Judith Tebbutt

Judith and David Tebbutt were on holiday in Kenya when they were attacked in the middle of the night by a group of armed men. David was murdered and Judith was taken to Somalia where she was held hostage for six months while the kidnappers negotiated with her son to purchase her freedom. In A Long Walk Home, Judith describes this horrible situation and her extraordinary determination to survive.

Judith Tebbutt is not an author so this book is plainly written in a straightforward style that feels like you are reading a letter, but this simple honest retelling strikes one immediately. Six months of being held in a filthy, bug infested room, always under surveillance, put on starvation rations, insulted, humiliated and threatened with execution yet she remained resilient and hopeful that one day she would be reunited with her son. Determined to keep herself as fit as possible she started a program of walking for a portion of her day. She likened this exercise to “walking home” and there were many times that only this activity kept her going.

While not an enjoyable read this is a great example of personal courage and conviction. Judith Tebbutt was lucky that she did get to return to her family and with this book she is hoping to gain a perspective about this situation and achieve some type of closure that will allow her to move on with her life. A Long Walk Home is a very personal book, the author barely touches on the political situation in Somalia, instead she concentrates on her experience alone which makes for a very interesting read.… (plus d'informations)