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God Grew Tired of Us
by John Bul Dau



More information on the radar plot criteria

This radar plot is meant to give a graphical representation of the book in question. For a better idea of what each spoke means, see the table below. Also, keep in mind that higher numbers are not necessarily better. Depending on your taste, a 0 may be just as appealing as a 10 (or a 5, etc) in a particular category. (Click to close)


Category 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Maturity 18+ 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8
Violence Excessive Violence Violent acts (no blood-gore) No Violence
Action Constant Action Even mix of action-drama No Action
Epic Lord of the Rings Epic Large scope, less detailed Limited scope
World Completely unique Half real/half unique Set in our world
Realism Focus outside the realm of accepted science Focus evenly split between explainable-unexplainable Nothing unexplainable - not the focus
Modernity Present Day (or beyond) 1980-1999 1960-1979 1930-1959 1870-1929 1800-1869 1700-1799 1400-1699 200-1399 (1000)-199 Ancient
Humor Laugh out loud throughout Funny (but not primary focus) Intentionally not funny
God Grew Tired of Us tells the story of John Bul Dau, a Christian living in southern Sudan who, at the age of 13, was forced to flee his village in the middle of the night to escape muslim soldiers from the north. In the midst of this civil war, John flees with a family friend named Abraham. With no food or water other than what they can find on the road John, Abraham, and a few other boys make their way to Ethiopia, avoiding djellabas (muslim soldiers) every step of the way. Along this trek, John and his friends are barely able to fight of dehydration, starvation, and several attacks, but they eventually make it to a United Nations refugee camp in Ethiopia. Unfortunately, the political climate changes, forcing them to flee the camp and head to Kenya. As they prepare to leave, Ethiopian soldiers attack the camp, forcing all the lost boys to cross a crocodile infested river as quickly as they can. Many are shot by the soldiers, others eaten by crocodiles, and still more drowned. John, however, survives and begins his journey south. Once he arrives in Kenya, John is able to begin a somewhat more normal life. He is able to start going to school, and to continue his role from the Ethiopia camp as a leader among the lost boys. Eventually, John gets his high school degree, and is given the opportunity to move to the United States permanently. Taking up this offer, he moves to Syracuse, NY where he connects with a church, begins working, and eventually starts taking college courses. Though there were multiple instances of cultural differences that John had to become accustomed to, he was able to settle in nicely and start making a difference to those still in Sudan. In addition to sending money home regularly, John was able to bring his mother and sister to live in the U.S. with him. Furthermore, he began a project to have a hospital built in Duk Payuel, the village he grew up in. At the time of writing, the hospital had not been built, but much of the fundraising was completed. John is also now married, having reconnected with a girl he knew from his lost boys days in Kenya.



The story of God Grew Tired of Us is truly amazing. John suffers so much throughout his journey, but at no point does he lose faith in God. He asks God - why? - many times, but he never stops believing that God is there, somewhere. It is inspiring to think of what he overcame to make it to America, and how hard he now works to improve the lives of those still in Sudan, rather than just enjoying the good life he has now. In spite of the inspiring story, and amazing journey John took, I do not think this is a book I can recommend to anyone that does not have an existing preference for true stories about overcoming difficult situations. I say this because, though it is always clear what is happening to John, the style in which it was written does a poor job of creating an evocative scene for the reader. It surprised me how John and Sweeney were able to take these harrowing events, and write them in such a way that they were not interesting in the least. After all, these things actually happened and the fact that John overcame them should make for a compelling read. Instead, the act of reading them was boring and tedious. Perhaps the film does a superior job of conveying the desperation and hardship the lost boys underwent, but the book fails in this regard. The part where John arrives in America was, in many ways, the most enjoyable to read. Perhaps it was because these were the events freshest in his mind, or because they were the pieces of the story I could most readily relate to. Still, it was fascinating and, at times, humorous to read as John became accustomed to his new life in the U.S. I originally assumed that the title was in reference to the fact that God must have grown tired of the lost boys of Sudan in order to allow all these awful things to happen to them. However, considering John only makes one vague reference to this type of thought, I realized that the title must mean something different. Now, I believe it God grew tired of these boys because, during these events, they prayed and worshipped him so much that He had had enough. Obviously, this is a more tongue-in-cheek interpretation but it seems fitting. Considering his own view on how blessed he was, he never once believed God had forsaken or forgotten about him. Ultimately, God Grew Tired of Us does tell an inspiring, heartbreaking story. Much of the heartbreak and inspiration, however, will come from your own imagination as you read, as the author provides very little to push you along this path. As a result I would not, in general, recommend this book. However, if you are a lover of true life stories of overcoming great odds, and of watching a young man"s faith remain strong in the face of adversity, you will most likely enjoy this book.



\"I did not cry any more. There was no point in tears. One of the other boys whimpered from time to time, though. Desperation takes some getting used to\" (66).

\"Look at me, I said. I am a Lost Boy of Sudan. I have seen my share of death. When I lived in a refugee camp in Ethiopia, the hyenas came at night to feed on the bodies of the friends I had buried during the day. I have seen my village burned by armed invaders. I have been so hungry and thirsty in the dusty plains of Africa that I consumed things I would rather forget. I spent many nights wondering whether my family was alive or dead. I have crossed a crocodile-infested river while being shelled and shot at. I have walked until I thought I could walk no more and surely would die\" (219).



13 - No foul languague, but some graphic imagery, spiritually mature subject



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