The Bite of the Mango

Twelve-year-old Mariatu Kamara often prayed for new clothes, for a good harvest, or for a nice man to marry when she got older. Then, one day in 1999, the Sierra Leone native prayed for something quite different: “Please let me die quickly. Let it be over quickly. Let my family, if they have been captured by the rebels all die quickly, too. Don’t let the rebels cut my body piece by piece.”
Her prayers went unanswered. When members of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) attacked their village, she did survive, as did her family, but the rebels chopped off both her hands.
It’s a time and place probably unfamiliar to most readers, not to mention incomprehensible. Before the attack, Mariatu lived simply, spending mornings working show more in the community garden, afternoons playing hide and seek with cousins. After the attack, she recovered in a hospital in Freetown, the nation’s capital, but quality of life slipped even further when she discovered that she was pregnant.
Mariatu moved to Toronto in 2002, sponsored by a local family. She currently attends college, is a representative for UNICEF, and tours North America in speaking engagements. Mariatu narrates her story by intertwining two time periods: life before the attack and life after. When using words unique to her culture, she always defines what she’s referencing. For example, she mentions a tamalangba, “what we call a whipping stick, made from a long thick weed that grows everywhere.”
This is the story of the results of war as seen through a child’s eyes, re-told by a young woman who lived through it. Despite the intense subject matter, the book is not overly graphic or gratuitous. It’s recommended for older teens, but adults won’t be able to put the book down either. It appears Mariatu took her mother’s advice: “It’s bad what happened to you. But you must see the positive in everything.” by Robin Farrell Edmunds show less

Wow. I read this for the BookRiot 2020 Read Harder challenge 'read a YA non-fiction book' and I'm really glad I did.

The Bite of the Mango is the story of Mariatu Kamara, a young girl who lived an ordinary village life in Sierra Leone before she was ambushed by rebels at age 12. She saw people be burned alive and shot, before boys not much older than her chopped off her hands. Mariatu managed to make it to safety and was transported to Freetown where she received medical care, reunited with her family, and was placed in a cramped amputee camp with hundreds of others in the same position as her. While there it was discovered that she was pregnant and she gave birth to a boy who died from malnutrition before his first birthday. show more Eventually, she was brought to Canada where she learned English, attended high school and began to share her story with the rest of the world.

The language of The Bite of the Mango is very simple, childlike, but also clear and insightful. Though the language is simple, it serves as a constant reminder that Mariatu is only a child experiencing the worst things a human can go through. She doesn't shy away from the despair and depression she suffered or the times she wanted to die, but the overall feeling of the book is positive, a message of hope. Though all the bad things that happen to Mariatu are spoken of in a matter-of-fact, unflinching manner, there is a focus on the people in Mariatu's life as a way of showing that acts of kindness and love do exist, even in the worst of circumstances.

One of the most astounding things is that later, in Canada, Mariatu mentions giggling with friends at school and I felt such overwhelming happiness that a girl who had been through so much could still have such normal experiences. I believe that Mariatu may have attended my old high school not long after I graduated, which added a personal note for me as well.

The Bite of the Mango is such a heartbreaking and inspiring story, told by a clearly wonderful and compassionate woman, I feel lucky to have read it. show less

The fact that I read this novel in a day should give you an indication as to my appreciation for it. This book demands that it be consumed in one sitting. It tears you down and you have to keep with it if you want to be built back up. The Bite of the Mango is the story of Mariatu Kamara, who was caught by armed child rebels on her way back home to get some supplies from a small town in Sierra Leone. In gruesome detail, she tells us of her experience of losing her hands--the price she paid to live. Mariatu is an inspiring human being and a very honest narrator. It amazes me still that no matter how many novels I read about civil war in African countries, I am constantly captivated by the beauty and resilience of its residents. Mariatu show more has an infectious spirit that has allowed her to overcome tremendous odds and hardships. Reading her story is humbling, and I implore you to pick up her book. Read more reviews on my blog: bookstress.blogspot.com show less

The Bite of the Mango by Mariatu Kamara is a memoir based on her experiences in the civil war that raged through Sierra Leone from 1991 to 2002. Mariatu and her family lived a life of relative peace and happiness in a small rural village. They knew of the rebels but thought they would be safe if they ran and hid in the forest if they came. Unfortunately, twelve year old Mariatu and three of her cousins were captured, tortured and mutilated.

Mariatu was able to stumble away and through her own will and the help of kindly strangers she was taken to the capital, Freetown and received medical assistance. Eventually most of her family was reunited and placed in a refugee camp. Food and medicine was so scarce that the camp children had to take show more to the streets to beg for additional funds. The way out for these children was to be matched with a sponsor who would send funds or bring them out of Sierra Leone.

The Bite of the Mango relates Mariatu’s story of survival in a simple, straight forward style that asks for no pity but gives the reader a glimpse of the emotional strength of this young girl as well as her courage and resilience. This is a heart-rendering story but as it is aimed at a YA audience I felt it left me feeling like I needed a little more depth and information. show less

When one reads a truly shocking narrative (the Sierra Leonean author here was caught up in civil war; aged twelve, the drug-fueled rebels cut off both her hands with a machete. And she didn't know at the time that she was pregnant by an unwanted oldeer suitor...), one feels mean-spirited not to give them a *5 for just getting it together and managing to share their story.

But despite Mariatu's incredible will to survive (she ultimately started a new life in Canada), this barely keeps the reader reading. I feel less of a cad when I think she had a ghost writer helping.) The characters, even the narrator, just feel flat and unrelatable. There is much dwelling on events and less on feelings and emotions. I'm currently engaged in a global show more reading challenge and have read a few of these memoirs from different troubled parts of the world and have noticed that, lacking the wherewithal to portray emotion in any depth, the protagonists rely on simplistic ideas. They're not beset by complex, life shattering doubts, fears and depression (I'm sure they are, but how to describe it?) but they forever 'scowl' or 'shout', and tend to come across as stroppy and unreasonable. The reader, unfairly, starts to lose patience.
May be an informative read for the YA market. Subject matter should make this a compelling read, but sadly it is not. show less

I was warned that the beginning of this book may not be suitable for the children who are the targeted audience. While there is brutality of a sort we usually save for films, I think given the right conversations the kids who are supposed to read this book can get through it. Yes, this is a non-fiction account of a child who was brutally assaulted by other children during the civil war in Sierra Leone, a child who was raped by the man who professed an interest in marrying her, and yet it is more a story of a child who went through terrible circumstances and survived them, becoming stronger each and every day.

I congratulate Mariatu for having the bravery to tell her story; to not only face her past, but face her future as well.

Read it. show more And then do something about what you have read. show less

The unbelievable memoirs of a young girl living in a peaceful rural village until one day a group of young rebels enter killing all the male inhabitants, burning all buildings, and rape many of the young girls. In the ensuing chaos, Kamara has both hands cut off and is left for dead. Miraculously, she escapes and makes it to Freetown begging in the streets and sleeping in refugee camps. Kamara, eventually making it to Canada, enrolls in college and become a spokesperson for an organization assisting children in war zones. A powerful story without the over-dramatizing and sensationalizing that pervades many other 'survival' stories. Truly powerful. Recommended for Grades 9 and up. An appropriate choice for literature circles, too.