One day, as Dau and other boys from Pinyudu eat corn by the Gilo River, Ethiopian soldiers shoot at them. The boys jump into the crocodile-infested river to flee the attack, but an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 die during the crossing—whether from gunfire, drowning, or crocodiles. With Ethiopia now engaged in a civil war similar to Sudan’s, the boys must flee for safety once again. They head toward Pochala, a region that is rumored to be controlled by the SPLA. During the journey they come across Ethiopian refugees who join the group. The line of refugees is “so long that two days passed between the first boy and last boy crossing the same spot in the muddy road” (102).

They finally arrive in Pochala, “a friendly but broken town” (103). The SPLA share their food, but it’s not enough to feed the multitude of hungry mouths. They stay in Pochala for nine months. During that time they grow accustomed to the constant bombings from the Antonov planes; they survive by laying in trenches. They also develop trading relationships with the neighboring Anyuak, but the partnership sours when the Anyuak start taking advantage of the starving boys.

Living conditions take a positive turn when the UN finally drops food,

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