A Girl Named Disaster

Nancy Farmer's Newbery Honor book, 'A Girl Named Disaster,' tells the gripping story of Nhamo, an 11-year-old Shona girl in 1980s Mozambique. To escape a forced marriage, Nhamo embarks on a year-long, solo journey across the wilderness to find her father's family in Zimbabwe. This powerful narrative explores themes of survival, cultural identity, and coming-of-age, as Nhamo battles starvation, dangerous animals, and the challenges of integrating traditional Shona beliefs with modern society. Her journey is deeply spiritual, with conversations with ancestral spirits guiding her through immense hardship. Parents should be aware of the intense survival elements and cultural nuances, making it an excellent choice for mature middle-grade readers ready for a rich, immersive experience.

While fleeing from Mozambique to Zimbabwe to escape an unwanted marriage, Nhamo, an eleven-year-old Shona girl, struggles to escape drowning and starvation and in so doing comes close to the luminous world of the African spirits.