THE SCHOOL OF RESTORATION

Ratidzo Mambo's warm voice embodies the courage and huge heart of Alice Achan, and her delightful accent creates a sense of place. Achan grew up in Uganda, where much of her childhood was spent running from the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) soldiers. She barely survived an attack on her school that resulted in all of her classmates being kidnapped. Achan's education was sporadic, but with grit she eventually became a social worker and found her life's mission in establishing the Pader Girls Academy to provide education and refuge to girls who were kidnapped and systematically raped by the LRA. Mambo captures all Alice's emotions--her fear of violence, depression as her nieces die one by one of AIDS, and determination to help the survivors of the war. As a bonus, Mambo's pronunciation of girls as "gels" brings a constant smile. A.B. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2020]