They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky: The True Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan

by Alephonsion Deng, Benson Deng, Judy A. Bernstein, et al.

Book Overview

The inspiring story of three young Sudanese boys who were driven from their homes by civil war and began an epic odyssey of survival, facing life-threatening perils, ultimately finding their way to a new life in America.

Between 1987 and 1989, Alepho, Benjamin, and Benson, like tens of thousands of young boys, took flight from the massacres of Sudan's civil war. They became known as the Lost Boys. With little more than the clothes on...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1610395980
• ISBN13: 9781610395984
• Release Date: August 2015
• Publisher: PublicAffairs
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.77 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Couldn't put it down

As a former NFL player, I thought I was tough. But when I read what these young boys overcame, it made me appreciate what life is really about. A friend recommended the book and after I started it, I couldn't put it down until I finished it the next morning. Their triumph over all odds is uplifting. After the tragic events of recent days, this is a must read for all to learn about the strength of the human spirit.

How children survived an adult mess

In a land where family life was everything and the most fearsome thing was a prowling hyena or lion, fire suddenly exploded from the sky. THEY POURED FIRE ON US FROM THE SKY is the vivid description of the war in southern Sudan as seen through the eyes of three little boys, Benson, Benjamin and Alephonsion - who suddenly became homeless orphans and were forced to trek across Sudan to Kenya and Ethiopia without food or water. No longer having a father to frighten away the animals or a mother to prepare food, these five-year-old boys had to figure out how to survive. In addition to the horrors brought on by nature in the form of heat, no water, no food, hunting animals, biting snakes and insects, they soon discovered that people were not very nice to boys traveling alone. Frequently their food, clothing and blankets were taken from them or they were beaten and driven away. Even their own soldiers mistreated them and they found that after surviving so much and traveling so far, they were not exactly welcome in Kenya or Ethiopia. But survive they did to come to the United States to begin life anew. This gut-wrenching book is a real page-turner and I found myself unable to put it down, even when the stories brought tears and indescribable anger. It was a real eye-opener to read of United Nations aid gone astray as locals took the best for themselves and left the refugees starving. There were, of course, the good people who helped the refugees with food and transportation and even lost their jobs because of it. If you never believed that war could change ordinary people into selfish monsters, then this is the book for you. The book is well written, flows well, and the transitions are so smooth that sometimes I found myself going back to the beginning of the chapter to see which lost boy was telling this particular portion of the story. There were amusing sections such as when the boys were preparing to go the US and they were attempting to learn about flushing toilets. One of them didn't remember what the book instructions said and managed to flood the restroom at the airport terminal. The things we take for granted get a new life when viewed through these boys' eyes. I recommend this book for everyone in America. Reviewed by alice Holman of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

It will transform you

This is a book that I was afraid would be too painful to read. Most of us will never have the experience that these 3 young men and their "brothers" have had. But it is not about pain and sorrow. It is ultimately about Hope, Family, Education and their faith in God to get them through. This is a book that will surprise you, engage you and enrage you. Thank you , Judy Bernstein and everyone who knew this story needed to be told!

Inspirational and Poignant

I found this to be a great read. Thoughtful and poignant, I got a sense of what it is to be a small child caught up in the devestation of a country at war. Several times I paused in my reading to take in parts of their story. I was emotionally touched. I was so taken by the book that I read it in two sittings. This is a great book for adults and teens - a personalization of a war in a faraway place written by three young men who now call America home. You will come to care deeply about these three little boys and understand the saying, "When two elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled".

A courageous and inspirational book. A must read!

Rarely does a book come along that is so moving and inspirational that it is hard to put down and at the same time thought provoking. "They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky" is told in the unique voice of three young men who overcame and survived obstacles we can hardly imagine. Their mentor wrote a heartfelt introduction and helped to weave this book into a page-turner. But it is not the hardships that you will remember after reading this book, it's their unique views on life, their courage, and their will to survive that will live in your memories for a long time to come. It is by far the best non-fiction book in print and a must read for all book groups and readers looking for inspiration in a world where atrocities and genocide have become common place.