In the Shadow of Death: Growing Up During the Liberian Civil War

by Hans Giplaye

It all started on December 24, 1989. The debris from explosions was landing closer and closer to me. I saw people running and quickly joined them. As I ran from the gunfire, a grenade exploded nearby, and the sound of machine guns could be heard, as well as more explosions. Diving into a pile of dirt, there was momentary silence. I began to crawl toward a burned concrete house through the mix of bullet shells, debris, and blood and body parts. In the distance a mother and child collapsed as I crawled into the building. The sound from the machine guns and rocket grenades fill the air like thunder or a hurricane about to make landfall. But even in the midst of this heavy artillery, the sound that resonated the most was that of the human voice, particularly the cry of women and children.



HANS GIPLAYE was born in Liberia in January 1980, and immigrated to the Ivory Coast as a refugee in 1991. He lived in refugee camps between the Ivory Coast and Ghana before coming to the United States in early 1999. Hans attended Suffolk County Community College on Long Island, NY before transferring to Middlesex Community College in Lowell, MA where he earned an Associate Degree in Nursing. He moved to Grand Rapids, MI and in 2006 graduated with a Nursing Degree from Ferris State University. In 2004 Hans established a nonprofit organization called ACARE HUMAN SERVICES, which help meet the educational, health and socio-economic needs of war victims, particularly the women and children of Liberia. Hans lives in Grand Rapids. He continues his commitment to nursing and helping the sick and vulnerable.



All profit made from book sale will be donated to ACARE HUMAN SERVICES, to help meet the needs of war victims.

140 pages, Paperback

First published December 10, 2012

Reviews

[Craig]

An interesting and sad tale is told by this Grand Rapids nurse as he remembers his life in Liberia in the 1990s. In the Shadow of Death: Growing up during the Liberian Civil War Hans Giplaye tell of the horrors he witnessed firsthand at the hands of the rebels. Such as civilians massacred because they are from a different tribe. He was nine years old when the civil war began, when the war finished he was sixteen and he spent most of his young life growing up during the conflict. Hans and his siblings manage to survive thanks to his uncle whose own family is killed. His uncle leads them all over Liberia searching for peace and safety but often the tranquility does not last long as the rebels or government forces advance and inflict horrific pain and suffering on the local population. Hans’s parents manage to escape to the USA early on in the conflict but due to strict US immigration policies and lack of a stable government in Liberia Hans is not able to reunite with his family for many years. This book gives an interesting firsthand account of the Liberian civil war and tells a bit about the history of Liberia.

[Sue Merrell]

This book is a little rough around the edges. The author, Grand Rapids nurse Hans Giplaye, is not a native English speaker so the grammar and word choice aren't always correct (errors that should have been caught by an editor). But if you can read past that, this is a well-organized tale of a decade of civil war told from the eyes of a young boy who witnessed death and atrocities while hiding out to survive. The details are startling, not only the horrifying description of fingers twitching on a woman who has been gutted by a machete, but also the beautiful scenes of peaceful moments and the joy in little things a child remembers. In a way, the innocence of the simplistic writing style adds to the impact. It is worth your time.

[Jacquie]

This is a tough read, what happened in Liberia was horrific and tragic. I appreciate the author being allowed by the editor to write as he speaks. It makes it more powerful.