When the Stars Fall to Earth [Paperback]

Rebecca Tinsley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 31, 2011

Centered around the plight of five Darfuri refugees, the novel follows the stories of Zara, Ahmed, Hawa, Abdelatif, and Rashid as each of them copes with life- and soul-threatening circumstances. Author Rebecca Tinsley makes their journey the reader s journey, and long after you put the book down the characters will stay with you. Zara, barely escapes from the marauding Arabs and, numb with terror, crouches in a dried up riverbed beneath a rocky pass in the mountains. As the killing helicopter gunship flies overhead, her heart stops as she spies her pink flip flops clearly visible on the open ground near her. Zara, who is unusually gifted with both intelligence and education, hears the steady and calm voice of her grandfather the Sheikh of her village now dead telling her to use both of her gifts. I m going to survive this, she assures herself as she rescues her shoes and resumes her flight toward the uncertain sanctuary of the refugee camp. Ahmed, as fleet of foot as Zara is of mind and a born soccer player, organizes soccer teams in the refugee camp to help the dispirited refugees cope. Now, however, sitting in the stifling interrogation room, Ahmed tries to take his mind off the heat and the pain of the bullet lodged in his hip. Maybe this wound of mine will stop me playing professional soccer, but I can live with that, if it means getting out of here, he thinks. He recalls how the cool dawn air used to feel as he emerged from his hut, back in the village, when he used to run. After the first few paces he would get into his stride, leaving the village behind, like a streak of lightning, like the wind. Free of the cares and woes that plagued him and the rest of his village. His mind and his eyes looking forward, for the future, for hope. Hawa, measured and accustomed to being obedient, accepted the traditional role of a woman in her Darfuri village. Now wounded and damaged, she fights to find the will to live. She finds that will with help from Mary, the Christian nurse, from Ahmed, the optimist and organizer, and even in a backhanded way from Rashid, to whom she had been betrothed. The pain returned when she pulled herself upright, but Hawa felt strangely triumphant. I survived, she thought. I made it and I m here and I survived. They re not going to destroy me that easily. Ultimately, she goes far beyond finding the will to live: she develops into a strong leader who takes on the task of helping her people to learn and develop a new way of thinking and living. As Rebecca Tinsley guides us through each character s journey, we learn about the politics of violence and genocide, about the pain and terror of the African Wild West and about the hope, burning like a beacon in the night, that drives these young Darfuris to fight for their country, fight for their freedom, and fight for their lives.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Young people in Darfur have had their lives stolen away from them whilst the world has watched. Rebecca's book takes us on their journey and lets us listen to their unbelievable stories, encouraging all of us to act to ensure that the people of Darfur can live in peace and dignity. --Sir Richard Branson

One night recently, I was unable to sleep and I turned on the television. There you were on Book TV giving the most mesmerizing talk about your experience in Africa and specifically in Darfur. One sentence stayed with me: I was born White and healthy and in North America...it doesn't get better than that... The next day, I ordered your book from Amazon.com and I cried when I thought of the Hawas and Ahmeds and other characters because I know you were recounting stories of real people. The unfortunate thing is that there will always be the traitors who sell out their own people for worldly gain. Your book tells a powerful story and I want to thank you for your dedication and caring heart. God will have a crown with many stars for you. I did not realize that there were architects behind the genocide and it was mind-boggling. I am originally from the Caribbean island nation of Antigua and Barbuda and I migrated to America many years ago to gain an education and a better life which I have since achieved in spite of the obstacles. Yet when I think of the Marys and others who sacrifice so much, my obstacles are nothing compared to theirs. I am motivated to help in any small way that I can and I intend to go to the websites you have provided as resources. Thank God that South Sudan is now a new nation and I am sure that you and others like you were instrumental in bringing about change. Too many of us are unaware of the horrors that so many face from day to day. Thank you for caring. Thank you for sharing. May God Bless You abundantly. --Shirley Jarvis

We owe so much to Rebecca Tinsley and others like her who devote their lives to advocating for the voiceless, the persecuted, the tortured, and the murdered in the world's forgotten places. Her book When the Stars Fall to Earth is a gripping, honest and ultimately life-changing tale. It is a wake-up call to all who read it, and a reminder that the worst sin we as Americans and Westerners can commit is to turn away, close our eyes and ears, and fail to act in the face of such suffering. Regardless what affluent circumstances we ourselves may live in, it is always important to remind ourselves that: There, but by the grace of God, go I. --Kathleen Tobin Krueger, wife of Ambassador Robert Krueger

About the Author

Rebecca Tinsley is a three-time novelist, a lawyer, a journalist, and a tireless worker for human rights. Today her work is concentrated in Africa. This work is not only her passion but the main focus of her life. Born in Canada to an English father and an Irish Canadian mother, she has spent a great deal of her life confronting prejudice and the architects of genocide. At age 15, she appeared on TV attacking apartheid. She was once arrested for participating in a protest against apartheid. In the meantime, she had an education to acquire, and a degree in Law from the prestigious London School of Economics. Initially, the Liberal Party seemed to offer the most rational political path toward social justice, and she stood twice for Parliament though was never elected. She continues to play a role as a gifted speechwriter for politicians she supports and is a free-lance journalist covering countries with political stories she thinks important. As a BBC reporter, she decided to take an activist role in Bosnia and Kosovo. Lessons learned from Auschwitz survivors had persuaded her that people who have lived together for long periods of time can be divided by ruthless politicians greedy for power and wealth. Bosnia revealed the same pattern. In Bosnia, Rebecca not only reported what she saw but also initiated programs to soften the damage. This experience led her to understand the pattern of genocide: First, organize your group and arm them. Second, create a disinformation crusade on the weaker group, and expose them to ridicule. Show how their very existence threatens you and your family s jobs and welfare. Finally, begin your enemy s extinction by driving the survivors to panic and leave. In Africa, focusing her attention on Rwanda, she saw the patterns of genocide repeated. She sharpened her activist approach by providing concrete assistance to genocide survivors. She organized Waging Peace, a human rights organization to make people aware. She took on countless speaking engagements to raise money to create schools and places of refuge for the orphans. While occupied with Rwanda, Tinsley heard rumors of what was going on in southern Sudan and Darfur. When she was offered a chance to see firsthand what was happening in Darfur, she took it. Denied permission to re-enter Sudan, Rebecca was forced to confine her visits to refugee camps along the border and to rely on others to carry out her programs of information and refugee assistance within Darfur. What she learned conformed in large part to the pattern of genocide she observed elsewhere, except that in the case of Darfur religion played a minor role. The oppressor and the oppressed are both Muslims. Both racial groups are black, and a foreigner might not recognize any difference between the groups. But the Arabs of northern Sudan have always had the upper hand. But Darfur is resource rich, and the Sudanese rulers wanted the rich farm land found there and they wanted it without sharing with the southern tribes. Disinformation programs were launched. The slow attrition of the people began, with the survivors leaving their lands and homes behind and streaming into refugee camps. At first world governments looked the other way, as they had in Bosnia and Kosovo, as they had in Rwanda, Burundi, and elsewhere. But gradually Waging Peace, the organization she had organized and other groups got the word out. The novel grew out of experiences in the refugee camps, from interviews with the survivors.

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: LandMarc Press; first edition (March 31, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0984512950
• ISBN-13: 978-0984512959
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #861,006 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling and inspiring March 17, 2011

By Anonymous

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Seldom have I read a story that is so compelling and inspiring. Ms. Tinsley's prose weaves a tale of survival and hope that is both enlightening and deeply moving. The characters are heartbreaking in their simplicity and idealism, and truly heroic in their struggle to restore peace to a land so ravaged by internal terrorism. Very,very timely and important story. Highly recommended!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What is really happening. April 25, 2011

By B. Bauer

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have recently been to Darfur as a mental health professional and found Ms. Tinsley's book to be an accurate representation of the conditions in the area. I encourage anyone interested in Sudan or Africa in general, to read this. It is well written and keeps the reader's interest throughout.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A good novel about an important issue May 4, 2011

By TimJones

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This was well worth reading, making points that need to be made in a powerful and effective way. I am recommending it to friends.