Sara’s with God.’ I want to say, ‘If being with God’s for the best, why don’t you go kill yourself?’ I also hate, ‘Trust God. And reading about how that love unfolds was a true pleasure. Mostly though, Chanda is driven by a fierce love for her family. Her anger helps fuel change because ultimately Chanda realises she isn’t willing to play by the rules anymore. When it gets to be too much and Chanda realises keeping secrets isn’t helping anyone, she reacts with anger toward others who keep the truth from her. She’s surrounded by secrets – some are her own but most are the secrets of those around her – living in a place where keeping those secrets is encouraged. The part I liked best was Chanda’s righteous anger.

It’s not a story about the day-to-day grind about living with illness, instead it is about having the courage to tell the truth and to be honest about what’s going on, even if it’s a topic that causes embarrassment or others consider it to be shameful. While being a good read, it’s also an educational one that opens up a previously taboo subject through the simple act of writing about it. MacKay’s War Brothers fictionalizes the story of child soldiers, so Stratton fictionalizes a real life tragedy of AIDS in Africa. I had read Borderline by Stratton before and liked it, but Chanda’s Secrets was above and beyond my expectations.

Allan Stratton’s story flow beautifully, and it is a story about family, love, and the power of the truth. Review: I was completely engrossed by Chanda’s Secrets. But the secrets in Chanda’s life are building up, and when her Mama goes away on a trip she doesn’t return from, Chanda must find the courage to break through the silence to care for the people she loves. Chanda’s family lives in a community where gossip is rampant and reputation is everything, so when Chanda suspects her mother may actually have AIDS, she keeps it to herself. After the death of her youngest sibling, Sarah, her Mama is sick with grief and something else, and her step-father is drinking and sleeping around to forget. Summary: Sixteen year-old Chanda has a lot of responsibility on her shoulders.

Chanda's Wars by Allan Stratton