Lightning in the Desert

Lightning in the Desert is a unique tale that explores the lives of young teenagers caught in the chaos of war. Through the intertwined narratives of Kalyah and the young soldier, the author masterfully explores themes of fate, courage, and the harsh realities of conflict. What struck me most about this book is its ability to evoke a range of emotions - from heart-wrenching moments of loss to uplifting instances of resilience and hope. Lightning in the Desert is a great read that will stay with you long after you've turned the final page.

Brace yourselves, folks, because Lightning in the Desert is about to zap you with an electrifying story that you won't soon forget! Picture this: young teenagers thrown into the chaos of war, facing life-or-death decisions, and grappling with the concept of luck. Sounds intense, right? Well, hold onto your hats because this book takes you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions from start to finish! Kalyah and the young soldier are not your typical star-crossed lovers; they're fighters, survivors, and heroes in their own right. And let me tell you, their journey will keep you on the edge of your seat. So, why should you read Lightning in the Desert? Because it's a pulse-pounding adventure that packs a powerful punch and leaves you craving for more!

Quite poetic and told in a dreamlike but vivid recollection.

Highlights the senselessness of war, especially the taking of lives of non-combatants in a civil conflict. The aftermath of soldiers over-running farms and communities taking innocent lives and brutalising the victims brought recent news footage to mind.

Yet this is the story of youth; how some survive to beat the odds. When circumstances point to you being killed with the rest of your family, that somehow you might escape.

I enjoyed the writing style and was caught up in the prose and language used. The lack of water and spilled emotions leaving the young girl ‘dry’.

I also found the links to the young soldier having met the girl before. Yet now being a loyal soldier, he will inevitably rape and kill his prisoner.
The promise of future lives ahead, plans for jobs, love and happiness is addressed here. How the hope of the youth can quickly be twisted into something far less desirable and survival becomes one’s only goal.
The perspective of history, it is more often the children and young who suffer the most and whose blood is spilled in warfare. This short story beautifully brings that reality to our minds, confronting the horrors and giving much to consider and evaluate for ourselves.

I loved the thought the writing gave me in regard to why young Kalyah might take hope from her initial survival. The aspect that in their death, other members of her family had died in the hope that she wouldn’t be killed, safe in her hiding place.

I also found the ideas around being lucky more than once and if lightening does strike the same place twice were brilliantly covered here. There is no debate but sometimes we speak and articulate without knowledge or experience.