Salva's Journey
How old is Salva when war comes to his village and he has to run into the bush?
11 years old
How many major daily trips does Nya make to the pond to collect water for her family during the dry season?
Two trips
Why do the rebels and the northern government forces fight the civil war in Sudan?
The northern government wants to impose Islamic law (sharia) on the entire country, while the south wants independence and religious freedom.
What is the name of Salva's tribe?
The Dinka Tribe
While trekking through this harsh, sun-baked landscape, Salva’s group faces blistering heat, limited water, and extreme physical exhaustion.
What is the Akobo Desert?
What is the name of Salva's home village?
Loun-Ariik
What painful physical obstacle does Nya frequently encounter on her daily walks?
Thorns stuck in the bottom of her feet.
Why do the adult walking group members initially hesitate to let Salva travel with them?
They think he is too young and will slow them down as a child.
How do members of Salva’s and Nya’s tribes historically identify each other or show scarring on their faces?
Distinctive ritual pattern scars on their foreheads/faces.
When Salva painfully stubs his toe and loses his toenail on a rock, this relative steps in to keep him moving forward.
Who is Uncle Jewiir?
What is the name of Salva's friend who gets tragically killed and eaten by a lion in Atuot country?
Marial
What is the name of Nya's younger sister who gets very sick from drinking contaminated water?
Akeer
What is Salva's main concern as he flees the fighting?
Surviving to find his family again
What animal behavior does Buksa (a member of the Jur-Chol tribe) follow in Chapter 3 to help the group find food?
Honeyguide birds leading them to a beehive
Upon finding a group of collapsed, dying men in the desert, women in Salva’s group offer them this scarce and precious resource to revive them.
What is water?
What family member does Salva shockingly find walking among a new group of refugees in Chapter 6?
His Uncle Jewiir
Why does Nya’s family have to move away from their village to a camp near a big lake every dry season?
Because the pond near their home dries up completely.
How do the refugees cross the Nile river in chapter 7?
They build canoes out of reed bundles and rope.
What is Salva's father's profession in their village?
A village judge.
Back in Nya's village, two men in bright orange jackets arrive to discuss finding water with the village chief using this tool/object.
What is a map (or surveying the land)?
What specific food does the old Dinka woman give Salva when he stays in her barn before she leaves?
Peanuts
What tribe does Nya belong to, which is traditionally rivaled with Salva's people?
The Nuer Tribe
What word can you use to describe what powers Salva forward through every lost relative, attack, and obstacle up to Chapter 8?
Perserverance
What primary livelihood defines Salva's Dinka community back home?
Cattle herding.
In Chapter 9, Uncle Jewiir reveals to Salva that once they cross the Akobo Desert, they will reach this destination.
What is a refugee camp in Ethiopia (Itang)?