The Good Braider was selected as the 2013 Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year and a book of Outstanding Merit. In spare free verse laced with unforgettable images, Viola's strikingly original voice sings out the story of her family's journey from war-torn Sudan, to Cairo, and finally to Portland, Maine. Here, in the sometimes too close embrace of the local Southern Sudanese Community, she dreams of South Sudan while she tries to navigate the strange world of America - a world where a girl can wear a short skirt, get a tattoo or even date a boy; a world that puts her into sharp conflict with her traditional mother who, like Viola, is struggling to braid together the strands of a displaced life. Terry Farish's haunting novel is not only a riveting story of escape and survival, but the universal tale of a young immigrant's struggle to build a life on the cusp of two cultures.
About the Author :
Terry Farish is the author of The Good Braider, If the Tiger, and The Cat Who Liked Potato Soup, which won a Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books Blue Ribbon. She also directs the literacy program of the NH Humanities Council and is working with Nepali-speaking people from Bhutan to produce a Bhutanese folktale in Nepali and English. She lives in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Cherise Boothe, an Earphones Award-winning narrator, has worked extensively in theater, film, television, and narration. She has appeared in numerous regional plays, as well as in television shows such as The Good Wife, Law & Order: SVU, and Gossip Girl. She holds an MFA in acting from New York University. She was a finalist in 2015 for the prestigious Audie Award for best multivoiced narration.
Review :
"Cherise Boothe narrates this award-winning story of war, dislocation, and immigration with restrained feeling. Her soft cadence is measured so as not to overwhelm the listener but holds enough vigor to testify to the horrors experienced by Viola, the teenaged protagonist. Boothe's lilting voice captures the Sudanese background of the novel, lacing the speech of the older characters with a slight accent that makes their dialogue authentic. Her vocal dexterity brings this novel alive for the listener. At varying times gentle, angry, and sad, Boothe's narration captures the complexity of this family's journey from Sudan to Egypt to the United States."
-- "AudioFile"
"In The Good Braider, Terry Farish creates a masterful triumph of character and story. Her Viola--strong, frank, tenderly wistful, and brave--is so expressive and endearing, that you will never again encounter a refugee from anywhere without remembering Viola and her family. This is a book of deep understanding and unforgettable empathy."
-- "Naomi Shihab Nye, author of There Is No Long Distance "
"Never exploitative, Viola's viewpoint will grip readers with its harsh truths...Moving and immediate."
-- "Booklist (starred review)"
"Refreshing and moving."
-- "Kirkus Reviews"
"Terry Farish seems to breathe the reader into the emotional spaces of war, exile, and refugee life. Teenaged Viola's flight with her family from Sudan spirals into a search for hope in the face of irredeemable loss. The Good Braider is a delicate, stunning exploration of its young protagonist's life and heart."
-- "Uma Krishnaswami, author of The Grand Plan to Fix Everything "
"The eloquent voice of teenager Viola, a Bari girl from Sudan, is captured perfectly in this free verse novel...Very highly recommended."
-- "Children's Literature"
"Viola's memorable, affecting voice will go far to help students step outside of their own experience and walk a mile in another's shoes."
-- "School Library Journal (starred review)"
