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. A Forest, a Flood, and an Unlikely Star is the third book in the Rwendigo Tale Series and follows Book One, A Chameleon, a Boy, and a Quest, and Book Two, A Bird, a Girl, and a Rescue.
God loves us and knows about every detail of our lives. That’s the message I took away after ready A Forest, a Flood, and an Unlikely Star. It’s a story for kids that doesn’t sugarcoat the hard things in life – Myhre talks AIDS, starvation, poaching, death, and more. These issues all play a major role in this book.
So it’s a serious story, and it deals with issues that many children can’t possibly imagine. Myhre writes the story in a very age-appropriate way, if there is such a thing, so that you’re very aware of Kusiima’s age but also of his fears. I thoroughly enjoyed how relateable she created this character to be.
The story is well-planned and smooth. It teaches great lessons while entertaining, and you’ll be excited to find out what happens to Kusiima. The story is so far outside my realm of experience, though, that it was difficult for me to relate to. That’s a good thing, in a way, but it made the plot feel a bit slow-moving to me.
A Forest, a Flood, and an Unlikely Star would be a great story for those interested in international missions or for children learning about life in other countries.
I received a free copy of this book from LitFuse Publicity. All opinions are my own.
