Review of "Dumb" Orphans

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Jane Gaskins
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Review of "Dumb" Orphans

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[Following is a volunteer review of ""Dumb" Orphans" by Allan Low.]
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5 out of 5 stars
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"Dumb" Orphans:
The Bundu Bunch Trilogy Kindle Edition
by Allan Low

“Dumb” Orphans: The Bundu Bunch Trilogy is a unique story about seven neglected orphans in Africa who had no parents due to the AIDS pandemic. They lived in the orphan hut at the edge of Bundu Village and faced many challenges. These include being labeled as dumb, being forbidden to attend school, and being harassed by the other children in the community. Consequently, they were forced to haul water, tend the cattle, and do other chores for the community headman.

In the first book, Sipho narrates the story of his family. His family consists of his sister, five of his cousins, a toddler they discovered in a blanket by the river, and Aiyasha, the caretaker and mother figure. Sipho is extremely concerned because the children are forbidden to attend school. He is anxious this will limit their opportunities in life. Aiyasha decides to teach the children herself. They are thrilled and soak up the knowledge like little sponges.

One day, a group of strangers from an international donor organization visited the village to test all the children for academic scholarships. Aiyasha decided she would get the children on the list to test. As a result, the older five children won scholarships, while only two students from the school were selected. The community headman became extremely angry because he had disallowed their education, so he plotted to have Aiyasha murdered.

When the older children leave for their new school, Elah and Aiyasha are alone. The headman sprang into action and had them both poisoned. With the help of some friends, Aiyasha and Elah were whisked away to England, where they could resume their education. Despite confronting many dangers on their journey, they were content to be away from the village.

In book two, the narrative resumes with Elah, the baby found in the blanket. She misses the Bundu Bunch constantly. She wonders if Aiyasha will ever be as proud of her as she is of the older children. Both girls fare very well in England, earning gold medals and learning to navigate a world that is not always accepting.

In book three, Elah continues the story. After winning two gold medals for running, Aiyasha returns to her homeland of Initawse to accept the role of Head of Education. She implements experimental programs to aid the poor, and her actions anger the wealthy. Aiyasha goes missing and is presumed murdered, but no one will assist the Bundu Bunch in uncovering the truth. It takes many years for them to gather the information required to solve the mystery. Will you read the book for the surprise ending?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, even though it was written specifically for young people. It was difficult for me to put it down. I would recommend it to people of all ages. The book has a lot to teach and offer.

I found no sexual content, profanity, or typos. The book is wonderfully written and does not require any changes.

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"Dumb" Orphans
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