All around her, people are dying of a mysterious disease and Auma has no idea why. She dreams on one day becoming a doctor and being able to save her friends and village. But before she gets the opportunity, her father becomes ill as well. Money is dwindling and her brothers and sisters still need to eat. 

Auma's story takes place as the AIDS epidemic tears through Africa, misunderstood, feared and barely acknowledged the illness spreads quickly. Auma's story gives a voice to those affected and broadens awareness.

Set in 1980s Kenya, 13 year old Auma has aspirations of becoming a track star so that she can get a scholarship to med school and help support her family. When people in her village begin dying suddenly and mysteriously, she’s even more inspired to find a way to help. 

This was a really interesting look at a time period and location that aren’t given a lot of focus in books. I’ve always learned about AIDS history and stories from people in the USA or the UK during the 80s, most of which cases were tied strongly to the gay community. This book shows how the devastating virus spread throughout the village and how stigmas and worries were closely tied to AIDS in this area but in a different way. I also liked that the book showed the traditions of mourning and burial. Odhiambo wrote what she experienced, and it shows with how vividly things were described and crafted. 

The only thing that I really struggled with during the book was the weird tone of misogyny and victim-blaming. Auma’s brothers have to come and stand guard while she collects fire wood. Boys at school taunt her about not having a boyfriend and when one boy chases after her, she runs away from him. She later says that she couldn’t tell her parents about it because they would whip her if they knew how close the boy got and blame her for egging him on somehow. She has to run away from rapists and hope that her family doesn’t whip her for disrespect. I know it was an accurate depiction of that time, so maybe it was meant to make the reader feel upset, but I couldn’t help but feel like the way something were described condoned or dismissed them as normal. It left me feeling very uneasy that a young girl may pick up this book and somehow glean those same ideas from it. 

Overall, this was an interesting book that exposed me to a lot of culture, customs, and history that I did not know about before.

This is from an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher.

This story is set in Kenya, a nation of almost fifty million people, mostly Bantu and Nilote, but an assortment of many others, too. It sits on the east coast, right below the spike that's known as the Horn of Africa. Kenya is home to Turkana Boy, a 1.6-million-year-old Homo erectus fossil. It's also home to the third largest AIDS population in Africa, but it's one that of late, has seen some success in battling this deadly infection.

This was a depressing story about the appalling AIDS epidemic in Africa which hosts about 15% of the world's population, but is home to almost seventy percent of the world's AIDs victims. This story makes that cold statistic real in both mind and heart as it tells of the life of young Auma, a child who was not thought likely to survive birth, but who grew smart, strong, and ambitious. She wants to be a doctor, and sees her performance at track as a ticket to getting the education she needs to follow her dream, but the powers that be want to see her neutered by being married off at fifteen.

We learn of her harsh schooling, and her living conditions which are primitive to us, but sadly all-too-normal for too many African children. Auma never loses her way, though. She is determined and steadfast, even when AIDS, which the locals euphemistically and with rather gallows humor label 'Slim', comes calling at her door, first taking her father and then seeing her mother fall ill.

It's good that Auma has the stamina of an athlete, because this isn't a US TV show where everything is wonderfully wrapped-up in thirty minutes, and all familial spats are resolved with joyful outcomes. This is Africa - a terra incognita to us spoiled-rotten westerners, and Auma's story is about the real world, not about the cozy fictional one with which we proudly cosset our so-called civilized selves.

I noted that some other reviewers have set this story in the 1980's, but (and I admit I may have missed it) I got no sense of when this took place at all from the actual writing. There are no temporal markers in the small village of Koromo: neither cell-phone nor landline, neither flat-screen TV nor any sort of TV or radio. There's no electricity, no running water, unless you count running down to the river and then boiling the water you bring back. There is no sense of an outside world because the world was the village to these people and very few left it.

They did talk about AIDS and HIV though, and those names did not come into use until the mid-1980s, and would doubtlessly not have been in common use in Africa until later, despite HIV first arising there. So saying this was set in the 1980's seemed to place it a bit too early to me, especially since there are, in Auma's story, medications available even in Kenya, to help combat the effects of AIDs.

The amazingly-named author, who is an associate professor at Shippensburg University (she has a doctorate from Tennessee State) grew up in Kenya, and she talks of paying for school education. Since 2003, education in public schools in Kenya has been free and compulsory, so it would seem that the story takes place sometime in the nineties at a rough guess, but in the end it really doesn't matter, because the problem is the same regardless of when the story actually takes place.

In terms of the presentation, this was another ARC provided via Amazon's crappy Kindle format, which is probably the worst medium (aside from mailing a hand-written copy! LOL!) for presenting a review copy, I urge publishers not to use Kindle format, but instead to go with PDF or with Nook format, both of which are significantly superior to Amazon's sub-standard system.

Overall, the layout of the book was good, but true to form, Kindle screwed-up the image which was used as a section divider in this novel. Instead of it being a small rectangle between sections of text, it occupied a whole screen on my phone. It did better in the Kindle app on an iPad, although why there is a difference between the two, I cannot say - except that they are both using the same crappy Kindle app!

The other instance of Kindle's poor formatting was where I read this: "Good morning, Class Seven," Mrs. Okumu greeted us." The children responded, "Good morning," but the one 'Good morning' was superimposed atop the other instead of being on the next line! I've never seen that before. I have no idea how it even happened. But like I said, these are not problems with the writing or the plot, so they weren't an insurmountable chore to deal with (and certainly not in comparison with what Auma had to go through!). It was a reminder of how Kindle simply isn't up to handling graphics of any kind and in some instances, plain text! That's not on the writer or on the story though, so it doesn't affect this review.

The only writing issue I encountered was a trivial one, but it did stand out to me. At one point I read "My legs burst forward, dashing to save Mama from Akuku. I sped ahead, my heels kicking up fresh dirt." The problem with this is that your heels don't touch the dirt when you're sprinting! Like I said, trivial, but everything is worth expending some thought on when you're a writer. Overall though, this is a worthy read and (I have to say this!) I urge everyone to read it and weep.

I liked this story and recommend it as essential reading. We can't forget about this. We can't forget that while we wallow in pampered luxury, there are others - far too many others - who struggle every day. Even without the disease, Auma's existence was precarious and heart-breaking. The disease was like a bully playing cruelly on an already deprived life, yet Auma never broke under the weight of this brutal burden she carried. This story is well-worth reading and ought to be required reading.

When we think of AIDS in Africa, the word 'hope' is not one that often comes to mind. It's more like 'absolute desolation.' And I think the media portrayal of "the third world" has taken so much humanity out of how we look at it. I went into Auma's Long Run looking for more, but not knowing what I'd get out of it.

This book is full of death, especially for MG fiction. Odhaimbo doesn't gloss over what is happening--the lesions, the weakness, the bodily functions. As an educator, her goal is to educate, and so that is what she does. She grew up in Kenya in the 80s, like Auma, when "Slim" was still so unknown, where children learned in school about the disease and then had to try and talk to their parents about it. Could you even imagine? We have a hard enough time trying to explain how the new iPhone works to them!

But there IS hope in Auma. So much hope. That's what makes this story so compelling, and why I finished it so quickly. Even as so many people in her Kenyan village were dying, that only drove her forward to find out what was causing it. At 15 she has to balance so much--school, work, family...starvation. That's so much for a teenager to have on her plate! Her focus just impresses me so much.

We learn about HIV/AIDS in school now, but there's still so much stigma around it, especially when it comes to how we view the epidemic in African countries. Maybe Auma's story can help reduce that stigma, and show us the human side.

This is a stirring and well-written story.  I think many readers will identify with Auma's situation, and her determination.

I'm glad I had a chance to read this wonderful story. Female characters are very inspiring, and the book is much needed in these times of uncertainty.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* 'Auma's Long Run' tells the story of a young Kenyan girl, Auma growing up in the village of Koromo in the 1980s, just as the HIV/AIDS epidemic is beginning to take hold. Auma is the eldest of four children and she must balance her duties to her family, with her desire to get a track scholarship to high school and go on to become a doctor. The novel is told from Auma's perspective and deals with the stigma and false information surrounding the disease, which the villagers refer to as 'Slim,' due to its impact on the sufferers' bodies. It also looks at the struggle of young girls like Auma who have to fight cultural expectations and traditions if they wish to get an education. At times heart-wrenching and others, uplifting. A recommended read for both teenagers and adults.

In Auma's African village people are dying at an alarming rate.  When her father comes home from his job in Nairobi, to never return, Auma's life is changed irrevocably.  As she witnesses the mysterious disease firsthand, Auma questions what is really happening to the adults in the village.  Why are the elders and children being spared as adults succumb to the illness?  Auma is determined to filter through misinformation and superstition to find a way of helping her family and someday the people in her community.  Through her running she hopes to win a scholarship to secondary school and later college so she can become a doctor and find a cure for the devastating illness AIDS.

This is a powerful story that shows the plight of many children.  How do you survive when the adults around you are dying of AIDS?  How do you survive as orphans with limited prospects for the future?  My heart was breaking for Auma as she constantly had to push against cultural norms for females in her culture.

This would be a wonderful read for a book group with not only the topic of AIDS, but also health care, education, and cultural expectations in different parts of the world.  I would recommend to anyone upper middle grade to adults.  Thank you Eucabeth Odhiambo for this amazing book.

​

Auma's Long Run
by Eucabeth Odhiambo
Lerner Publishing Group
Carolrhoda Books
Children's Fiction , Middle Grade
Pub Date 01 Sep 2017
Archive Date 15 Aug 2017
I am voluntarily reviewing a copy of Auma's Long Run through Lerner Publishing Group and Netgalley:
Auma was born face down, the midwife believed that she was dead.  Everyone in Koromo believed that babies born face down wouldn't live to see the second day of life, but Auma proved them wrong.
No one remembered her learning to walk, Auma ran.  But one day her legs start acting, she longs for running shoes.  Not only is Auma the fastest runner in school but she excels in academics as well.
Soon people all over Kenya start dying without explanation.  Auma does not dream of running though she dreams of being a doctor.
Some doctors are quick to say its Malaria, but Auma soon learns it is not Malaria but a new disease called AIDS.
Just a few months after her Baba comes home from work in the city, he too is dead from the new disease called AIDS.
Many men believe if they sleep with a virgin they will be cured, and while fetching water Auma is nearly raped.
Soon her Mother becomes ill as well and Auma has to quit school to help with the family.
I give Auma's Long Run five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!

A devastating story, yet Auma is filled with strength and determination but is also responsible and sometimes does what she doesn't want to do, but must to help her family. Fortunately the ending gives you (and Auma) a thin slice of hope.

Auma is a great, talented runner. She is a strong, responsible, determined young lady. It is sad that AIDS effects her father.

This is a very powerful story that will lead to discussions that must be had. It is also very well written. I do think the subject matter is not suitable for elementary age children, but I do think it is very appropriate for junior high. I noticed the age level stated third grade. I would not allow 3rd or 4th graders to read this. I'm not sure about 5th.

This is a children's books that could be useful in schools to help in the discussion about AIDS and STIs. In Kenya's society, most of the teachers and parents shy ways from having this discussion with the children. Eucabeth Odhiambo portrays this very well in her book, the whispers about the disease.

All the respect to Eucabeth Odhiambo, a teacher of teachers, for writing this powerful book for young readers about a monumentally serious subject: the AIDS epidemic in Africa, and its effects on a generation of orphans. As seen through the eyes of frightened yet capable 13-year old Auma, who lives in a small village in Kenya, where she and her best friend Abeth attend KaPeter Primary School. I loved how Auma's parents spoke to her in ways that made her feel loved and special, but also motivated her to work hard. I noted with appreciation how her brothers, though clearly growing into young men, were not too proud to help their sisters with what's considered women's work. It is such a shame that plagues do happen, and that survivors are made to suffer and sacrifice, but somehow still this book is actually uplifting!

E ARC from Netgalley.com

Auma has a very fortunate life in her Kenyan village. Her father works in Nairobi, but comes home from time to time, bringing presents and encouraging Auma in her dream to be a doctor. Because he earns a good income, she is able to afford to go to school. When he comes home this time, however, he stays for longer, and is suffering from an undisclosed illness. Is it malaria? Many people have been dying in Auma's village, which makes her want to pursue medical studies even more, especially when Mama Karen tells her about a new disease that seems to be striking many people, especially those who work in large cities, like Auma's father. It is the "slim disease" or AIDS, and weakens people so much that they die from a number of unrealated causes. When her mother also becomes ill, Auma tries to locate a treatment for her, but ends up with her grandmother after her mother's death. Her grandmother wants her to marry, but Auma is not willing to give up her dream of being educated. Thanks to her athletic ability, she is granted a scholarship to high school. She is sad to leave her younger sister and grandmother, but knows that getting an education is the only way to make her life better. 
Strengths: Excellent #ownvoices look at Kenya at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. This is something that students today hear very little about. I also think it is important for my students to understand that in other places in the world, people have to pay to go to school. The details of every day life are also exquisite; we need more books set in other parts of the world that talk about how other tweens live. Great cover. Pair this with Jan Michael's City Boy (2009), about AIDS in Malawi and how it affects families there. 
Weaknesses: The running isn't talked about as much as the cover and title would indicate. 
What I really think: Well written, engaging, a great length. I hope to see more books by this author!

This is a sobering, but important, look at how HIV/AIDS impacted Kenyan citizens in its infancy. Auma's story highlights the lack of education and misinformation surrounding the virus, and gives insight into one way in which the spread so rapidly. The impact on Kenyan children, who were forced to grow up and take on responsibility for their families, was hard to absorb, but the hope that Auma had for her future was inspiring. This was an excellent read, and I'd definitely recommend it.

From the beginning this book does a wonderful job of imagery, which will be jarringly unfamiliar for American children. At the beginning of the book, Auma lives relatively happily in her family compound (although she is beaten by a teacher for not finishing a race fast enough) amidst the unexplained deaths happening in her village. Auma isn't like most other girls in her village (where the school has no electricity). She wants to become a doctor, which will require her to leave the area and earn a scholarship. The AIDS epidemic is invading her rural village, but no ones knows what exactly how the disease is spread, although whispered rumors abound. Life for Auma changes drastically after her own father dies of AIDS and her mother also becomes ill. Her family's situation is desperate, and Auma tries to keep everything together for her siblings. Nothing about her life is easy or fair--her mother confides to her that her father had a mistress in the city that had given him AIDS and he'd infected her as well. Auma has to reconcile her anger and feelings of betrayal while figuring out a way to help her remaining family survive without completely abandoning her dreams.

What an impressive debut novel! This book delves into a challenging reality faced by many, with engaging well developed characters, while offering hope for exploring new approaches.

An engaging and interesting book that younger children would really love.