A review by madae
Tears of the Desert: A Memoir of Survival in Darfur by Halima Bashir

5.0

Halima Bashir's memoir of life in Darfur is a powerful and heartbreaking story. Her childhood in a small village was happy, full of Zaghawa traditions. Her father was quite progressive in that he encouraged Halima's independence, her thirst of knowledge and sent her away to school and university. At junior school Halima first experienced the racism between the Arab Africans and Black Africans. The Darfur conflict started to intensify while Halima was studying in university. After becoming a doctor, Halima was assigned to work in a hospital. Halima helped injuired Zaghawa tribesman as much as she could, as she felt all injured or sick people deserved treatment. However, the government started watching her and threatened her. She was reassigned to a remote medical station in a village where she began to secretly treated injured rebel fighters. She also treated schoolgirls and teachers who were brutally raped by the Janjaweeds (Arab fighters). She spoke with UN representatives about the horrific violence of the attack. Some soldiers kidnapped her, repeatedly raped her and then let her live as they figured they had destroyed her spirit. Halima went into hiding after that and eventually escaped to Great Britain.

Her story of survival is amazing. I hope that she eventually in the future can find her mother, two brothers and sister.

The conflict in Darfur is a terrible, horrible, violent conflict. The soldiers and Janjaweed are committing atrocious acts of cold hearted violence against the Zaghawa and others. This book was extremely difficult to read because of this, but I now feel better informed about Darfur.