{"product_id":"9781922459770","title":"Unknown: A Refugee's Story","description":"\u003cp\u003eA moving, confronting and ultimately uplifting story about a young girl’s escape, with her family, from war-torn South Sudan to Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya, and then to Australia.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn 1996, when Akuch Kuol Anyieth is five, her mother flees to Kakuma with her children, intent on finding safety and freedom for her family, while her husband stays behind in South Sudan to fight in the civil war. The family spends nine years in the camp, eking out an existence amidst famine, disease, unbearable heat, and chronic violence. Despite their suffering, Akuch never loses hope or her sense of humour. She’s a bright student who loves learning and does well at the local school.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn 2005, the family is finally granted a family humanitarian visa to Australia. They are on the way to paradise. But the reality of their new lives in Melbourne is complex. As Akuch’s brother’s behaviour spirals out of control, the family find themselves isolated and struggling with various forms of racism.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBut Akuch is determined. She learns English from scratch, excels in her educational achievements, and tries to live the life of a regular teenager. Above all she does everything she can to help her family emerge from the bonds of violence.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAkuch Kuol Anyieth’s \u003ci\u003eUnknown\u003c\/i\u003e is a remarkable memoir. It’s a homage to the strength of her mother in protecting her family against all the odds, a story of sadness, anger, humour, determination, survival and love.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAkuch Kuol Anyieth\u003c\/b\u003e is a graduate researcher in crime, justice and legal studies. Her research engages with masculinity and domestic violence, examining customary law, pre- and post-migration experiences of South Sudanese families and how they adapt to the western rule of law in the diaspora. She is a frequent contributor to discussions about her community. Her book \u003cem\u003eSouth Sudanese Manhood and Family Crisis in the Diaspora\u003c\/em\u003e was published in February 2021. She lives in Melbourne.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e'This is a compelling story about what it means to be a black refugee in Australia, told with fierce intelligence and urgency. Everyone who has worked with, befriended or cares about our 'unknown' refugees should read Akuch's book.’ \u003cb\u003eAlice Pung, author of \u003ci\u003eUnpolished Gem\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eHer Father’s Daughter\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e‘Heartbreaking. Raw. Real. Unknown is the story every Australian needs to know.’ \u003cb\u003eMichael Mohammed Ahmad, award-winning author of \u003ci\u003eThe Lebs\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e‘\u003ci\u003eUnknown\u003c\/i\u003e is a spellbinding, incandescent book that I simply could not put down. Its power and amazing grace lie in making me realise that I was truly blind, but now, with the unsparing acuity of Akuch Anyieth’s words, perhaps now I can see. Brutal, honest and devastatingly topical, \u003ci\u003eUknown\u003c\/i\u003e needs to be on every school reading list. This is more than a refugee story. It is a passionate appeal for justice, mercy and peace. An absolute triumph.’ \u003cb\u003eClare Wright, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Forgotten Rebels of Eureka\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eYou Daughters of Freedom\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e'Akuch Kuol Anyieth's story is unwavering in its power, insight and grace. A riveting, necessary book.’ \u003cb\u003eSarah Krasnostein, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Trauma Cleaner\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Believer\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e'A remarkable story told by a remarkable woman. This book demands readers to bear witness to the reality of black refugee experience in Australia. A true testament to the strength of a family, told with honesty, clarity, and love.’ \u003cb\u003eSara El Sayed, author of \u003ci\u003eMuddy People\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Text Publishing Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46521721159921,"sku":"9781922459770","price":27.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0674\/5433\/7265\/files\/9781922459770_p0.jpg?v=1765764473","url":"https:\/\/shop.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781922459770","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble","version":"1.0","type":"link"}