The Bitter Side of
Sweet by Tara Sullivan is a
powerful book with memorable characters. Two brothers, 15 year old Amadou and 8
year old Seydou, are forced to work harvesting pods of cocoa. The dangerous conditions – long hours, poor
food, no schooling – are sad and disturbing, yet Amadou somehow holds to an
inner core of goodness and works hard to protect his younger brother.
His ability to get to a quiet place and cope with the
situation is shaken by the arrival of Khadija, a “wildcat” of a girl who tries
to escape repeatedly. Eventually, they
form a connection strong enough to cope with a serious injury for Seydou and to
ultimately defy the bosses. The Bitter
Side of Sweet is emotionally
difficult to read at times, but could work as a class read (like assigning A Long Way Gone a few years ago), especially if
studying Africa or human rights and child labor. Sullivan has added to her
success with Golden Boy: The Bitter Side of Sweet received nearly
universal starred reviews.
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