When the Walking Defeats You: One Man’s Journey as Joseph Kony’s Bodyguard

Ledio Cakaj. Zed, $19.95 trade paper (300p) ISBN 978-1-78360-812-6
Cakaj renders interview subject George Omona’s story of joining the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda with a somber and assured tone. He begins by expressing a desire to humanize the soldiers in the LRA, a rebel group notorious for committing atrocities, and he successfully avoids sensationalizing their actions. The writing settles fully into George’s perspective, avoiding a voyeuristic tone even when Cakaj provides additional background information on Ugandan history and the LRA. George’s story is striking; unlike many other LRA soldiers, he apparently joined the group of his own volition, earning him the ire of his comrades, who had often been forced to join. The book captures the fierceness of infighting within the group and the powerful hold exerted on it by founder Joseph Kony. Minor details catch the attention: the LRA’s regimentation reminds George of his time in Catholic school, and, despite the respect Kony commanded from his fighters, “no one had ever seen Kony fire a gun.” Cakaj handles George’s story, and the LRA’s, with an appealing, clear-eyed simplicity. (Nov.)
Reviewed on: 09/05/2016
Release date: 11/01/2016
Genre: Nonfiction
Hardcover - 300 pages - 978-1-78360-813-3
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