Walk Toward the Rising Sun: From Child Soldier to Ambassador of Peace

The amazing autobiography of a young Sudanese boy who went from a child soldier and struggling refugee to international peace activist and Hollywood actor.

Sudan, 1980s: Ger Duany knew what he wanted out of life--make his family proud, play with his brothers and sisters, maybe get an education like his brother Oder suggested, and become a soldier for his people when he's old enough. But then his village was attacked by the North Sudanese military, death kept taking his loved ones away, and being a child soldier was not what he thought it would be. Amid heartbreak, death, and violence, can this lost boy find his way to safety?

America, 1990s: After boarding a flight without his family to seek refuge in a foreign country, Ger worked tirelessly to adjust to a new life. It wasn't long before he was thrown into the spotlight, as people discovered his talents for basketball, modeling, and acting. Yet the spotlight wasn't the only thing following him, as he battled the effects of PTSD, resisted the siren call of the excesses of fame, and endured a new kind of racism in America. Amid fame, trauma, and the memory of home, can this lost boy find himself?

Author: Ger Duany, Garen Thomas
Publisher: Make Me a World
Published: 09/22/2020
Pages: 320
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 8.60h x 5.70w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9781524719401
Audience: Young Adult


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 08/01/2020
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 09/01/2020
Kirkus Reviews 08/15/2020 pg. 68
School Library Journal 10/01/2020 pg. 98
Horn Book Magazine 01/01/2021 pg. 126
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2021 - Superior,Well Above Average

About the Author
Ger Duany is a survivor of the tragic exodus of an estimated 20,000 Sudanese children, the Lost boys of Sudan, and has been appointed as UN Goodwill Ambassador. Born in the town of Akobo, Ger was caught up in Sudan's north-south civil war and was forcefully recruited as a child soldier. At the age of 14, he managed to escape to neighbouring Ethiopia and was eventually resettled to the United States from the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. In 2014, UNHCR helped Ger reunite with his mother and other family members in Kenya's Kakuma refugee camp. He is also a model and actor. To learn more about Ger, his inspiring life story, and his constant work to help refugees around the world, visit GerDuany.com or @GerDuany on Twitter.