Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope [Paperback]

Jenna Bush (Author), Mia Baxter (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 22, 2008

Ana’s story begins the day she is born with HIV, transmitted from her mother, who dies just a few years later. From then on, Ana's childhood becomes a blur of secrets—about her illness, her family, and the abuse she endures. Shuffled from home to home, Ana rarely finds safety or acceptance. But after she falls in love and becomes pregnant at seventeen, she embarks on a journey that leads her to new beginnings, new sorrows, and new hope.

Based on her work with UNICEF and inspired by the framework of one girl's life, Jenna Bush tells the story of many children around the world who are excluded from basic care, support, and education. Resources at the back of this book share how you can help children like Ana and protect yourself and others.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

First Daughter Jenna Bush worked as an intern with UNICEF throughout Latin America, and in her first book, she focuses on the life of a young woman she befriended during her travels. Infected with HIV/AIDS at birth, Ana loses both parents to the disease. After suffering abuse at relatives' homes, she finds a caring center for those living with HIV/AIDS, where she falls in love and eventually gets pregnant. Her child is born without the virus, and at the story's close, Ana has found a peaceful home where she can plan a new life for herself and her baby. The pace is brisk: chapters are only a few pages long, and the accessible language and simple sentences will pull reluctant readers. A few jarring passages point to Bush's outsider's view (a comparison between Ana and "the exotic subjects in Gaugin's Tahiti paintings" stands out), but the wrenching story, illustrated with a few photos, effectively sends an urgent message: too many children are unsafe and burdened by secrets. Classroom-ready resources include discussion questions and suggestions for volunteering. Engberg, Gillian --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Back Cover

Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope is a work of narrative nonfiction based on Jenna's experiences while interning for UNICEF and documenting lives of children and teens she encountered through her work. The book focuses on Ana, a teenage single mother who is bravely living with, rather than dying from, HIV. Ana's determination has allowed her to overcome abuse and abandonment and fight for an education and a better future for her child. Inspired by the framework of one girl's life, it is also the story of many children around the world who are marginalized and excluded from basic care, support, and education. Jenna Bush sends a message of hope, inclusion and survival, and calls for youth involvement in helping other young people triumph over adversity. The book features approximately 45 photographs taken by Mia Baxter, Jenna's friend and fellow UNICEF intern, as well as detailed backmatter including A Letter from Jenna Bush; You Can Make A Difference; Protect Yourself, Protect Others; What's the Real Deal? Ten Myths About HIV/AIDS; Do You Know the Whole Story? Ten Myths About Abuse; and Discussion Questions.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (April 22, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061379093
• ISBN-13: 978-0061379093
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #537,816 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #20 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Explore the World > Central & South America

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Journey of Hope -- A Story of Purpose, October 4, 2007

By 

Karen Zacharias "Karen Spears Zacharias" (Columbia River Gorge, Oregon) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope (Hardcover)

I read the first 50 pages of this book to a couple of high school classes today, along with the article about the book published in Newsweek. I was surprised by the empathic response from these 10th graders. Several were compelled to share their own stories of HIV/AIDs -- relatives who suffer from it, friends who've died from it. These are students in rural Oregon.
How many of you would tell your friends if you were HIV-positive,I asked. Almost all said they would be too afraid to tell. Afraid of being shunned. Afraid of the shame they'd feel -- even if, like Ana, such shame is undeserved.
Jenna Bush has written a compelling story, in a language that speaks to teens about a subject that remains taboo. Ana's Story should be required reading in schools across this nation.

36 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reality Bites, September 29, 2007

By 

Ronalda (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope (Hardcover)

Ana's story is an emotional, compelling read. The narrative is simple as it should be - this is not a work of literary art, it is a factual telling of the events of Ana's life. The simplistic nature of the telling allows you to focus not on Jenna Bush's words, but on Ana's story and her ability to rise above and beyond her circumstances. It places HIV, poverty, and abuse in a personal context and provides information and resources to teens in a fresh way. Beautiful photos add to the appeal of the story. An easy read, but well worth the time.

62 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An important story that needs to be told, September 29, 2007

By 

Kim Baccellia, "YA Books Central reviewer... (Southern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope (Hardcover)

Ana's life is a collection of bits and pieces of her past. Infected with HIV at birth, she's unaware of many details of her early childhood. Living with her strict grandmother, she learns to keep secrets-secrets about her infection and the abuse at home. But after Ana falls in love and becomes pregnant at seventeen, she begins a journey of hope-a journey of protecting herself and others. She is living with HIV, not dying from it.

This story is based on Jenna Bush's work with UNICEF. This narrative nonfiction tale is an important story about HIV and also lists resources on how to be better educated about the infection.

I loved the premise of this piece and do feel that Jenna Bush had good intentions as she shares the story of a teen's life with HIV. I feel that teens will be able to relate with the struggles of Ana. I also feel it's important that teens know the facts of HIV. Knowledge is power.

What didn't work for me was how telling this story was. Instead of showing the reader the story, Ms. Bush tells. I know this is a narrative nonfiction book but still I felt the author missed opportunities to make Ana's story stronger.

Still the fast pace of the story will appeal to reluctant readers. And the story is an important one that needs to be told.