult
Chanda’s mother is not herself, her younger sister is acting out, and her best friend needs help. A powerful story set amid the African HIV/AIDS pandemic. In this sensitive, swiftly paced story, readers will find echoes of To Kill a Mockingbird as Chanda, a 16-year-old, astonishingly perceptive girl living in the small city of Bonang in Africa, must confront the undercurrents of shame and stigma associated with HIV/AIDS. Through his artful style and dramatic storytelling, Allan Stratton captures the enduring strength of loyalty, the profound impact of loss, and a fearlessness that is powered by the heart. Above all, it is a story about living with truth. Proceeds from the sale of this book will be used to support organizations working to better the lives of Africans living with HIV/AIDS.
Allan Stratton recently returned from Africa where he met the people who inspired this book. He is past Head of Drama at an arts school in Toronto and a former member of New York's The Actors' Studio. His earlier young adult novel, Leslie's Journal , earned numerous accolades, including a place on the American Library Association's Best Books for Young Adults list.
Reviews
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Deeply moving
This is a very important book. Deeply moving, compelling, and inspiring. A must-read for anyone who cares about the AIDS crisis in Africa, and an even more important read for anyone who doesn’t.
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"Don't Ever Let Them See You Crying"
In a touching and heart rending story, Mr. Stratton has captured one of the anomalies of life on this planet at this point in time. "Chanda's Secret" deals with the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa. While AIDS is significant enough in the United States it is truly an epidemic in parts of Africa, where up to 3 out of every 4 people have AIDS. Stratton's book deals with the subject most artistically. The biggest anomaly about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa is that even though it is hugely prevalent, it is a huge stigma to have the disease. It is not only a stigma for the patient, but for the patient's entire family. Many would rather go off and die or commit suicide to spare their families from living with the shame of knowing they were an "AIDS Family." In this book, the reality of the disease is portrayed through the eyes of a young girl in Africa. She has to deal with most difficult life conditions, but then on top of all that, AIDS strikes at her house. The story tells most tenderly and appropriately about the trials and tribulations of her dilemma and what could be done if only people were willing to face things straight on, rather than hiding from the reality. The book is extraordinarily well written. It is recommended for all readers between 12 and 112 for a close look at the HIV/AIDS dilemma in Africa. Stratton shows true tenderness and care when he describes the reality, yet manages to get that reality across in rather stark imagery. It is well worth the time to read.
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So glad I was required to read this
I had to read this book for a college class, and oh my I loved it. It’s heartwarming and pulls on the heart strings.
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Good book for all ages
This book was assigned to my son's class for reading. When I read the back, I decided I would read it too. Very good book for young adults to read, in fact all age groups. Very good story line with grown up and child situations. I want to read the next book.
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Four Stars
Summer reading book