Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Mitali Perkins expertly depicts the political and social conflicts within modern Burma/Myanmar through the stories of two teenage boys. We follow the paths of Chiko, an avid lover of learning and books, trapped in the midst of political turmoil, and Tu Reh, a Karenni boy who hopes to fight for his people’s freedom. Employing parallel structure, Perkins expertly weaves real depth within the problems these boys face. Their relationships of love, family, and friendship are extremely touching. Geographically, these two boys come from two different sides of a deep-rooted conflict; however, the similarity in their approach on life eventually causes them to become much closer than they ever expected. Anyone who is into coming-of-age novels should definitely read Bamboo People. It is not to be missed. – Andy W. ‘14
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