In the summer of 2003, bestselling author and peace activist Deborah Ellis visited Malawi and Zambia to collect stories of children orphaned by AIDS. This powerful book is the result of her efforts. It succeeds remarkably well in its goal of putting a face on unimaginably large numbers, such as the estimated 20 million children who will have been orphaned by AIDS by 2010. The stories, told in the children’s own words, describe a range of experiences, from witnessing the death of one or both parents from AIDS, to living on the street, or in jail, or with relatives who cannot afford to support them. Some of the children are raising younger siblings. The kids speak matter-of-factly, and most express some degree of hope for their future. Still, I found the sadness of these narratives almost overwhelming.

The appealing two-colour photographs of the children that accompany each story and the sidebars with facts and definitions help to balance the book’s emotional impact. At the back is a list of resources along with a map, glossary, and index. There is also a brief conclusion in which Ellis reveals her ultimate purpose, which is to mobilize her readers. “We have enough resources in the world to properly care for children left behind by AIDS – once we decide as a world community that this is what we want to do,” she writes.

Those who need convincing would do well to read this book, as would anyone interested in the social context of the AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. The book’s royalties go to Unicef, empowering those who want to take action against Third World despair.