Born into the Zaghawa tribe in the remote western deserts of the Sudan, Halima Bashir had a wonderfully rich childhood in a close-knit family where she flourished. But this happy environment was shattered when Janjaweed Arab militias began Savagely attacking her tribe, gang raping schoolgirls and innocent women. Unable to stand by and do nothing, Halima spoke out to a Sudanese newspaper and to the ON. But then her own nightmare began.

The first memoir from a woman born and raised in South Darfur is an incredibly powerful account of the horrors of the genocide.Born into the Zaghawa tribe in the remote western deserts of the Sudan, Halima Bashir had a wonderfully rich childhood in a close-knit family where she flourished. She went to university to study medicine and returned to her people as their fast practising doctor.But this happy environment was shattered when Janjaweed Arab militias began Savagely attacking her tribe, gang raping schoolgirls and innocent women. Unable to stand by and do nothing, Halima spoke out to a Sudanese newspaper and to the ON. But then her own nightmare began. She was captured, tortured and raped. Although she finally escaped, the army followed her and she knew she would have to leave for good. Halima then set out on an epic journey to escape the hell of Darfur.

PART ONE

CHILD OF THE DESERT

1. The Naming

2. Grandma's Trip to the Lost Valley

3. Moon-bone Madness

4. Mo, Omer and Me

5. The Cutting Time

PART TWO

SCHOOL OF THE DESERT

6. School Days

7. Fight School

8. Resistance for Grandma

9. The White Eyelash Attack

10. Cousins in Love

11. Dream to Be

PART THREE

DESERT OF FIRE

12. Medical School

13. University of Jihad

Tears of the Desert

14. Rumours of War

15. Medicine Woman

16. Accident and Emergency

17. Mission to Mazkhabad

18. Rebel Doctor

19. Black Dogs and Slaves

20. They Come for Me

21. A Long-distance Wedding

22. The Devil Horsemen

23. A Time of Fear

PART FOUR

DESERT OF NO RETURN

24. Escape from Darfur

25. The Hostel of Despair

26. In London, in Love

27. Breaking the Silence

28. Will to Live

Epilogue

Glossary