Escape Under the Forever Sky [Hardcover]

Eve Yohalem (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: 5 and up

Loosely based on real-life events, this suspenseful story, by a debut novelist, is also funny and touching and will have readers riveted from start to finish. Lucy's mother is the U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia, so Lucy's life must be one big adventure, right? Wrong. Lucy's worrywart mother keeps her locked up inside the ambassador's residence. All Lucy can do is read about the exotic and exciting world that lies beyond the compound walls and imagine what it would be like to be a part of it. That is, until one day Lucy decides she has had enough and she and a friend sneak off for some fun. But to their horror, Lucy gets kidnapped! With only herself to rely upon, Lucy must use her knowledge of African animals, inventiveness, will, and courage to escape, and in the process embarks on an adventure beyond her wildest imagination.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5–8—Chafing at the restrictions of being the American ambassador's daughter, 13-year-old Lucy sneaks out to the market in Addis Ababa, is kidnapped by drug dealers, and escapes into the Ethiopian bush where she faces a pride of lions. Based on a widely circulated news story of a kidnapping and lion rescue, this unusual adventure places a reassuringly typical American teenager in an intriguingly different setting. Bored by endless rounds of official visits and restricted to the American compound when not in her elite private school, Lucy whiles away her time reading books about African wildlife, dreams of her twice-monthly visits to a game park, and schemes ways to avoid her protectors. The first-person narrative includes flashbacks that reveal something of Lucy's life prior to the kidnapping. Caught up in the suspense, readers will probably accept how much Lucy's gymnastics training and naturalist reading contribute to her survival, as well as the coincidence of her ending up at the village home of a classmate. First-time novelist Yohalem researched her story with a visit to Ethiopia and her reportage may leave readers, like Lucy, wanting to know more about that world.—Kathleen Isaacs, Towson University, MD
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From Booklist

Teens itching to read about life on another continent will relish Yohalem’s exciting debut novel set in Africa. Lucy Hoffman’s mom is the U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia, so Lucy lives and attends high school in the capital city of Addis Ababa. Unfortunately, Lucy’s overprotective mother won’t let her out of the house, which means no game drives or hanging out with her friends at the local ice-cream parlor. Frustrated and resentful, Lucy and a friend sneak out of the house and head into the city. The plot quickens when Lucy is kidnapped and held for ransom. Isolated and without shoes, Lucy plans an escape using her knowledge of the African wilderness. Loosely based on a true story, Yohalem’s tale weaves together the beauty of the African wildlife with the harsh realities of a poor and unstable region. Scenes depicting Lucy’s resourcefulness are riveting, and the author’s descriptions of Ethiopian culture will pique young readers’ curiosity about life abroad. Grades 5-8. --Kimberly Garnick

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (April 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081186653X
• ISBN-13: 978-0811866538
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #346,882 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I write books for kids. My first novel is called Escape Under the Forever Sky. It's about the 13-year old daughter of the American ambassador to Ethiopia who gets kidnapped and has to find her way to freedom. I've also written a series of dark comic short stories for younger readers, inspired my dark comic dad, called Grandpa Hates the Bird. The book I'm working on now is called Cast Off: The Strange Adventures of Petra de Winter and Braam Broen.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars So much potential..., August 12, 2009

By 

Anne (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Escape Under the Forever Sky (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

This is a very honest, rambling review...When I requested this book, I wondered what take the author would take on Africa. I was particularly intrigued because the book stated it was inspired by a true story. I've read three different books about Africa this year written for adults--Love in the Driest Season being the very best among them. And I genuinely have a desire to read books set in Africa.

But, from the beginning this book didn't engage me. Typically, I enjoy Young Adult fiction because it is so easy to read and light--compared to many of the adult books I've read. The writing is not especially descriptive. It is the picture on the cover that really plants a picture in your head of the main character, rather than the writing. But, the book didn't feel believable to me after the other books I've read this year about Africa--all nonfiction or autobiographical memoirs.

And I'll be honest, as a former middle school teacher, the attitude of the girl from the beginning to the end bothered me. I don't really want to read another book about a girl who thinks she knows more than her parents. It really makes me sad about our culture. I don't mean to sound harsh in that, but even at the end, I wondered if she really got it--really understood her responsibility and that she was wrong. Near the end she says that she didn't understand her mom's view, but that her mom hadn't tried to understand her.

Lastly, it was inspired by the story of an African girl taken from her village--not an American, or even an ex-pat. That is very different from the kidnapping of an ex-pat's child. So, I find it difficult to say that this was inspired by a true story--they seem to be more different than similar.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down., August 31, 2009

By 

Backroads "Scatter-brained book fan" (Cache Valley, Utah) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Escape Under the Forever Sky (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

For me, this is just one of those books that easily makes the "I couldn't put it down" category. It's a quick read, with smaller pages at just over 200 total count, with a fast pace and a compelling story. It only takes an hour or two to read.

Ms. Yohalem's first novel is something of which she should be proud. Inspired by true events (that actually have very little to do with this book), this tales the story of American ambassador's daughter Lucy taken hostage and her subsequent fascinating escape.

Lucy is a powerful yet wonderfully awkward heroine and narrator with insecurities and just a smidgeon of sass. Teenagers will relate to her well. Her vast knowledge of African animal and plant life may strike some readers as a bit too impossible, but nerds do exist and it certainly added to the story.

"Escape Under the Forever Sky" was a pleasant surprise for me. It's well-written and well-told and, again, holding all the ingredients for a can't-put-down read. Good job, Ms. Yohalem.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lessons to Learn, October 22, 2009

By 

Snow White "SJ White "amazon shopper"" (UT) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Escape Under the Forever Sky (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

I thought I had reviewed this book, and it is oh whoops because after I read the book I gave it to my 4 teenage grandchildren to read. There are lessons to be learned from reading this book. Lucy wouldn't have gotten herself into such a dangerous situation if she had obeyed the rules her Mother had in place. When Lucy was kidnapped by her friends chauffer and held for ransom she was sorry for disobeying her Mother. She was held in a caged pen and could hear her captors talking from a distance away and had to figure out how she was going to escape from them. She was cold, scared and wishing she could go home. She had no idea where she was nor how to get out. She was so afraid she was going to be killed once the ransom was paid. The book has a few twists and turns in it and keeps you on your toes to see if Lucy is going to be killed or if she can really escape. This is a great book for all teens to read and I will repeat myself once again. Lessons to learn from reading this book! I know how the book ends but I don't want to ruin it for everyone else reading it. Parents if you have teenagers then you might consider having them read it and then pass it along to their friends to read.