Introduction

From author Jenny D. Williams, a fresh new voice in fiction, comes her stunning debut novel The Atlas of Forgotten Places. Set against the backdrop of ivory smuggling and civil war in Uganda and the DR Congo, it is a story of two women from different worlds, bound in a quest to save their loved ones.

“Every page of The Atlas of Forgotten Places resonates with an intimate knowledge of life in ‘Africa’...the impossible beauty of the landscape, the depths of sorrows carried by ordinary citizens, the miraculous melding of violence and personal grace. Jenny D. Williams has written that rare thing: a page-turning adventure story that simultaneously goes deep into the heart of what it is to be human and present.” ?Malla Nunn, award-winning screenwriter and author of A Beautiful Place to Die, Silent Valley, and Present Darkness

After a long career as an aid worker, Sabine Hardt has retreated to her native Germany for a quieter life. But when her American niece Lily disappears while volunteering in Uganda, Sabine must return to places and memories she once thought buried in order to find her.

In Uganda, Rose Akulu -- haunted by a troubled past with the Lord’s Resistance Army and a family torn apart by war -- is distressed when her lover Ocen vanishes without a trace. Side by side, Sabine and Rose must unravel the tangled threads that tie Lily and Ocen’s lives together?ultimately discovering that the truth of their loved ones’ disappearance is inescapably entwined to the secrets the two women carry.

The Atlas of Forgotten Places is a book that delves deep into the heart of compassion and redemption. It spans geographies and generations to lay bare the stories that connect us all.

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Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

SABINE


December 24, 2008

Marburg, Germany

All around her, the world was white and bright and hushed; a pale sky pressed upon red-roofed buildings and was pierced by thin, reaching branches of trees made bare by cold. Sabine nuzzled her chin deeper into her turtleneck and clenched and unclenched her hands inside her gray wool gloves to keep the circulation moving, though her fingers were already stiff and painful. She knew they wouldn’t get warm again until she was back in the animal shelter and could run them under the hot-water faucets. She still had twenty minutes till then, and she couldn’t make the time go any faster. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

How much did you know about northern Uganda before you read the novel? Do you feel like your perspective has changed?
Who did you connect with more, Rose or Sabine?

What is justice in this novel? Can wrongs be righted?

Did Rose’s revelation about her ties to Joseph Kony take you by surprise? Would it have changed the way you felt about her if you knew the truth from the start?

Sabine’s career choice was shaped in large part by her guilt over her grandfather’s secret. Do you have family secrets or parts of your family history that have influenced your choices in life?
Was Lily’s decision to search for Opiyo noble, or was it selfish? What if she had been investigating ivory smuggling—would that change how you see her?

What does forgiveness mean to you? Can a person be forgiven for many years of wrong acts by a single good act? What about the reverse? Should a person be condemned for a single wrong act after many years of doing good?

The Aboke abductions in 1996 were given little attention by the US media. On the other hand, the 2014 kidnapping of 276 Nigerian schoolgirls by Boko Haram sparked worldwide outrage and demand for international action—the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls was even shared by First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama. Do you think this disparity can be attributed solely to the rise of social media? Or have attitudes shifted in the 18 years between these incidents?

Do you think a single person can make a difference? Why would it be dangerous to think so? Why would it be dangerous not to think so?

What do you think lies ahead for the characters in this novel?
The author has said that she feels the novel ends hopefully, if not happily. Do you agree? Why or why not?

Weblinks

»	Author's web site
»	Publisher's Book Info
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»	Download the extended reading guide

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