Trouble Tomorrow

Trouble Tomorrow by Terry Whitebeach and Sarafino Enadio (Allen and Unwin)

PB RRP $16.99   ISBN 9781760291464

Reviewed by Daniela Andrews

‘Remember, if you want a door to open, education is the key.’

When you’re 15 years old, though, trying to find your next meal, self-improvement takes a significant back-step to self-survival.

Obelujo, whose name means ‘trouble tomorrow’, is a Ma’di boy living in South Sudan, not at all interested in joining the Rebel army. The first time they raid his village, he and his family hide. The second time, they are forced to flee in different directions. Obelujo’s father secures a place for him in a good boarding school before he leaves. ‘It is very important not to break your education,’ he tells Obelujo, who respects ‘his father’s wishes’ as ‘law’, despite his feeling of dread at leaving his family. 

He immerses himself in his studies, while fighting off visions of his family’s fate. When he awakens to the sound of gunshots one night, he joins the crowd of people running for their lives. What follows is Obelujo’s uplifting, courageous story of survival. It includes a risky trek through a wild jungle, a terrifying capture by the Rebels, and a daring escape. It details his life in two refugee camps, where people’s starvation leads to violence at any cost (even murder). As Obelujo’s own hunger grows, he finds himself struggling to remain true to his Ma’di values. He begins to act aggressively and steal food. When Obelujo takes up an opportunity to study Agriculture, his life begins to change. The basic course leads him to a voluntary teaching position, and (later) a paid one. He joins a church choir where he meets and falls in love with Malia. He completes a Peace Education course, and learns that if he wants to change the world he must start with himself.

This confronting, heartwarming story is the true story of co-author, Sarafino Enadio, who migrated to Australia and is currently studying a Masters in Teaching. Terry Whitebeach is a writer and historian who travelled to South Sudan with Sarafino to witness the effects of the civil war. The novel is aimed at 13–18-year-olds and, given its topics of immigration, refugee camps, peacekeeping and the Sudanese Civil War, would make fantastic classroom reading. Sarafino’s enlightening story will definitely linger in your heart, along with a greater respect for the plight of refugees.