O’Keefe,
Sherry. Aung San Suu Kyi. Morgan Reynolds 160p $28.95 978-1-59935-168-1 hs Series Champion of Freedom (Morgan
Reynolds) E-BN
Aung San Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace
Prize in 1991 for her efforts to free her country, Burma (Myanmar), from
oppressive rule. Suu Kyi, whose father was known
as the father of Burma and who was assassinated for his beliefs, grew up in Burma and India. She attended Oxford and New York University
and had traveled the world when her mother took ill. Returning to Burma in 1988 to care for her
mother, she was appalled at the living conditions of the typical Burmese
citizen. She met with friends of her deceased father and set up an opposition
party to fight for reform. She was placed
under house arrest in 1989 for fifteen years, but her political clout continued
to grow.
This is a caring, compassionate
biography that has surprising depth given the minimal number of pages. The reader is shown the background politics of
Burma (Myanmar), its struggles in contemporary times, and the bravery of Suu
Kyi in opposing a powerful government in hopes that her efforts would provide a
better life for Burmese citizens. Separated
from her own husband and children during her house arrest under less than
comfortable circumstances, she showed her firmness of conviction that Burma is
worth fighting for and her desire to see a more democratic form of rule. This would be an excellent choice for feminist
collections, as well as a solid start for researchers of political dissent and
the political history of Burma. A list
of primary internet sources, references for further reading, chapter notes, a timeline
and an index complete the book. It is
suitable for students in grades 8-12.
The series Champion of Freedom is
comprised of biographies of four individuals who believed in fighting for a
cause. Each of the books includes excellent photographs, a timeline, chapter
notes and an index giving solid information on political dissenters in the 20th
and 21st centuries. -- Lois McNicol
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