Southern Sudan, 2009

Nya puts down her plastic jar and is surprised at the men with tools gathering around the new well. Her father tells her they are planning to build. He asks her if she knows what it will be.

Rochester, New York, 1996-2003

Salva is amazed at his new home—no dirt roads, and electricity in every building. Louis tells him that the snow will not be completely gone until about April. As Salva advances, he finds English more difficult, particularly with strings of letters pronounced very differently in different words like “through” and “bough.” He feels frustrated and wonders if he will ever know English well. In school, he plays volleyball—the other thing Michael taught him.

During Salva’s six years in the United States, he decides to go to college to study business. His dream is to return to help his people, but the prospects seem distant because of the war.

One day, Salva’s cousin, who is working at a relief agency in Zimbabwe, sends him an email saying that Salva’s father is alive in a United Nations clinic in Southern Sudan. Salva and his American family immediately swing into action to find Salva safe passage to return to try to find him.