Jim Wooten
We Are All the Same: A Story of a Boy’s Courage and a Mother’s Love (2002)
Author: Jim Wooten
Genre (and subgenre): Nonfiction (Biography/Lives in Context)
Book Summary:
This is a biography of Nkosi Khumalo Johnson, a South African Zulu born HIV Positive in 1989. The narrative follows Nkosi’s life from his birth to Daphne, an unmarried Zulu woman with AIDS, until his death in 2001 and includes information on the history of South Africa, AIDS in Africa, and what African governments and leaders have done to fight the spread of AIDS. In 1992, Daphne realized that, due to her illness, she could no longer care for Nkosi and gave him to Gail Johnson, a white South African woman who ran a nonprofit boarding house for people with AIDS. Nkosi was immediately accepted by his adopted family and was given the medical care he needed. In 1997, Gail attempted to enroll Nkosi in school. However, when several parents of children at the school protested a child with AIDS attending, the government enacted a law making it illegal to keep HIV-positive and AIDS infected children out of public schools. Gail and Nkosi then capitalized on their new-found fame and raised money for another AIDS boarding house. Eventually, Nkosi and Gail made two trips to America to promote the problem of AIDS in Africa. They appeared on several international news broadcasts and have been credited with bringing the plight of AIDs in Africa to the international stage. In 2000, Nkosi spoke at the 13th International Conference on AIDS in Durban, South Africa. Over 2,000 people attended Nkosi’s funeral in 2001.
Geographical Setting: South Africa (mostly Johannesburg)
Time Period: 1989-2001
Appeal Characteristics:
This compelling and often heart-wrenching biography is sometimes slow moving. It switches between the story of Nkosi Johnson, the history of South Africa, and the impact of AIDS in Africa. It provides statistics and background information on the AIDS pandemic as well as a look at the daily life of Africans infected with AIDS.
Red Flags: Contains detailed descriptions of AIDS, the life of poor Africans, and Apartheid; discusses what world leaders did/did not do to help Africans with AIDS
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