The powerful stories of two Haitian teenagers, Djo and Jeremie, speak to the loyalty they both feel for their country. Djo was one of Father Jean-Bertrand Aristide's "boys" engaged in an ongoing street fight against military dictatorship in Haiti, until he was taken against his will to work in the sugarcane fields of the Dominican Republic. It is three long years before he is able to escape back to Haiti. Soon after his return he is badly injured in a firebombing attack on Titid's boys. As he lies in a hospital bed, Djo tells his story to Jeremie, who has a tale of her own. Jeremie and Djo's contemporary voices are a riveting testament to a country in political turmoil and to the liberating power of literacy. Winner, 1992 CCBC Newbery Award Discussion. (Age 12 and older)