Opinion

In my opinion, Tears of the Desert is a very good novel. It tells a story that nobody else would be able to tell. Not very many people know truly what’s happening in Darfur, they just know what the media is telling them. This novel gives a completely different aspect on life in Sudan. It tells the reader about how the two different lifestyles of the Arab and village people’s differ. Before reading this book, I had no idea about how life was in this area; all I knew was that it was a dangerous place, and that there were genocides going on. This novel gave me a new perspective, and educated me on how life was in Darfur before all the conflicts. It also shows the value of education to the Sudanese people. In the United States, children dread going to school, and find it as an annoying waste of time. But in this area of Africa, receiving an education is something that is treasured, especially by women. Traditionally women are suppose to be married very young, and are told to have children and take care of the house. They aren’t supposed to have an education. But Halima was given the rare chance to go to school. Her willingness to learn and her family’s support eventually got Halima to the top of her class, and on to the University. She was given an outstanding opportunity, and she made the most out of it. Overall, I believe that this book does an outstanding job illustrating life in Darfur by a native who can easily tell the readers how life was before and during the conflicts, as well as the overall lifestyles of the Sudanese people