From Publishers Weekly
Born into the Karko tribe in the Nuba mountains of northern Sudan, Nazer has written a straightforward, harrowing memoir that's a sobering reminder that slavery still needs to be stamped out. The first, substantial section of the book concentrates on Nazer's idyllic childhood, made all the more poignant for the misery readers know is to come. Nazer is presented as intelligent and headstrong, and her people as peaceful, generous and kind. In 1994, around age 12 (the Nuba do not keep birth records), Nazer was snatched by Arab raiders, raped and shipped to the nation's capital, Khartoum, where she was installed as a maid for a wealthy suburban family. (For readers expecting her fate to include a grimy factory or barren field, the domesticity of her prison comes as a shock.) To Nazer, the modern landscape of Khartoum could not possibly have been more alien; after all, she had never seen even a spoon, a mirror or a sink, much less a telephone or television set. Nazer's urbane tormentors-mostly the pampered housewife-beat her frequently and dehumanized her in dozens of ways. They were affluent, petty and calculatedly cruel, all in the name of "keeping up appearances." The contrast between Nazer's pleasant but "primitive" early life and the horrors she experienced in Khartoum could hardly be more stark; it's an object lesson in the sometimes dehumanizing power of progress and creature comforts. After seven years, Nazer was sent to work in the U.K., where she contacted other Sudanese and eventually escaped to freedom. Her book is a profound meditation on the human ability to survive virtually any circumstances.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From The Washington Post's Book World/washingtonpost.com
Few places evoke otherworldliness like the Nuba Mountains of central Sudan. I will never forget seeing the endless miles of cracked earth stretching to the horizon when I flew to the region to cover the Nuba's struggle for self-determination in war-torn Sudan in May 1998. To this day, I have not reported a more remarkable story from a more distinctive part of the world.The Nuba's homeland serves as the backdrop to the early chapters of Mende Nazer's harrowing tale, Slave. Nazer's book describes her oddly idyllic childhood; her subsequent capture and rape during an Arab raid on her village; her years of enslavement in the home of a well-to-do Arab family in the capital of Khartoum; and later, her life in London, where she served as the slave of a high-ranking Sudanese diplomat, also an Arab, before her ultimate escape, with the help of co-author Damien Lewis, a British journalist, in September 2000. The Nuba became world-famous in the 1960s, after German fascist Leni Riefenstahl published photographs of their ancient traditions of body-painting and ceremonial wrestling in two renowned coffee-table books, The Nuba and The Nuba of Kau. Nazer provides beautiful and at times heart-wrenching accounts of the Nuba's traditions, from their annual wrestling matches to her horrific circumcision at the age of roughly 11. (The Nuba keep no record of birth dates.)Geographically isolated from their black Muslim, Christian and animist allies to the south and largely cut off from foreign aid by the Islamic fundamentalist government to the north, the Nuba remain fiercely independent and almost completely removed from the rest of the world. The early chapters of Nazer's book reflect this. She recalls, for example, being utterly shocked at the sight of a group of white people who came to deliver food aid to her area, on what was in all likelihood an illegal flight.Nazer grew up fortunate by Nuba standards. She never wanted for food, enjoyed the warmth of her loving family and attended a government-run Muslim school until the raid on her village abruptly changed her life. Prior to that, she had no direct experience of the devastation the Nuba suffered during Sudan's bloody civil war, which began in 1983 and is Africa's longest conflict. Nazer remembers only occasionally overhearing adults speak of "the militia" or recall with horror the raids in far-off villages she had never visited. Her pre-slave life was exceptionally untroubled: The Nuba, who joined the war in 1988 on the side of the southern rebels fighting for self-determination, have seen half their population displaced, hundreds of thousands starved or killed and whole villages wiped out. According to the United Nations, some 2 million Sudanese have died, and more than 4 million have been displaced in the past two decades. The Nuba, more than half a million of whom have fled their homeland, are on the verge of extinction. According to Nazer, she and 31 other children were captured during a 1993 raid on her village. After her abduction, she was raped by an Arab raider as they made their way to a government-controlled military base, a crime made even more painful because she'd been literally sewn shut by infibulation, the most damaging form of female circumcision. She was then separated from her fellow captors and sold to a wealthy Arab family in the capital of Khartoum.For the next seven years, Nazer says, she grew up in some of the most horrible circumstances imaginable. She slept in a shed, was fed the family leftovers, was worked to the bone, and verbally, sexually and physically abused on a regular basis. What's worse, she lived in almost complete isolation. The near complete denial of human affection to which she was subjected is perhaps the most tragic aspect of her story. Only a brief stay at the hospital under the care of a loving Nuba nurse or the rare afternoon spent with a fellow slave accompanying her master on a visit offered her any relief. Not surprisingly, her entire emotional life existed in the past -- and Nazer survived largely by living in it, remembering her wonderful family life back in the Nuba Mountains. In time even those memories faded, and she plunged into a deep depression.The Sudanese government claims it has little control over the trafficking in slaves, though human-rights groups say the government arms and sanctions the makeshift militias made up of Muslim guerillas who conduct the slave trade. Sudan is a poor but oil-rich nation of roughly 38 million people. There is no prohibition against slavery in Sudan's criminal code, though the country's right-wing government has ratified a number of international treaties outlawing slavery.A number of evangelical Christian groups have tried to trade on the emotional revulsion Americans feel toward slavery, raising tens of thousands of dollars to "emancipate" Sudanese slaves. Many of these "emancipations" have been exposed as frauds, some perpetuated by the very southern Sudanese rebels whose people are frequently preyed upon. For this reason, Human Rights Watch opposes such "slave redemptions."What's odd about slavery in Sudan is that it has drawn so much attention here and in Europe, allowing a book like Nazer's to gain immediate widespread attention. According to Human Rights Watch and other humanitarian organizations, slavery exists almost completely out in the open in nearby Mauritania, and trafficking in child slaves is a growing problem in other West African countries such as Mali, Ivory Coast and Nigeria, yet it takes place with significantly less international outcry. That's not to discount the power of Nazer's story, but simply to point out that the immense tragedy of Sudan's civil war draws more attention to the problem of slavery there.In 2000, Nazer alleges, she was shipped to London under false pretenses to serve as the slave of a then high-ranking Sudanese diplomat, whom she names. After nearly a year, she escaped with the help of several southern Sudanese, the first of whom she met on a trip to shop for the family that enslaved her. One of Britain's leading newspapers, the Sunday Telegraph, reported the story after her alleged escape, but without speaking with Nazer. The former diplomat filed a libel suit against the paper, and even claimed to have letters written by Nazer to her family that refuted her story. The paper eventually paid damages and published an apology declaring Nazer's story false. This complicated her political asylum request, which was initially rejected but ultimately successful.Nazer's book was published in England in 2002 with this added controversy surrounding it. The success of the libel case brought against the Telegraph damages the force of her story, if not its credibility. Yet the media flap should not allow anyone to overlook the reality of slavery in Sudan, or the possibility that if ongoing peace talks between rebel groups and the government are successful, the practice could finally come to an end. Unfortunately, due to the Telegraph debacle, Nazer's account, which is difficult to verify and by its very nature stretches the boundaries of our belief, runs the risk of being compared to I, Rigoberta Menchu. Menchu's 1983 narrative, written, like Nazer's, with the help of a journalist when she was in her early twenties, was exposed as largely fabricated after she won the Nobel Prize for Peace. Yet Menchu's story still spoke to the experience of countless poor Mayans in Central America.The Sudanese government has been extremely reluctant to investigate Nazer's claims, however, and given its obvious stake in wanting damning evidence of the country's slave trade refuted, this silence certainly lends credence to Nazer's story. If the experiences Nazer recounts here prove true, they will stand as an important reminder of the real, lived terrors of thousands of black southern Sudanese whose stories will never be told, and whose freedom may never be won. Reviewed by Alex P. KelloggCopyright 2004, The Washington Post Co. All Rights Reserved.


From Booklist
*Starred Review* The shock of this title is that it refers to what is happening right now, in Sudan, Africa, and also in the West. Ten years ago, when Mende Nazer was about 12 years old, she was captured in an Arab raid on her remote Nuba village, and, with about 30 other black Muslim children, she was sold into slavery. For eight years, she toiled as a domestic worker for a wealthy family in Khartoum, beaten and abused by her vicious owners, who then sent her to work for a relative in London, an important Sudanese diplomat. With only broken English and no friends, she remained locked up and isolated until finally she managed to escape and tell her story. And it doesn't end there: the U.K. refused her asylum ("Slavery is not persecution"). Now in 2003, the British government has given in to the global pressure of human-rights groups and allowed her to stay. Journalist Lewis helped her escape, and he spent months interviewing her. He tells her story in a clear, compelling, first-person narrative that conveys her young voice with powerful authenticity. Her memories of childhood in her Nuba village are idyllic (except for her brutal circumcision, described in graphic detail). But the core of the book is her daily labor and abuse as a house slave. The details are unforgettable, capturing both the innocence of the child and the world-weariness of one who has endured the worst. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Kansas City Star, April 4, 2004
"The compelling memoir of one woman's struggle to hang on to her humanity and of her continuing fight..."


Publishers Weekly, October 20, 2003
"A straightforward, harrowing memoir...a profound meditation on the human ability to survive under virtually any circumstances."


Booklist, December 1, 2003.
"a clear, compelling, first-person narrative that conveys [Mende's] young voice with powerful authenticity... the details are unforgettable."


The Denver Post, January 11, 2004
"[Nazer] tells her story of individual dignity combined with uncommon courage."


The Roanoke Times, February 8, 2004
"told with clarity and dignity...an inspiring testimonial to one young woman's remarkable courage and unbreakable spirit."


The Economist, February 19, 2004
"[celebrates...rebellion against injustice and the triumph of the human spirit."


Orlando Sentinel, February 15, 2004
"Nazer's spirit echoes that of Sojourner Truth's during her journey from slave to freedom fighter...conveys innocence and honesty."


The Onion, March 17, 2004
"Few [memoirs] are as starkly powerful as this one: Nazer tells her story with lucid simplicity..."


Knoxville News-Sentinel, February 29, 2004
"A shocking, true story of contemporary slavery...her eventual and incredible journey into freedom is told simply and with grace"


Monica Ali, author of Brick Lane
"Slave constitutes an act of tremendous courage. A solitary and profoundly moving voice emerging from the most silenced of quarters."


Book Description
A shocking true story of contemporary slavery: a young girl, snatched from her tribal village in Africa, survives enslavement in Sudan and London before making a courageous escape to freedom. Mende Nazer lost her childhood at age twelve, when she was sold into slavery. It all began one horrific night in 1993, when Arab raiders swept through her Nuba village, murdering the adults and rounding up thirty-one children, including Mende. . Mende was sold to a wealthy Arab family who lived in Sudan's capital city, Khartoum. So began her dark years of enslavement. Her Arab owners called her "Yebit," or "black slave." She called them "master." She was subjected to appalling physical, sexual, and mental abuse. She slept in a shed and ate the family leftovers like a dog. She had no rights, no freedom, and no life of her own. Normally, Mende's story never would have come to light. But seven years after she was seized and sold into slavery, she was sent to work for another master--a diplomat working in the United Kingdom. In London, she managed to make contact with other Sudanese, who took pity on her. In September 2000, she made a dramatic break for freedom. Slave is a story almost beyond belief. It depicts the strength and dignity of the Nuba tribe. It recounts the savage way in which the Nuba and their ancient culture are being destroyed by a secret modern-day trade in slaves. Most of all, it is a remarkable testimony to one young woman's unbreakable spirit and tremendous courage.


About the Author
Mende Nazer is approximately twenty-three years old (the Nuba keep no record of birth dates). She was granted political asylum by the British government in 2003. She currently lives in London. Damien Lewis is a British journalist who has reported widely from Sudan and helped Mende escape. He lives in Dublin, Ireland.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Mende Nazer lost her childhood. It all began one horrific night in 1993, when Arab raiders swept through her Nuba village on horseback. The raiders set fire to the village huts. They murdered the adults by slitting their throats with knives. They rounded up thirty-one young children. Mende was twelve.

A slave trader brought Mende to Sudan's capital city, Khartoum, and sold her to a wealthy Arab family. So began Mende's dark years of enslavement. Her Arab owners called her "yebit," or "black slave."

She was subjected to appalling physical, sexual, and mental abuse. She slept in a shed and ate the family leftovers like a dog. She had no rights, no freedom, and no life of her own. The only thing that kept her alive was the hope that she might see her family again.

Thousands of other child-slaves have suffered a similar fate. Normally, Mende's story never would have come to light. But seven years after she was seized and sold into slavery, she was sent to work for another master - a diplomat in London. In a desperate attempt to flee, she managed to make contact with other Sudanese, who took pity on her. In September 2000, she made a dramatic break for freedom.

SYNOPSIS

Nazer was about 12 when raiders burned her Nuba village, killed the adults, and took 31 young children, who were sold in Sudan's capital Khartoum. She tells of her years in slavery, her flight after seven years, and her attainment of asylum in Britain. British journalist Lewis helped her escape and write her story. The memoir has no index or bibliography. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

FROM THE CRITICS

The Washington Post

If the experiences Nazer recounts here prove true, they will stand as an important reminder of the real, lived terrors of thousands of black southern Sudanese whose stories will never be told, and whose freedom may never be won. — Alex P. Kellogg

Denver Post

Nazer tells her story of individual dignity combined with uncommon courage.

Publishers Weekly

Born into the Karko tribe in the Nuba mountains of northern Sudan, Nazer has written a straightforward, harrowing memoir that's a sobering reminder that slavery still needs to be stamped out. The first, substantial section of the book concentrates on Nazer's idyllic childhood, made all the more poignant for the misery readers know is to come. Nazer is presented as intelligent and headstrong, and her people as peaceful, generous and kind. In 1994, around age 12 (the Nuba do not keep birth records), Nazer was snatched by Arab raiders, raped and shipped to the nation's capital, Khartoum, where she was installed as a maid for a wealthy suburban family. (For readers expecting her fate to include a grimy factory or barren field, the domesticity of her prison comes as a shock.) To Nazer, the modern landscape of Khartoum could not possibly have been more alien; after all, she had never seen even a spoon, a mirror or a sink, much less a telephone or television set. Nazer's urbane tormentors-mostly the pampered housewife-beat her frequently and dehumanized her in dozens of ways. They were affluent, petty and calculatedly cruel, all in the name of "keeping up appearances." The contrast between Nazer's pleasant but "primitive" early life and the horrors she experienced in Khartoum could hardly be more stark; it's an object lesson in the sometimes dehumanizing power of progress and creature comforts. After seven years, Nazer was sent to work in the U.K., where she contacted other Sudanese and eventually escaped to freedom. Her book is a profound meditation on the human ability to survive virtually any circumstances. Agent, Felicity Bryan. (Jan.) Forecast: President Bush's condemnation of the slave trade at the U.N. in September and the recent release of Francis Bok's very similar Escape from Slavery: The True Story of My Ten Years in Slavery-and My Journey to Freedom in America (Forecasts, Oct. 6) may spark increased curiosity in this urgent subject. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews