Walking the Bowl: A True Story of Murder and Survival Among the Street Children of Lusaka
Feb 2022 · Harlequin
4.5star
4 reviewsreport
Ebook
304
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About this ebook
A New York Times Notable Book
An NPR Best Book of the Year
For readers of Behind the Beautiful Forevers and Nothing to Envy, this is a breathtaking real-life story of four street children in contemporary Zambia whose lives are drawn together and forever altered by the mysterious murder of a fellow street child.
Based on years of investigative reporting and unprecedented fieldwork, Walking the Bowl immerses readers in the daily lives of four unforgettable characters: Lusabilo, a determined waste picker; Kapula, a burned-out brothel worker; Moonga, a former rock crusher turned beggar; and Timo, an ambitious gang leader. These children navigate the violent and poverty-stricken underworld of Lusaka, one of Africa’s fastest growing cities.
When the dead body of a ten-year-old boy is discovered under a heap of garbage in Lusaka’s largest landfill, a murder investigation quickly heats up due to the influence of the victim’s mother and her far-reaching political connections. The children’s lives become more closely intertwined as each child engages in a desperate bid for survival against forces they could never have imagined.
Gripping and fast-paced, the book exposes the perilous aspects of street life through the eyes of the children who survive, endure and dream there, and what emerges is an ultimately hopeful story about human kindness and how one small good deed, passed on to others, can make a difference in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
An NPR Best Book of the Year
For readers of Behind the Beautiful Forevers and Nothing to Envy, this is a breathtaking real-life story of four street children in contemporary Zambia whose lives are drawn together and forever altered by the mysterious murder of a fellow street child.
Based on years of investigative reporting and unprecedented fieldwork, Walking the Bowl immerses readers in the daily lives of four unforgettable characters: Lusabilo, a determined waste picker; Kapula, a burned-out brothel worker; Moonga, a former rock crusher turned beggar; and Timo, an ambitious gang leader. These children navigate the violent and poverty-stricken underworld of Lusaka, one of Africa’s fastest growing cities.
When the dead body of a ten-year-old boy is discovered under a heap of garbage in Lusaka’s largest landfill, a murder investigation quickly heats up due to the influence of the victim’s mother and her far-reaching political connections. The children’s lives become more closely intertwined as each child engages in a desperate bid for survival against forces they could never have imagined.
Gripping and fast-paced, the book exposes the perilous aspects of street life through the eyes of the children who survive, endure and dream there, and what emerges is an ultimately hopeful story about human kindness and how one small good deed, passed on to others, can make a difference in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
Ratings and reviews
4.5
4 reviews
Lauren Edwards
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August 28, 2023
Beautifully written, and as sad as it is hopeful. It is hard to believe the academic rigor the authors approached this project with, because it reads like a novel and I couldn't put it down. The stories of these kids will stay with me.
About the author
Chris Lockhart has a PhD in medical anthropology from the University of California, San Francisco, and UC Berkeley and is the coauthor of Tupa Tjipombo’s I Am Not Your Slave: A Memoir. He has worked across Africa as an independent researcher and consultant on a variety of development projects in the areas of global health, human rights and journalism.
Daniel Mulilo Chama is a former street child from Lusaka, Zambia. He currently works as an outreach worker for a consortium of nonprofit organizations as he completes his degree in social work at the University of Zambia.
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