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Chanda's Secrets (Chanda #1)

by Allan Stratton (Goodreads Author)

3.86 of 5 stars 3.86 · rating details · 992 ratings · 179 reviews

"An unforgettable novel about family, loyalty and survival in sub-Saharan Africa -- now a major motion picture."

"Chanda's Secrets" was first published in 2004 to extraordinary international acclaim. It won the Michael L. Printz Honor Book for Excellence in YA Literature, was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults selection and, in France, was a finalist for the Prix Sorcieres....more

Hardcover, 200 pages

Published March 6th 2004 by Annick Press

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Jun 26, 2011 Allan Stratton added it · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Hi,

I'm Allan Stratton, the author of CHANDA'S SECRETS. I love meeting readers and would be happy to answer any questions you might have. Just write me c/o this site, or, if you want to see all the foreign edition covers, at my website www.allanstratton.com Also the movie trailer!

It was made into the movie LIFE, ABOVE ALL (a very close adaptation) that premiered at Cannes, spring 2010, and opens in North America through Sony Pictures Classics, July 2011.

CHANDA'S SECRETS is about a young woman wh...more

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May 08, 2013 Kris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Stratton, A. (2004). Chanda's secret. Toronto: Annick.

Genre: Multicultural

Awards:
Michael L. Printz Honor Award 2005
Independent Publisher Book Awards Winner( IPPYs ) 2005
ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards Winner 2004
CLA Young Adult Book Award Nominee 2005
Nominated to several state book award lists in 2007

Format: Print -paperback

Selection Process: YALSA Teen Book Finder, Bowker Books in Print

Review:
Chanda's Secrets is a gripping tale of 16 year old Chanda, who must deal with more secrets t...more

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Feb 16, 2011 Bianca Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

I find this book very tragic and heart breaking and touching, I couldn't help but cry a little. It has this HEAVY feel that stressed me because it's all about the problems of the character/speaker. I literally think now this is a book of problems. Overall, its a good book you can learn so much from.

The book deals with very sensitive topics such as prostitution, alcoholism, abuse, death,
and above all AIDS/HIV. And to be exposed in such delicate issue when you're just sixteen years old is frighte...more I find this book very tragic and heart breaking and touching, I couldn't help but cry a little. It has this HEAVY feel that stressed me because it's all about the problems of the character/speaker. I literally think now this is a book of problems. Overall, its a good book you can learn so much from.

The book deals with very sensitive topics such as prostitution, alcoholism, abuse, death,
and above all AIDS/HIV. And to be exposed in such delicate issue when you're just sixteen years old is frightening.

Chanda a sixteen year old girl who had no choice but to leap into adulthood and be in charge to take care of her family. When she was introduced into the story, she was the one who arranges the funeral for her one and a half yr.old half-sister Sara (just how many sixteen year old get to arrange funerals- slim to none). A series of bad luck seems to have followed her and her mother right after that. The death of her father and brothers who were killed in a mine disaster, the humiliation and death of her step-father and step-sister, and now the sickness of her mother and best friend, the possibility of she, herself too (having been sexually abused by her step-father when she was young)as well as her two younger siblings. The possibility of receiving a scholarship and attending school is falling from within the reach of Chanda as well. She must become the mother to her siblings and take full responsibility. AIDS is threatening her family and friends and no one wants to talk about it, no one wants to even say the word AIDS.

"Does bad luck make people miserable? Or do miserable people bring bad luck?"

I find this quote very striking. It makes me wonder why some people always get to suffer while some gets the luxury and pleasures in life to the extreme. No, it's not FAIR. But I guess, when you're one of those people who grew up in an unstable family, you would know that the world don't exist to accommodate you. Me, having to grow up without a father's love and support (morally and financially), can make you realize that life is always a struggle. As Jewel would put it - there are a million ways to lack courage, but there are just as many to be heroic. It's up to you as a person how you would view life.

The ending is very satisfying for me. Readers are exposed to the world where HIV/AIDS is a commonplace, but never spoken of. Little is said about those who suffer from this epidemic (except for rumors and secrets spread within the community), which made me realize that the main solution Stratton provided in the end can be very realistic. Since AIDS is inescapable and incurable, you're only best weapon against it is to ACCEPT and NOT be ashamed of it, especially toward the people who had it. It's the social stigma in the setting that made AIDS so much horrible than it already is.

*“The real reason the dead are piling up is because of something else. A disease too scary to name out loud. If people say you have it, you can lose your job. Your family can kick you out. You can die on the street aloud. So you live in silence, hiding behind the curtain. Not just to protect yourself, but to protect the ones you love, and the good name of your ancestors. Dying is awful. But even worse is dying alone in fear and shame with a lie”*

3 and a half stars for Chanda's Secrets.
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Jul 05, 2010 Pam rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, ya

Excellent book about a sixteen-year-old girl who struggles to keep her dream alive of a scholarship and career while living in sub-Saharan Africa in a home that doesn't have electricity nor running water and with the pallor of AIDS overshadowing everything. Despite the hardship and depressing nature of the subject, the heroic character traits of the main character are inspiring. The author did a great job highlighting the dignity amidst a world of sustenance living and hardships we can barely im...more

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Jun 12, 2013 Rin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-literature, contemporary-fiction, realistic-fiction, terminal-illness, african-african-american-literature

This book does a remarkable job with establishing an unfamiliar place and mindset, and it crystal clear in its message. Though I wouldn't hesitate to hand it to a teen, I think some teens will be disinterested in reading a book about HIV/AIDs.

The author did a wonderful job of writing dynamic characters, people capable of both kindness and cruelty, intention and regret. I feel like I can see the small African villages he write about, including the silence and shame surrounding AIDS.

Sixteen-year-o...more

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May 13, 2013 Marc Kohlman rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

What a tragic, encouraging, contemporary and moving book! Read this in my high school book club and I was completely blown away by it. At the center of it is a sixteen-year old sub-Saharan African girl struggling to get a higher education and move up in the world. The main fear Chanda has is of contracting AIDS which is a very real and damaging disease in that part of the world. I admire Chanda for the drive and courage within her. She represents the many children of Africa, especially those try...more

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May 03, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-lit

Oh my goodness! This book was amazing! I was crying like a little baby by the end, wanting nothing more than to help poor Chandra as she braves the rest of the trials that surely await her. It was awesome to watch her grow through the book; in the beginning she runs from the mortuary to seek out her friend Esther, who she knows will provide a shoulder to cry on and will tell her that everything will be all right, but by the end, she is the strong one, the one who is there to hold everyone else u...more Oh my goodness! This book was amazing! I was crying like a little baby by the end, wanting nothing more than to help poor Chandra as she braves the rest of the trials that surely await her. It was awesome to watch her grow through the book; in the beginning she runs from the mortuary to seek out her friend Esther, who she knows will provide a shoulder to cry on and will tell her that everything will be all right, but by the end, she is the strong one, the one who is there to hold everyone else up, even to provide her friend a home. I can't even imagine worrying about AIDS every day of my life, but I am so impressed by her willingness to accept things as they are, not falling into delusions of how she hopes everything should be.

I wish that she had taken the test by the end so that I could know if she was infected. Perhaps the author could provide us with a sequel that answers this question and, assuming she is infected, introduce us to her plan for raising her family and how she plans to take care of them after-death by planning ahead. I don't know what would work well, but I just wish I could read more about this strong young woman.

Out of the entire book, one of the most tender moments, in my opinion, revolves around the most hopeful character, Soly. I can imagine one of my little siblings sitting on a sidewalk, waiting for his mom to come home, and singing one of those little made-up tunes: "Oh, I'm waiting, I'm waiting, I'm waiting, I'm waiting, just sitting here waiting for Mama, just sitting here waiting for Mama, just sitting here waiting, and waiting, and waiting . . . " I can even imagine the tune--still brings tears to my eyes--and the innocence of it all, of this little character who can do nothing but love everyone. This is where I started really connecting to the book. Beautiful!

Warnings:
Violence--There is a bit of violence, or at least descriptions of it from Esther. The violence portrayed in the "drop off" of Jonah by his sister is also violent, as he tries to kill himself with a pitchfork and his sister and her boyfriend end up just leaving him on the road outside of Chandra's house.

Sex--There are a lot of references to sex, especially surrounding Esther. There is also some mention of child-rape by one of Mama's boyfriends. Mama has many relationships that result in children, in and out of wedlock.

Language--For the most part the book is pretty clean, but there are a few swear words here and there (only when appropriate to the situation, in my opinion).

Beware! This book is a tear-jerker!(less)

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Feb 06, 2012 Caterina rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. NUTSHELL: White guy doesn't fail horribly at writing about an African teenager. In fact, the story's pretty awesome. I'll call it a 9.

Who's Chanda, and what are her secrets? The book itself is told from the POV of Chanda, a girl of sixteen living in sub-Saharan Africa, who crashes headlong into the reality of the HIV/AIDS crisis. AIDS carries a heavy stigma where she lives, so much so that her friend Esther's parents were said to have died of cancer and tuberculosis. Esther herself is putting h...more

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Aug 19, 2011 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Extremely harrowing and difficult to read - not because it was poorly written, it wasn't, but because of how squalid, unfair and miserable Chanda's life was. You really got a sense of how close to the truth this story is for a lot of women, the details and circumstances seemed too vivid and specific for them to be entirely made up, and it said at the back that it was inspired by the author's visits to various African countries. I found it kind of horrifying actually. I definitely wouldn't recomm...more

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Aug 06, 2010 Erin Reilly-Sanders rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: foreign, fiction, teen

Out of all the books I’ve read for my South African Children’s Literature Class, this one was the best written in my opinion, although Out of Bounds by Beverly Naidoo was a good second. Unfortunately, it’s not written by a South African author. While he is an outsider from Canada, his works seems well researched, honest, and composed with skill. Perhaps by being an outsider, he is better able to examine important issues or perhaps it is just that he can present them in a way that will better spe...more Out of all the books I’ve read for my South African Children’s Literature Class, this one was the best written in my opinion, although Out of Bounds by Beverly Naidoo was a good second. Unfortunately, it’s not written by a South African author. While he is an outsider from Canada, his works seems well researched, honest, and composed with skill. Perhaps by being an outsider, he is better able to examine important issues or perhaps it is just that he can present them in a way that will better speak to other outsiders such as me. Unfortunately, it could also be part of the general problems that South Africa has with literature- mainly that there is little market, little profit, and little competition despite the noble efforts of organizations such as Biblionef South Africa and IBBY South Africa. While South Africa seems to have a much richer collection of native children’s literature than other African nations, it cannot compare to the huge American, English, and Canadian markets. But whatever the cause, Stratton is able to put together an incredibly believable story with personalities that are supported by a human combination of faults, feelings, and modest heroism. It is easy to understand the characters’ motivations, especially with the acknowledgement of shame about what has been a sensitive subject for so many African nations. Overall, it has cohesiveness to feeling, action, and description of these things that seems lacking in the other works I’ve read. Additionally, it seems important that the author has made the story personal enough to care and broad enough to be concerned by telling an individual’s story about a large-scale issue.

Addendum and Comparison after watching Yesterday, a movie on a similar theme:
Between watching this movie and Hotel Rwanda last night, I was thinking about how little people connect with other people despite advances in technology. Seeing things on the news makes things easy to ignore, especially with the overwhelming flow of information while a book or movie can focus on a small set of people for an extended period of time, forging a stronger bond. In some ways, I felt that a book connection lasts longer while a movie is visceral immediate connection, but departs quickly because of the lack of work the viewer put into the experience. In Chanda’s Secrets, we were able to get to know her intimately, rather than a more superficial visual connection to Yesterday where it mattered that she was pretty and smooth skinned when we first met her. I was also surprised at how reluctant some class members were to see the movie because it promised to be sad. I generally like sad stories myself, as they are usually more true to life and seem to think about life more. It’s sort of a human duty to watch and read unfortunate things, because they are things that discuss people, either realistically or symbolically. During the movie, we talked a little bit about John’s character, as most of us hated him even before he beat her but some of it is not directly his fault. A society which encourages male promiscuity and separates spouses from each other for long periods of time is going to see adultery and spread of STD’s. While the movie tries to win back sympathy for him later, a book may leave more room for thinking rather than instantaneous reaction to visual images.
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Jul 24, 2009 Shel added it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

Stratton, A. (2008). Chanda’s Secrets. New York: Annick Press.

1550378341

Set in an imaginary southern African country, Chanda manages preparing the funeral for her youngest sister, helping a best friend about whom rumors circulate, supporting a weakening mother, and watching many deal with a disease that affects many but remains stigmatized and unnamed. Chanda juggles her secrets with a mix of fear, love and denial. At the source of them all is AIDS, the unnamed killer.

This well-written problem...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Roderick Mcgillis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I ought to have read this book several years ago. Having written an essay in which I present a case for writers from one culture not writing about another culture, I was taken aback at the thoroughness and intensity and diplomacy of this book. It deals with the African AIDS problem honestly and realistically. Set in a fictional country somewhere near Botswana and South Africa, the story follows the daily struggles of Chanda and her family. The story involves disease, alcoholism, unkind gossip, p...more

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Nov 10, 2010 Cashay Sewell added it · review of another edition

Chanda's secret is a truly a must read!!!!...the story by Allan Stratton is fulled with hope and it really is a great book.The story is mainly about a sixteen year old girl who lives in africa and how she has to deal with her mother being sick with AIDS.In the story,chanda describes AIDS as a very horrible thing where she's from.Many people dont speak about it and even saying the word is forbidden.The story takes place in the poor area of africa.Even though the disease was common,many people tri...more

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Mar 07, 2012 Hattie Norman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wednesday, March 07, 2012
CHANDA'S SECRETS by ALLAN STRATTON
After reading CHANDA'S SECRETS by ALLAN STRATTON, I know a little bit about what it's like to walk in the mocassins of someone who suffers with AIDS. After meeting Chanda's family and friends and community, I know it's not a life without tears and fear. The YA novel takes place in Bonang, Africa. Chanda sees her life torn apart by disease. People are afraid of people who have gotten the disease. The people with AIDS are thrown away liter...more

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Dec 05, 2011 Angela Watson added it · review of another edition

Shelves: book-shelf-16-30

Chanda's Secrets by Allan Stratton is a book that takes place in Bonang, Africa and is about a sixteen year old girl who fights to rescue the people that she loves. This book takes place when it was the times of the HIV/ AIDs disease stigma. Throughout the book, Chanda has to go through and confront this stigma of HIV/AIDs as well as deal with the impact of loss, fear of death among family members,the death of those she cares for and just being able to survive. Chanda is just a great girl, who i...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Chanda’s Secrets is quite a sad and tragic story. It is something that I don’t usually read about in books in fact Chanda’s Secrets is the first book I’ve ever actually come across that is about AIDs. I know there’s probably a lot more but this is the first one I have heard of.
Chanda’s Secrets was the kind of book that you knew what was going to happen but you hoped it didn’t. If I had to describe Chanda’s Secrets in one word I would say hopeful. The book is full of hope and hoping.
I liked Chand...more

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Nov 03, 2011 Bernard rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

Readability: 5/5

This was one of the best books i ever read. The book was well-written and it shed an insight into one of the world's biggest problems. HID/AIDS.

Comprehension: 5/5

I was so sad when I read the story, i almost had to cry. It's just sad that how people can get AIDS, but it's life in Africa. Also, Chanda is able to stand up for AIDS instead of hiding away, in which most people now do around the world.

Clarity: 4.5/5

The book was clear, however, the short chapters made it lack the flow....more

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Dec 28, 2008 Kathleen Garber rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens-fiction, favorites

This book was heartbreaking. Although I've read about AIDS I don't know anyone personally who has it (or at least that I know has it) so I've never experienced seeing a loved one deteriorate from the disease. This book almost made me feel like it WAS my loved one(s) who were suffering. The descriptions are amazing but it's not overly descriptive (which I don't like.)

The book isn't set in any specific African country, just a fictional Sub-Saharan one. However the way life is depicted in the book...more

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Nov 20, 2009 Meshay Defreece rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bueatifull-it-made-me-wanna-give-up

I am currently reading this book. It is interesting. Interesting because it makes you wonder about what is going to happen next. But the funny thing was I gave up on it then I started to read the book again. The book is mainly about Chanda's family member secrets exposing. Like her whole life is changing. From the death of her sister to her step father having AIDS too her mothers sudden sickness. Everything is going backwards for her in her life. Even her friends life is wrong. She lost everyone...more

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Jun 09, 2013 Alexis rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Chanda's Secret
Allan Stratton
After reading Chanda's Secret I realized how much I had learned from this book. I took away some life changing tools and experiences to learn from. I truly enjoyed this book and it opened up my eyes to all the different situations people can be put in. This novel is about a young boy in Africa who is faced with many difficulties, forcing him to grow up before his time. He has to take care of this younger siblings and mother who has a terminal blood disease. Diving in...more Chanda's Secret
Allan Stratton
After reading Chanda's Secret I realized how much I had learned from this book. I took away some life changing tools and experiences to learn from. I truly enjoyed this book and it opened up my eyes to all the different situations people can be put in. This novel is about a young boy in Africa who is faced with many difficulties, forcing him to grow up before his time. He has to take care of this younger siblings and mother who has a terminal blood disease. Diving into this book was captivating from the very first chapter. I enjoyed how Chanda became a very complex character as the story progressed. At the start of the book Chanda seemed to be just an innocent young boy but as the story progressed, we got to see deeper and deeper into him. I enjoyed how the topic of terminal illness was relevant in the book but did not consume the entire story line. Topics of friendships growing apart, family instabilities and people changing were written to be very relatable for me dispite his severe situation in Africa. When reading of Chanda's life I realized that no matter where someone lives and what their situation is, people are put in similar situations and we are forced to deal with them in different ways. We must use what we are taught as children, morals and manners, to deal with these difficult situations as best we can. I would recomend this book for a teenage girl with an interest of the issues in other parts of the world such as the many difficulties faced in Africa. Chanda's mother is diagnosed with AIDS as well as many other people Chanda is farmiliar with. This takes a toll on him and causes him to grow up faster than the average young boy we may see in America. Since his mother is terminally ill, he must take care of his younger siblings to elieviate stress on his mother's behalf. These situations Chanda must deal with make the reader feel very sory for him and want to help. After comprehending the weight of Chanda's situation, I realized that there are so many young children dealing with the same thing. This modivates me to want to travel the world and help others at some point in my life and make a difference in the lives of people in need. Over all This book was a very touching and inspiring read. (less)

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Aug 16, 2011 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: multicultural, realistic-fiction, favorites

Chanda is a courageous 16-year-old girl in Africa who discovers that both her stepfather and her mother may have contracted the HIV/AIDS virus. She is eventually able to rise above the tremendous stigma, secrecy and shame she encounters from friends, family and neighbors when she tries to help. I was very moved by this powerful story and would highly recommend it.

Chanda is a very believable character with a wide range of emotions and thoughts. She is a terrific role model for other teens. Altho...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Katie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, young-adult

Sixteen-year-old Chanda must take on the harrowing responsibility of planning her baby sister's funeral, nursing her sick mama, mothering her little siblings, and sheltering her abused best friend--not to mention trying to keep up with school. Compounding her struggles are an obnoxious busybody of a neighbor and an oppressive aura of secrecy and shame surrounding the family. Ultimately Chanda must overcome her own fear of AIDS before bravely confronting the superstitions of her community. With v...more

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Jul 31, 2009 Xing rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After reading the story, Chanda’s difficult situation touched my heart. Chanda’s life is surrounding by tragedy, she bear the continuous death of the people she loves. I feel sad for her situation and all those AIDS victims. The word “AIDS” is unsayable. Many people died from the AIDS, but people use lies to hide the truth of one’s death. Those people are foolish, they afraid of AIDS, they choose no to know the truth. For the AIDS victims, they never try to fight the disease. For them, getting A...more

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Apr 20, 2012 Joy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: secondary, adult, intermediate

There are some books that are truly powerful, that really highlight an issue of universal significance. I don't know anyone who is openly HIV positive or has AIDS, but I know someone who lost her husband as a result of it. This book highlights the feeling of love that overtakes the shame that others try to put on the infected and their families. I'd like to think that we don't act with such prejudice and ignorance in the United States, but I know that isn't true. Chanda's experience in Africa mi...more

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Dec 19, 2012 Niral rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: december-2012, non-fiction, inspirational

This book was about a sixteen-year-old girl who has a hard time trying to get a scholarship and career. She lives in sub-Saharan Africa in a home that has no electricity or running water. Living in such a place she was afraid of getting AIDS. Although she had a very hard and depressing life she had some amazing and heroic characteristics that made her quite inspiring. On the other hand, the book was inspiring but not the kind of book I would usually read. I found it challenging to get through t...more

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Apr 06, 2011 Laura Leonard rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-book, printz-award-winner-honor, realistic-fiction, teen

Set in a small, rural village in Africa where secrets can be devasting and ultimately deadly we learn about Chanda's family. Chanda, is struggling with the fallout of her step-father's secrets and lies. At some point her step-papa, Jonah became infected with HIV and passed it along to Chanda's mother and youngest sister, Sarah. Chanda is torn between keeping secrets or seeking help which would might cause her family to be shunned. Throughout this powerful novel Chanda's strength and loyalty prev...more

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Jun 17, 2013 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Truthfully, I didn't really like this book. reasons:
-The events that happened in the book seemed too squished together. I think it would have benefited from more development.
-So many different things happened within such a short span of time. The message would have been stronger and more affective if they focused on something more specific than the issue of AIDs in sub- saharan Africa.
-The main character didn't seem to deal with sadness or anxiety in a normal way... what I mean is that she didn...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Safraz rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Pretty good story with a lot of suspense and a heartwarming message. The only problems I had with it were that a lot of events felt very transparently staged, like the author abandoned any attempt at subtlety in order to get his readers asking whatever moralistic questions he intended to push in the scene. In fact, in a few scenes he simply has Chanda ask the questions for the readers in the narration. That's forgivable given that this is a YA novel, but those moments happen often enough that I...more

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Jul 18, 2009 Andrea rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 25, 2008 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: teenagers, adults

Recommended to Megan by: the librarian

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book was really good! It brings public awareness to to the effects if the AIDS/HIV virus and teaches readers about the power of love and how important it is to accept the truth, although it may be bad.

In this book, Chanda a sixteen year old girl living with her mother, and 3 siblings in Africa, realizes how important her friends and family are to her. Her little sister dies of AIDS/HIV, which she obtained through her mother. After the funeral Chanda's mother becomes sick, but she doesn't k...more This book was really good! It brings public awareness to to the effects if the AIDS/HIV virus and teaches readers about the power of love and how important it is to accept the truth, although it may be bad.

In this book, Chanda a sixteen year old girl living with her mother, and 3 siblings in Africa, realizes how important her friends and family are to her. Her little sister dies of AIDS/HIV, which she obtained through her mother. After the funeral Chanda's mother becomes sick, but she doesn't know why. They go to a doctor which prescribes medicine that doesn't work as expected. Chanda later finds out that her mother has AIDS/HIV from her previous husband, which he obtained through sleeping around and then coming back to their house, to sleep with her mother. Chanda's mother knows she is dying, so she leaves to do family business, but what Chanda doesn't know is that she's actually going away to die so that the rest of her family wont worry about her.

Chanda is forced to stay and keep her family together while her mother is away. While her mother is away, Chanda's best friend Esther is busy being a prostitute for money to get her brother and sister back from her uncles. Esther ends up being beaten by men and comes to Chanda for help because she really doesn't have anyone or anywhere to turn to. Chanda decides to go to find her mother, and asks Esther to stay behind and watch her younger siblings, Iris and Soly. Esther agrees and Chanda catches the next truck out of town, to Tiro, which where she thinks her mother will be. She arrives in Tiro and goes to her relative's house and they tell her that her mother does in fact have the virus. She goes to where they tell her, her mother is and wants to bring her back home, so she can die surrounded by her family. About a week after arriving back home Chanda's mother is taken by the virus and passes away. Chanda now realizes that it's up to her to raise the family now, and with the strength that her mother gave to her, she can do it.

I think that anyone that enjoys a novel about family and love should definitely read this novel. It was really good, and in the end I actually cried because it was so sad. It’s a great book and one can’t put it down because of that fact that they will want to know what happens next.

Reasons that someone may not want to read this book is because it’s quite long and it may make people upset because of the fact that many people die throughout the book and also because people may be sensitive about the subject of AIDS/HIV.

As stated before, this book is amazing and anyone looking for a good book should really take the time to read it.
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About Allan Stratton

ALLAN STRATTON is the internationally acclaimed author of CHANDA'S SECRETS, winner of the American Library Association's Michael L. Printz Honor Book, the Children's Africana Book Award, and ALA Booklist's Editor's Choice among others. His first YA novel was the ALA Best Book LESLIE'S JOURNAL. His latest, CHANDA'S WARS, a Junior Library Guild selection, won the Canadian Library Association's Young...more

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Quotes from Chanda's Secrets

“Where there is love there is life; where there is life there is hope.” — 6 people liked it

“Save your anger to fight injustice. Forgive the rest.” — 3 people liked it

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Chanda's Secrets (Chanda #1)

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