A Long Walk to Water Summary

A Long Walk to Water is a story based on true events by Linda Sue Park. It tells the tale of a boy named Salva who lives in Sudan during a time of war. In 1985, when Salva is just eleven years old, he gets separated from his family because of the fighting. He has to walk a long way with other people from his Dinka tribe to find safety.

Salva's journey takes him through Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya. He faces many challenges, like hunger, fear, and the hot sun. Despite these hardships, Salva is brave and keeps moving forward.

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The story also introduces Nya, a girl who walks every day to get water for her family. Her life is hard, too, as she has to deal with thorns and the heat while carrying heavy containers.

Later, Salva moves to America and starts a project to dig wells in Sudan to help people get clean water. This shows how he wants to make a difference after all he has been through. The book teaches us about courage, hope, and the importance of water in people's lives.

Salva was scared and alone. He had been walking with a group of people, but when it got dark, they stopped. Some men told everyone to gather by their villages to find familiar faces. Salva heard people calling for his village, Loun-Ariik, and felt relieved. He found some villagers but not his family. They spent the night by the road, and the next day, they started walking again.

Suddenly, they saw soldiers called rebels. The rebels were fighting against the government. Salva was scared when a soldier pointed a gun at him, but the soldier just told him he was still a child and sent him to the group of women and children. The men had to carry heavy supplies for the rebels, and Salva felt sad and worried about what would happen next.

That night, Salva woke up to find everyone had left him alone in a barn. He felt scared and confused. He saw a woman nearby and was relieved she was from his tribe. She gave him peanuts to eat and asked where his family was. Salva didn’t know. The woman said she had to leave because the pond was drying up and it was too dangerous for him to stay with her. Salva felt lost and didn’t know what to do next.

Salva was sitting in a barn, looking outside as it got darker. He heard voices and saw a group of people coming toward him. He noticed that some of the men had special scars on their foreheads, which meant they were from the Dinka tribe, just like him. He hoped his family might be with them.

In another part of Sudan, Nya was helping her mother. They lived near a big lake, but they had to move there because of fighting between tribes. Nya's job was to fetch water, which took a long time. She dug in the clay until water seeped in, but it was muddy and dirty.

Back in 1985, Salva was walking with a group of Dinka people. He felt very hungry and tired. One day, a young man named Buksa heard a bird and followed it to a beehive. They smoked the bees out to get honey, but the bees got angry and stung everyone! Even though they got stung, Salva thought the honey was delicious.

Every day, Salva looked for his family in the group, but he never saw them. He kept hoping to find them as they walked together, trying to stay safe from the war.

Salva and Marial became friends while walking together. They were the same age and walked side by side, matching each other's steps. One day, Salva asked Marial where they were going. Marial said they were heading east to Ethiopia, another country. Salva felt scared because he thought he would never see his family again if he left Sudan. Marial tried to cheer him up, saying that if they kept walking east, they might come back to Sudan and find their families.

As they traveled, they entered the land of the Atuot people, known for their fierce lions. Salva often heard the lions roaring at night, which made him nervous. One morning, Salva was surprised to see his Uncle Jewiir, who had been in the army. Salva was happy to see him but worried about his family. Uncle promised to take care of Salva.

Uncle had a gun and hunted for food. He caught a young antelope, and everyone enjoyed a big meal. But Salva ate too quickly and got sick. They continued walking, always on the lookout for lions. One night, after a long day of searching for water, Salva fell asleep. When he woke up, he learned that something terrible had happened to Marial, and he felt very sad.

Marial was gone, and everyone was scared. He had disappeared at night, and it was likely a lion had taken him while the group was sleeping. Salva felt very afraid, but his Uncle tried to comfort him. He promised to keep watch and said they would soon be safe. Salva was sad because he had lost his family and now his friend Marial too.

As they traveled, the land became greener, and they could smell water. Uncle told Salva they were going to cross the Nile River, which is very big. They would use canoes made from reeds. Salva felt tired and worried, but he helped gather reeds for the boat builders. Watching them work made him feel a little better.

After two days, the canoes were ready. Salva got into one with his Uncle. They paddled for hours until they reached an island where fishermen lived. The fishermen shared food with them, and Salva enjoyed eating fish and sugar cane. He remembered happier times with his family, especially when his dad brought home mangoes. But soon, mosquitoes swarmed around them, making it hard to enjoy the night.

Salva was having a really tough time. All night, he tried to swat away annoying mosquitoes that kept buzzing around him. By morning, he was covered in itchy bites, especially on his back where he couldn't reach. The group got into boats to cross the Nile River, and they were warned to bring enough water for their journey. Some people had containers, but others had to use pieces of their clothes to carry water.

Meanwhile, in another part of Sudan, Nya's family had just returned to their village. One day, a jeep arrived with visitors. Nya was shy and stayed back while the men talked to her uncle about water. Nya knew there was no water nearby, just a pond far away.

Back in the desert, Salva was struggling to walk. The ground was hot and rocky, and his shoes fell apart. He had to walk barefoot, which hurt a lot. He was very thirsty and had to make his water last. When he stubbed his toe and hurt himself, he felt like crying. But his uncle encouraged him to keep going by pointing out small goals ahead. They finally reached a place to rest after a long, hard day.

Salva was feeling sad because he had to say goodbye to his Uncle. They were in a tough situation, trying to survive in a desert. Salva hoped his Uncle would find his parents and tell them where he was. They hadn’t eaten for two days, and their water was almost gone. Then, they found a dead bird to cook, but before they could eat, some armed men showed up. The men were scary and took Uncle away, tying him to a tree. Salva was scared but felt a little safe because he was small. Sadly, the men shot Uncle, and Salva was left alone with the group.

After that, Salva felt stronger inside, even though he was sad. He knew he had to keep going to the refugee camp. When he arrived, he saw so many people! It was overwhelming. He was separated from the group he traveled with, but he still hoped to find his family. He promised himself he would look for them.

Meanwhile, Nya was working hard in her village, helping to clear land for a new water project. She saw men bringing in big machines to help dig for water. Everyone was working together, and Nya felt hopeful about the future.

In 1985, a boy named Salva was in a refugee camp in Ethiopia. He was all alone because his family had been killed in a war. Salva felt very sad and scared, but he remembered what his uncle had told him: to take things one step at a time. He decided to focus on getting through each day.

Years later, in 1991, Salva learned that the camp was going to close, and everyone had to leave. Soldiers came and forced people to leave the camp and cross a dangerous river called the Gilo. The river was very strong and had crocodiles in it. People were scared and many were hurt or killed as they tried to escape.

Salva jumped into the river to survive. He struggled to swim and almost drowned, but he made it to the other side. Many others were not so lucky. After crossing the river, Salva decided to walk to Kenya, where there were refugee camps. He became a leader for a group of boys who were also trying to find safety. They worked together, sharing food and helping each other, even when things got tough. Salva was determined to keep everyone safe and reach Kenya.

Salva was a young man who helped other boys in his group while they traveled to Kenya. He remembered his family and how they cared for him. He often told the boys to take things one day at a time, just like his Uncle had taught him. After a long journey, over twelve hundred boys made it to Kenya safely.

Meanwhile, in another part of Sudan, Nya watched as workers drilled for water. On the third day, water shot up from the ground, but it was muddy. Everyone was excited, but Nya was worried about the dirty water.

Years later, Salva was living in a refugee camp in Kenya. It was a hard place with many people and not enough food. Salva wanted to learn English and dreamed of going to America. One day, an aid worker named Michael offered to teach him. Salva worked hard and learned to read and write.

Then, a rumor spread that some boys would be chosen to go to America. Salva hoped he would be picked. Finally, one day, his name was on the list! He was going to New York! Salva felt a mix of excitement and disbelief as he prepared for this new adventure.

Salva took care of his old clothes, but they were worn out and had holes. At the camp, workers gave out clothes, but there were never enough. One day, Salva got a big pile of new clothes, including underwear, socks, sneakers, and even a jacket for winter in America. He was surprised to learn he had to wear all of them at once!

When Salva got on the plane in Nairobi, he was amazed. Everyone had a seat and luggage. The plane took off with a loud roar, and Salva looked out the window. The world below looked tiny, like a big puzzle. A flight attendant offered him a drink, and he chose Coca-Cola, which reminded him of happy times with his family.

Salva flew on three planes to reach his new home. When he landed in Rochester, New York, he felt nervous. What if his new family didn’t like him? But when he saw them waiting for him, he felt relieved. They were friendly and had more warm clothes for him.

In Rochester, everything was different. There were no dirt roads, and it snowed a lot. Salva worked hard to learn English and joined a volleyball team. He dreamed of helping people in Sudan one day. Then, he got an email saying his father was found in a clinic. Salva was excited but knew he still had to learn more about his father’s situation.

Salva wanted to travel to Sudan to find his father, but it was really hard because of the war. He had to fill out many forms and arrange flights and rides in a place with no airports or roads. Salva and his friends spent months making plans. He worried he might be too late to find his dad. Finally, he flew to different cities and took a jeep through the dusty roads of Sudan. Everything looked familiar, but also different.

When Salva reached the hospital, he found his father, Mawien. They were so happy to see each other after almost 19 years! Mawien had been very sick but was getting better. Salva learned that his mother and sisters were safe, but two of his brothers had died in the war. Salva promised to visit them when it was safe.

Back in America, Salva wanted to help the people of Sudan. He worked hard to raise money for a project. He spoke to many people, even though he was nervous. He remembered how he used to lead boys during tough times, which gave him courage.

Meanwhile, Nya's father was building a school in their village. This school would help all the children, including girls, to learn. Everyone was excited about the new well that would make getting water easier.

Nya was excited when she reached the front of the line for water. Her uncle was working the pump, and she smiled at him. As he moved the handle up and down, water flowed out. Nya quickly filled her bottle and took a drink. The water was cool and clear, much better than the muddy pond water. Everyone around her was happy, drinking and laughing. An old man nearby shared a funny memory about bonfire celebrations they used to have there.

Nya thought about how the new well would change their lives. Soon, she and her friends would go to school, and there would be a marketplace for buying and selling things. The well would help everyone, and people would come from far away for the clean water. Nya learned that the crew leader, Salva, was from a different tribe called the Dinka. Even though the Dinka and Nuer tribes had been enemies, Salva decided to help the Nuer by bringing water.

Feeling brave, Nya walked over to Salva and thanked him for the water. He smiled and introduced himself. This moment made Nya feel hopeful about the future.

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