Ana's Story

September 17, 2007
As an intern with UNICEF in Latin America and the Caribbean, Bush, the daughter of the president, was assigned to document the lives of poor children; in a preface, she writes about how impressed she was to hear a 17-year-old single mother resolutely announce, in a group for people with HIV/AIDS, “We are not dying with AIDS; we are living
with it.” For more than six moths, Bush met with the mother, Ana, and later interviewed others, inspired by Ana's resilience. Here, in what she terms narrative nonfiction, she creates “a mosaic of life, using words instead of shards of broken tile to create an image of her past and a framework for her future.” Short segments reveal Ana's scarred childhood. Ana is orphaned, told never to reveal her HIV status lest she be ostracized, sexually abused by her grandmother's boyfriend, beaten and sent to reform school. Not until she lands in a group home for people with HIV/AIDS do things begin to look up, and then only temporarily: Ana falls in love with a boy resident, gets pregnant the one and only time they don't use a condom, and the boy grows too sick to be of much help (the thought of terminating the pregnancy never comes up). Despite unexceptional, sometimes awkward writing (“The passion, the attraction, the butterflies had flown away”), Bush's compassion for her subject comes through clearly. Even (and maybe especially) when Ana behaves imperfectly or questionably, Bush focuses on Ana's pain and ability to transcend it, helping readers to avoid judging Ana and to feel strong empathy. Back matter includes information on HIV/AIDS and abuse, notes on ways to help others and a discussion guide; the final art, which includes color photos, was not seen by PW
. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. Ages 14-up.

August 1, 2007
First Daughter Jenna Bush worked as an intern with UNICEF throughout Latin America, and in her first book, she focuses on the life of a young woman she befriended during her travels. Infected with HIV/AIDS at birth, Ana loses both parents to the disease. After suffering abuse at relatives homes, she finds a caring center for those living with HIV/AIDS, where she falls in love and eventually gets pregnant. Her child is born without the virus, and at the storys close, Ana has found a peaceful home where she can plan a new life for herself and her baby. The pace is brisk: chapters are only a few pages long, and the accessible language and simple sentences will pull reluctant readers. A few jarring passages point to Bushs outsiders view (a comparison between Ana and the exotic subjects in Gaugin's Tahiti paintings stands out), but the wrenching story, illustrated with a few photos, effectively sends an urgent message: too many children are unsafe and burdened by secrets. Classroom-ready resources include discussion questions and suggestions for volunteering.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)

October 1, 2007
Gr 9 Up -"Ana's Story" focuses on the life of a girl growing up with HIV in Latin America. Bush has based the first portion of the book on her work as a UNICEF volunteer, compiling information and testimonies from a variety of sources to create the mosaic of Ana's life. The result is the story of a girl marginalized by those around her. Her mother died from the disease and her father is also infected, so her grandmother tells her she must keep her HIV a secret at all costs. Ana must keep other secrets as well; she deals with sexual abuse and is forced to live in a teen reform center. But once she moves to a foster home for those infected with HIV, Ana falls in love, has a child, and begins to feel hope for the life ahead of her. Baxter's photographs, sometimes set artistically under the text, are sure to appeal to teens. The second portion of the book is Bush's "call to action." To supplement the message of acceptance and understanding that Ana's narrative provides, the author has created a resource guide for those who want to make a difference as well as those seeking help. Discussion questions follow. Bush's writing is best when she stays concise; moments of imagery or long-winded description feel forced, leaving trails of clichés. If readers can look past the shortcomings of this unseasoned author, this book has admirable goals and many ingredients to make it an intriguing pick for sparking discussion and critical thinking among teens."Emily Anne Valente, New York Public Library"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2007
In this aesthetically rudimentary but effective biography of the pseudonymous Ana, an HIV-positive Latin American teen mother, President's daughter Bush has the good sense to let the story speak for itself. Infected with HIV from birth, Ana has had to endure a lot: the death of her parents from AIDS; life with a grandmother who refused to see that her boyfriend was molesting Ana and her sister; a spell in institutional care; and the reminder, in the form of the retroviral pills she must take every day, of her mortality. But there are also good times with her sister and friends, some caring adults, and a short-lived but happy romance with an HIV-positive boy that gives Ana a cherished -- and healthy -- baby daughter. The writing is toneless and relentlessly declarative but sincere, and frequent chapter breaks and lots of scene-setting photographs relieve its monotony. Extensive appended material includes resources for help with HIV and abuse, ways that readers can help others, and information about HIV transmission, including strong recommendations for condom use.

(Copyright 2007 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2008
In this aesthetically rudimentary but effective biography of the pseudonymous Ana, an HIV-positive Latin American teen mother, President Bush's daughter has the good sense to let the story speak for itself. The writing is relentlessly declarative but sincere, and frequent chapter breaks and lots of scene-setting photographs relieve its monotony. Extensive appended material includes resources for help with HIV and abuse. Websites.

(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)