Taking Away the Distance: A Young Orphan's Journey and the AIDS Epidemic in Africa Crusade to Unite Children Orphaned by the Epidemic [Paperback]

Miles Roston (Author), Archbishop Desmond Tutu (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 30, 2007

In this emotional story of hope and inspiration, an African boy, orphaned by AIDS becomes a catalyst for AIDS orphans worldwide. Living in a shantytown in Kenya, Kevin Sumba's life was one of loneliness and hardship. Yet he was determined to get an education. Miles Roston, a documentary filmmaker, first met Kevin while making a film on AIDS orphans. He found that this particular boy touched his heart in a way he hadn't anticipated. Together, they set out to answer "Kevin's Questions" about the AIDS epidemic and more specifically, Kevin's situation. Taking Away the Distance takes us on a singular journey, as powerful policymakers and those working at a grassroots level deal with the direct, and at times confronting, questions of one boy. Along the way, we also meet people directly impacted by the epidemic and face their lives heroically: from children surviving homelessness on Nairobi's streets to a mother on her deathbed whose only thought is how to care for the children she will leave behind. As Kevin and Roston form a bond of love and respect, each learning from the other, we discover just how much our own lives can change if we dare to help.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Filmmaker Roston first met Kevin Sumba in 2001 during the making of 14 Million Dreams, a documentary profiling five children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. By age ten, Kevin had lost both parents to AIDS and has since lived alone in a Kenyan shack without plumbing or electricity. Five years later, Roston returns to the slum where Kevin still roasts peanuts to pay for food, struggles to stay in school, and wonders how to stay alive. Kevin, now 17, is fast approaching manhood in a region where 40 percent of girls his age are HIV positive. He needs answers, but all his community leaders prescribe are abstinence and prayer. Together, he and Roston set out to find answers for Kevin's questions and, in doing so, forge a bond that is both touching and inspiring. Determined to make a difference, Kevin journeys from New York to Nairobi, where he confronts pharmaceutical giants, religious leaders, and powerful politicos in his quest to bring about change in a world where sex is literally a matter of life and death. Recommended for all libraries.--Jeannne Bogino, New Lebanon Lib., New York -- Library Journal, November 15, 2007

About the Author

The Emmy-nominated Miles Roston is a writer and director of films, his most recent being the documentaries Make It Real (to me) for the Sundance Channel, and 14 Million Dreams. Both films dealt with the AIDS epidemic in Africa and its effect on children. Currently he is at work writing and directing a major motion picture, a fable dealing with children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books; 1 edition (November 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786720824
• ISBN-13: 978-0786720828
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,316,355 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars unfortunate and one-sided, August 27, 2010

By 

Kristen Paulsen - See all my reviews

This review is from: Taking Away the Distance: A Young Orphan's Journey and the AIDS Epidemic in Africa Crusade to Unite Children Orphaned by the Epidemic (Paperback)

I ordered this book based on the reviews but was very disappointed. The writing is mediocre. The author pushes a personal agenda without really understanding Kenyan culture. There is one overly simplistic message conveyed in this book -- that to stem the tide of HIV/AIDS, everyone should use condoms. The author makes it his personal mission to convince his Kenyan friends to change their core cultural beliefs, as if his Western belief system is more advanced and theirs primitive. So American.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kevin is in everyone's heart. It just takes listening and a little action to make a difference for the children., January 15, 2008

By 

Keri Douglas (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Taking Away the Distance: A Young Orphan's Journey and the AIDS Epidemic in Africa Crusade to Unite Children Orphaned by the Epidemic (Paperback)

Imagine a child asking you to be honest and tell the truth about HIV/AIDS. It is a bold move and an even bolder move to keep asking the tough questions of world leaders and demanding the answers. "Taking Away the Distance" touches a nerve (or should touch a nerve) in everyone's heart because HIV/AIDS and world leaders have a responsibility to ensure the health and safety of all of the children who through no fault of their own are paying the price of HIV/AIDS epidemic. Miles Roston shares his journey to Africa to film a documentary about the HIV/AIDS epidemic and in the process finds a hero - a young hero - who wants to survive, wants to go to school and more than anything wants to help his community. Kevin and Miles are heros who prove that being honest, having the courage to ask the right questions, do the right thing for all citizens of the world - the rewards are immense. Read "Taking Away the Distance" for inspiration and a little nudge to do what you can do to help. Miles Roston is a filmmaker, author and a humanitarian making the world a better place. Read and enjoy!

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Passionate and sincere, February 5, 2008

By 

Writer - DC (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Taking Away the Distance: A Young Orphan's Journey and the AIDS Epidemic in Africa Crusade to Unite Children Orphaned by the Epidemic (Paperback)

The book is a narrative about a good natured journey to find answers to some of the most pressing questions of the day. And there may be no answers that exist.