Bakhita: A Novel of the Saint of Sudan

I haven't finished it yet but am 3/4 through and really enjoy it. Great writing and description.

Very well written. Bakhita had a horrid life but it did not destroy her soul. She is a true saint.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. This book gripped me so much that I purchased the kindle version AND the audible version. I would have to say, even though I have not finished the audible version, I LOVE it so far. I love the readers voice and cadence.This is such a powerful story. This woman suffered enormous hardship that I will never begin to imagine. And her wisdom seems to be wrapped up in a beautifully complex simplicity. She strikes me as someone who lives completely in the now, even while remembering and recounting her horrific past.I was engaged from the first sentence. And then, when I listened to the audible version I was immersed again--in her mind, world, life. For me, I felt like she was right there, like I could feel her. Perhaps she is, since she is cannonized as a saint. Be warned, this book is not a beach read or an easy subject. I would be great for a book club if you want to open up some deep conversation. Slavery, Abuse, Forgiveness, Sainthood, Miracles.But why didn't I ever hear this story and how is it not being yelled out for all to hear? I don't know--I hope someone is able to promote this book and gives it the attention is deserves.

Since this is based on a true story, I knew going into it that it was going to be emotional. As expected, I was in tears within the first few chapters. The author effectively expresses the horror of what Bakhita endured after being abducted into slavery as a child. Even after being declared free of slavery, Bakhita was not free of suffering as she then tolerated years of being treated as alternatively a devil, an outcast, freak in a sideshow, a mother-figure, and then a saint, all while trying to find the Love that she lost as a child. The book uses this search for love as the theme through which to tell Bakhita's story. She sees examples of love even in slavery in various small ways and eventually finds it again in God, the the crucified slave who understands her pain. If you are looking for an uplifting poolside read, this is not it! If you are looking for a story that will devastate you and remind you to truly live and find Love in your heart, in God, and in the world, then definitely get this book!

Bakhita is not her name. She was kidnapped as a slave and the event was so traumatic that she cannot even remember the precious name her parents gave her at birth. The slave trader named her Bakhita. It means lucky. But her life was anything but lucky.Kidnapped at the age of seven when slave traders invaded her small village near Darfur in Sudan, Bakhita had four subsequent owners, the last who was the cruelest of all. Bakhita suffered unimaginable cruelty and abuse until, at the age of fourteen, she was purchased by an Italian who treated her kindly. She was hired to take care of children, a job she loved. Later, through interesting twists of fate, Bakhita was admitted as a novice into the order of Canossian Sisters After a holy and devout life, Bakhita died in 1947. In 2000, she was canonized as a Catholic saint.This biography is amazing and unforgettable, because it gives a very personal and human account of this amazing, strong, gentle woman, the very first saint of Sudan. It is a fascinating story of how the human spirit survives outrageous cruelty and injustice. This is well-written and extremely realistic.

It is important to keep in mind that this is a fictionalized telling of what is known of the life of a Sudanese woman who was kidnapped from her home village as a young child by men who sold her to slave traders. The trauma left her unable to remember the name her father gave her when she was born. She was taken to Italy, apparently with the intent to free her, but then given to a demanding acquaintance of the man who was going to free her, and that woman kept her in bondage, and used her primarily as a nanny. When the woman was set to take her back to Sudan, it was decided that she and the child she cared for should stay in a convent in Venice instead, and eventually, in the course of her effort to stay there, it was legally determined that she was a free woman, as slavery was by then against the law in Italy. She later became a nun, and her religious conversion and life are also recounted. Eventually, the sister told the story of her life, over the course of a few days dedicated solely to that purpose, to a woman who wrote it up as a serial report, which was then made into a book. This book appears to be built upon that account.The novel is fairly well written as an account of the life of an enslaved child and young woman, although vague when it comes to the episodes of sexual violence. Where it falls apart is in Italy, where the author describes everyone who comes into contact with Bakhita, even when they know beforehand that she is African and has black skin, is frightened by her overwhelming blackness. Every single one of them is described as scared by it, over, and over, and over, as a sort of literary prop, to the point that you know that when she's going to meet someone, they're going to be alarmed and agitated. I kept reading, but there were points at which I really wondered why.