Mariatu Kamara with Susan McClelland,
The Bite of the Mango
Annick Press, 2008.

Rating: G-E*

In his introduction, Ishmael Beah writes, “In my culture, every story is told with the purpose of either imparting knowledge, repairing a broken bond, or transforming the listener and the teller. Mariatu’s story embodies all of these elements.”
The Bite of the Mango  is a  heart-wrenching memoir is the story of twelve-year-old Mariatu Kamara’s escape from war-torn Sierra Leone.It traces her childhood in a small rural village in Sierra Leone and the attack, kidnapping and torture she encountered at the hands of rebel soldiers just outside her village.

It goes on to relate the details of her escape through the countryside to the Sierra Leon capital city Freeport.  It chronicles her overcoming physical and mental anguish and her present lifestyle in Toronto where she is a representative for UNICEF’s Children in Armed Conflict branch.

The Bite of the Mango escapes being a maudlin account of war and injuries by focusing on the resilience and triumph of Mariatu Kamara. It is a testament to human will to overcome adversity. In the telling, it does indeed transform both listener and teller. The Bite of the Mango would make an excellent read-aloud story for home or school junior-grade students.

Thematic Links: War; Biography; Sierra Leone; Geography; Quest; Memoir Writing

Gail Lennon
Vol.14, number 2
December 2008

*Rating System:
E - Excellent, enduring, everyone should see it!
G - Good, even great at times, generally useful!
A - Average, all right, has its applications.
P - Problematic, puzzling, poorly presented.