the good braider

the good braider

YA novel
Sometimes I get very angry with the people who try to close
America's borders to people from other countries. The depiction of
freeloaders who want to take advantage of our "generosity" is horribly
wrong. Many refugees are fleeing conditions that are too horrific for
most of us to imagine. I just wish Terry Farrish's the good braider
could be required reading for the folks bound and determined to keep
everyone who wasn't born here out.
Living in Sudan, Viola has had to grow up far too fast. Her
city is occuppied by government soldiers who kill anyone they believe
is affeliated with the rebels. The skies are filled with war planes.
Boys are at risk of being kidnapped into the military. Errands are
dangerous and "don't speak to strangers" has far darker connotations
than in the United States.
The terror and violence are very personal for Viola. A boy who
tries to defend her is shot by a soldier. That same soldier later
rapes her, warning her that he will kill her if she cries for help.
(In this episode it totally chills me that her five-year-old brother
knows to stay hidden instead of coming to her rescue by reading her
non verbal cues). It has become far too dangerous for her family to
remain in their home. But joining her uncle in Maine is fraught with
difficulty, danger, and loss.
Life in America carries its own challenges, particularly for
Viola's mother who has lost her husband and young son. Like other
Sudanese immigrant parents, she fears that her daughter is running
wild, forgetting all she has been taught, bringing disgrace. A
desperate act of discipline ends up with her arrested, Viola in the
hospital, and human services involved.
All is not pathos, however. Even in the hardest times there are
moments of beauty, joy, and laughter. The free form verse that
carries Viola's voice conveys the complexity of living far more
eloquently than prose ever could. For anyone wishing to get a glimpse
of a woman child making a journey between far different worlds the
good braider is a must read.
On a personal note, I love to see young adult literature in the form
of free form verse. The sparcity of the medium forces a discipline of
mindfulness in writing. You can't just go on and on. You must choose
only the most meaningful, evocative words. I guess that's why it's my
favorite way of writing. I think the visual representation of verse
as opposed to huge blocks of print is a lot more welcoming, especially
to young adults for whom reading is not an unmitigated joy.
A great big shout goes out to the oh so inspiring writers who choose
this form and the publishers who get their work out in print.
Julia Emily Hathaway



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