A Long Walk to Water

Salva’s story is the center of the plot. It is he who wanders hundreds of miles through countless obstacles to finally make it to Rochester, New York. He is known as one of the “Lost Boys” from Sudan, so-called because of how they wandered seemingly endlessly to escape the war. He begins his travels in his adolescence and ends them at age 22, when a family in Rochester, New York, takes him in.

The story follows both Salva’s struggles and his coming-of-age story. As the novel begins, Salva is a confused schoolboy following the directions of his teacher. He relies on the kindness of others to survive—first, the group of people who abandons him; then, the old woman who fed him peanuts; and later, his Uncle Jewiir. Near the end of his time in Sudan, Salva has become a leader. He leaves the relative safety of the Kakuma refugee camp, and thousands of boys follow him into the harsh desert environment. His newfound leadership skills indicate his growth throughout the novel, and by the end of the novel, he is in a place where he not only guides others through turmoil but also improves their quality of life with his water program. He is no longer helping others through problems, but he is solving these problems. The empathetic qualities he exhibited in his youth—for example, when he wanted to offer his water to the dying men—have made him a skilled, charismatic philanthropist in adulthood.

Salva’s greatest character strength is his willingness to be patient. Salva is also determined. He never gives up on finding his family, even when his uncle tells him they are most likely dead. His patience and resilience carry him through many trials; he makes it through the desert even when his toe is in great pain, and he finally reunites with his father and the rest of his family. He also wants to help the people of Sudan, suggesting his connection to his culture and his people, despite the difficulties he suffered there. That he builds wells for an opposing tribe suggests that he believes all the Sudanese people deserve a better life, even the tribe responsible for the death of his uncle.