One Day the Soldiers Came: Voices of Children in War

by Charles London

Overview

Today, in violence-torn regions across the globe, 20 million children have been uprooted, orphaned, or injured by war, famine, and poverty. This is their story . . . and ours.

In this powerful and unforgettable book—by turns painful, funny, terrifying, and triumphant—Charles London takes us into the world of refugee children, celebrating their unique skills for survival and reflection. Their remarkable stories and drawings chill the blood and touch the heart, offering an indelible, first hand portrait of the war that rages beyond the headlines.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061240478
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	10/16/2007
Series:	P.S. Series
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	5.31(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.68(d)

About the Author

Charles London is a former research associate with Refugees International and director of curriculum for War Kids Relief, a peace-building organization. He is the 1999 winner of the Rolling Stone College Journalism Award, and his work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, O, The Oprah Magazine, and other national publications. He has been a young-adult librarian for the New York Public Library and is the author of One Day the Soldiers Came: Voices of Children in War. He lives in New York City.

What People are Saying About This

Ben Fountain

“The stories told by these children...are essential to our humanity...”

Elizabeth Gilbert

“An unblinking account of a peculiar human reality...a wise and captivating story.”

Richard Holbrooke

“Charles London brings an uncomfortable truth to life. This book is often difficult reading, but attention must be paid.”

Ishmael Beah

“A profound and deeply moving journey into the minds of children who live with war.”

Editorial Reviews

A profound and deeply moving journey into the minds of children who live with war.” — Ishmael Beah, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

“Charles London brings an uncomfortable truth to life. This book is often difficult reading, but attention must be paid.” — Ambassador Richard Holbrooke

“The stories told by these children...are essential to our humanity...” — —Ben Fountain, author of BRIEF ENCOUNTERS WITH CHE GUEVARA

“An unblinking account of a peculiar human reality...a wise and captivating story.” — Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Eat, Pray, Love

“Shining a light on the horrors inflicted on those most vulnerable is noble work.” — New York Post, "Required Reading" reveiw

“Eye-opening ...Searing and heartbreaking” — Kirkus Reviews

“[London’s] passionate personal engagement will get readers thinking about elemental issues...” — Booklist

“It is London’s sincerity, discernment, feelings, and penchant for analysis that are always on display...Children as well as adults should read this book.” — Baltimore Times

From the Publisher

Shining a light on the horrors inflicted on those most vulnerable is noble work.

New York Post

A profound and deeply moving journey into the minds of children who live with war.

Ishmael Beah

The stories told by these children...are essential to our humanity...

Ben Fountain

An unblinking account of a peculiar human reality...a wise and captivating story.

Elizabeth Gilbert

[London’s] passionate personal engagement will get readers thinking about elemental issues...

Booklist

It is London’s sincerity, discernment, feelings, and penchant for analysis that are always on display...Children as well as adults should read this book.

Baltimore Times

Charles London brings an uncomfortable truth to life. This book is often difficult reading, but attention must be paid.

Ambassador Richard Holbrooke

[London’s] passionate personal engagement will get readers thinking about elemental issues...

Booklist

Shining a light on the horrors inflicted on those most vulnerable is noble work.

New York Post

"Charles London brings an uncomfortable truth to life. This book is often difficult reading, but attention must be paid."

Ambassador - Richard Holbrooke

Eye-opening expose on the permanently scarred children of war in "situations where violence and hardship are the norm."As a 21-year-old research associate for Refugees International, young-adult advocate London began his five-year immersion in the international world of refugee youth and child militia in East Africa, Thailand and the Balkans, barely scratching the surface of the estimated 20 million uprooted refugee children worldwide. London played soccer with teenaged "demobilized child soldiers" in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and with children in Kosovo, who describe the bloodshed surrounding them in grisly detail via drawings and interviews. Though each of the children London profiles is unique, there are many commonalities in their experiences. From Bosnia to Gaza, children have been positioned as political pawns in modern warfare for centuries. The chapters form a grim tapestry made up of what London calls the "protagonists" in wars. Paul, kidnapped into the Congo militia after a violent raid on his village, painfully regrets his time in the army and longs for education; Keto, a highly intelligent, self-confident Congolese boy in a Christian Outreach refugee camp, draws pictures and speaks plainly about his mother's death from AIDS. Many more were forced to watch their families be executed or-like "Charity," "Rebecca," "Hope," etc.-devoid of any adult supervision, subjected to physical and sexual exploitation (i.e., bartered marriage in exchange for heads of cattle). A long list of Thai and Tanzanian children, no families or future to speak of, discuss in sorrowful detail the complexities of living under the radar of their country's warring factions. Thankfully, Londonoffers positive updates on several of the youth. But readers will never forget the physical and mental damage inflicted upon their developing minds. Never sentimental or patronizing, these are harsh, numbing experiences. Searing and heartbreaking. Agent: Robert Guinsler/Sterling Lord Literistic Inc.

Kirkus Reviews