JOJO'S STORY - DOCTOR NICKY

Doctor nicky is kind lady and she looks after children. The foreign soldiers take him to an orphanage. He is befriended by chris and Dr. Nicky, the orphanage physician from Doctors Without Borders. His parents warned him about "the people on the other side of the river." But not until he sees the handiwork of these people does he begin to realize how evil and dangerous his fellow man can be. Painfully, he compares the happiness and activity of his farm and village before the battle with the stillness, destruction, and smell of death after "the people on the other side of the river" have left. He also describes the deep psychological wounds of the other children at the orphanage. He relates the relentless horror of the war as it gets closer and closer, to the very yard of the orphanage. He takes the UN to task for seemingly not pursuing its stated mission. He also wants to know why Chris would want to tell the stories of children on the other side of the river, and why Nicky would want to treat them. He compares the condition, clothes, and weapons of the UN soldiers - there strictly to provide humanitarian aid and forbidden to fire unless fired upon - with those of his battleworn countrymen. When soldiers of Jojo's country arrive at the orphanage, the plot takes a heartbreaking turn, followed by a disturbing surprise ending. The author of gives Jojo a consistently simplistic and limited perspective, often with humorous results. This is a risky technique, but in this case, it's very effective. Jojo's Story is testimony, not commentary. There are no monologs, no philosophying. The world is viewed through the eyes of the story's most important and most vulnerable character. Readers are left to draw their own conclusions. This strategy is also effective. Many times I've had to read a review to understand a story because it is sophisticated or so subtle. By contrast, the implications of Jojo's Story are immediately recognizable. We never learn Jojo's nationality, not even his region. Nor are we offered geographic names or family names. Jojo represents a multitude of children all over the world and all through history. This is a powerful, timeless story with universal lessons. It's hard to imagine how the orphan refugee story could be told better. I wouldn't change one word