Listen to a sample
They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky
- Author
- Judy A. Bernstein
- Narrator
- Murphy Applin, Suzanne Toren
- Publisher
- Hachette Audio
- Publish Date
- 28 July 2026
- Run Time
- 9 hours 35 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
“A moving, beautifully written account, by turns raw and tender.” —Los Angeles Times
1987 and 1989, Alepho, Benjamin, and Benson, like tens of thousands of other young boys known as the Lost Boys, took flight from the massacres of Sudan’s civil war. They set out in search of refuge with little more than the clothes on their backs and walked nearly one thousand miles, sustained only by the sheer will to live.They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky is a deeply affecting account of that unimaginable journey.
With the purity of their child’s-eye vision, the three boys recall how they endured hunger, malaria, life-threatening predators, and a war that threatened to overwhelm them. Now updated with a new afterword, They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky is a captivating, timeless portrait of a childhood hurled into wartime and an inspiring story of survival.
A Washington Post Best Book of the Year
Critics Review
-
"Tender and lyrical...one of the most riveting stories ever told of African childhoods and a stirring tale of courage. Anyone interested in Africa, its children or the human will to survive should read this book. This beautifully told volume will remain on my desk for years to come.”—Washington Post
-
"A moving, beautifully written account, by turns raw and tender”—Los Angeles Times
-
"[The authors'] accounts, written first in lesson books and then on computer have been skillfully put together in a narrative, each boy carrying both" history and that of their joint flight and reunion forward. The result is both fascinating and immediate, not least because of the guilelessness of the language and the particularly African use of metaphor and imagery. They Poured Fire conjures up a world of marabou storks, acacia trees, termite mounds taller than men, scorpions and snakes that move in the dark, a world governed by traditions, rituals, seasons, weather, and obligations.”—New York Review of Books
-
"Their words speak for those who no longer have a voice. Their story will take the reader on a trip not soon forgotten of spirits unwilling to be broken.”—San Antonio Express-News
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
"Their serious tone, broken by the occasional wry smile, memorializes their parents, the land and animals that wove the tapestry of their early childhoods. One reviewer called the book deceptively understated.' But the soft plainness of the young writers' voices, combined with their moral insight, throws the surreal danger and strife into sharp relief.”—San Diego Union-Tribune
-
"[They Poured Fire] is an amazing account of boys who managed to survive a terrifying ordeal. There's a kind of haunting beauty to their story. After reading this book, readers may feel like they've been on an adventure or in hell, depending on your point of view. Whatever the case, this book is an eye-opener.”—Rocky Mountain News
-
"[L]ovely and unusual. [V]ital stories that can help readers understand events in Sudan on a human level. But They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky is no mere historical document; it is a wise and sophisticated examination of the arbitrary cruelties and joys of being alive."—Star Tribune
-
"[The] book is at once an important addition to the contemporary dialog on world affairs and a surprisingly lyrical account of coming of age under adverse conditions. These folkloric memories replete with lions and circumcision rituals describe a world centuries removed from the high-tech industrialization of Western society. But they years of war also have bestowed wisdom, and simple observations of childhood are seen now through different eyes.” —Minneapolis Star-Tribune
-
"[The book] represent[s] genuine, heartfelt examples of what war does to young people and how they may adjust to life outside the country of their birth, especially the social and intellectual problems they experience.”—Deseret Morning News
-
"In a harrowing account of the war, three young refugees in California remember how they were driven from their homes in Southern Sudan in the ethnic and religious conflicts that have left two million dead. They tell their stories quietly with the help of their mentor, coauthor Judy Bernstein, in clear, interwoven, narratives that put a personal face on statistics.”—Booklist
-
"Well written, often poetic essays...this collection is moving in its descriptions of unbelievable courage.” —Publisher's Weekly
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Judy A. Bernstein
- Narrator
- Murphy Applin, Suzanne Toren
- Duration
- 9 hours 35 minutes
- Release Date
- 28 July 2026
- ISBN
- 9781668654200
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Hachette Audio
- Genre
- African history, Memoirs, Violence and abuse in society, Migration, immigration and emigration
Synopsis
The gripping tale of three Sudanese boys who were driven from their homes by civil war and began an epic odyssey of survival, ultimately finding their way to a new life in America. “A moving, beautifully written account, by turns raw and tender.” —Los Angeles Times  1987 and 1989, Alepho, Benjamin, and Benson, like tens of thousands of other young boys known as the Lost Boys, took flight from the massacres of Sudan’s civil war. They set out in search of refuge with little more than the clothes on their backs and walked nearly one thousand miles, sustained only by the sheer will to live.They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky is a deeply affecting account of that unimaginable journey. With the purity of their child’s-eye vision, the three boys recall how they endured hunger, malaria, life-threatening predators, and a war that threatened to overwhelm them. Now updated with a new afterword, They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky is a captivating, timeless portrait of a childhood hurled into wartime and an inspiring story of survival.A Washington Post Best Book of the Year
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.