One Shadow on the Wall
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
An orphaned boy in contemporary Senegal must decide between doing what is right and what is easy as he struggles to keep a promise he made to his dying father in this “stirring” (School Library Journal) middle grade debut novel laced with magical realism.
Eleven-year-old Mor was used to hearing his father’s voice, even if no one else could since his father’s death. It was comforting. It was also a reminder that Mor had made a promise to his father before he passed: keep your sisters safe. Keep the family together. But almost as soon as they are orphaned, that promise seems impossible to keep. With an aunt from the big city ready to separate him and his sisters as soon as she arrives, and a gang of boys from a nearby village wanting everything he has—including his spirit—Mor is tested in ways he never imagined.
With only the hot summer months to prove himself, Mor must face a choice. Does he listen to his father and keep his heart true, but risk breaking his promise through failure? Or is it easier to just join the Danka Boys, who despite their maliciousness are at least loyal to their own?
One Shadow on the Wall is about love and loss, family and friendship, and creating your own future—even when it’s hard to do.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Life in Mor's Senegalese village gets increasingly difficult after the 11-year-old and his two sisters are orphaned and threatened with separation. When their home is raided by the Danka Boys, Mor debates joining the gang, which offers food and security. Through tight, polished sentences and a smattering of regional vocabulary, debut novelist Henderson believably evokes the harsh realities of the impoverished seaside village and the resilience of its residents. The storytelling, though, can get bogged down amid a languid pace and lengthy sections of exposition; Henderson's penchant for brevity at the sentence level isn't reflected in the work as a whole. But Mor's indomitable spirit, love for his family, and refusal to give up make him a fascinating and well-rounded protagonist, even if "he was still just a boy in his baay's sandals." And although the disembodied voice of Mor's father offers guidance from beyond the grave, it's an unlikely friendship with an outcast that provides a flesh-and-blood father figure to teach and watch over the boy. Ages 8 12.
