1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Farmer, Nancy. 1998. A GIRL NAMED DISASTER. New York, NY: Puffin Books. ISBN 185881622X.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Blamed for trouble in her tribe, Disaster embarks on a journey to find the family she so desperately craves. The short tribe to Zimbabwe turns into a year-long ordeal filled with trials and tests that Disaster must navigate through. Eventually she reaches her destination and realizes that surviving civilian life can be just as treacherous.
3. IMPRESSIONS
Initially I had a tough time with this book. There are many strange names and a different language that trip the tongue and the mind. However, that is quickly erased as the reader becomes immersed in the life of Disaster. The reader cannot help but be sympathetic toward her situation and the pages turn quickly as we are anxious to see how she can possibly handle all that is thrown her way.
Farmer, Nancy. 1998. A GIRL NAMED DISASTER. New York, NY: Puffin Books. ISBN 185881622X.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Blamed for trouble in her tribe, Disaster embarks on a journey to find the family she so desperately craves. The short tribe to Zimbabwe turns into a year-long ordeal filled with trials and tests that Disaster must navigate through. Eventually she reaches her destination and realizes that surviving civilian life can be just as treacherous.
3. IMPRESSIONS
Initially I had a tough time with this book. There are many strange names and a different language that trip the tongue and the mind. However, that is quickly erased as the reader becomes immersed in the life of Disaster. The reader cannot help but be sympathetic toward her situation and the pages turn quickly as we are anxious to see how she can possibly handle all that is thrown her way.
This book is filled with adventure and survival. There is also a deep connection with the spirit world. In fact, this is ostensibly how Disaster finally overcomes her "demons".
As an adult, I savored this book like a hearty stew. I looked forward to coming home every day, hopping on my recumbent bike, and reading for an hour. I'm not so sure I would feel the same if I was a teenager. This book is a journey, much like the one Disaster is on. Patience rewards the reader and YA don't have much of that in supply. This pace may trip up a teen reader.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS from http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Named-Disaster-Nancy-Farmer/dp/0141311843/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225455963&sr=1-1
* Starred review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "A cast of characters, glossary, background information on South Africa and the Shona, and a bibliography ground this novel's details and culture. This story is humorous and heartwrenching, complex and multilayered, and the fortunate child who reads it will place Nhamo alongside Zia (Island of the Dolphins) and Julie (Julie of the Wolves). An engrossing and memorable saga."
* Starred review in PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: "This 1997 Newbery Honor book, which is set in Africa, is both a survival story and a spiritual voyage. 'The heroine is a stunning creation while she serves as a fictional ambassador from a foreign culture, she is supremely human. An unforgettable work,' said PW in a starred review.
Amazon.com (2008). http://www.amazon.com/
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