Memoirs

Ashes of Childhood

The heart wrenching tale of Lela Burbridge, growing up as an AIDs orphan in Uganda. The second edition of Ashes of Childhood is now launched and published by The Lela Initiative. It was such an honour to work as a story liner and editor on Ashes of Childhood. Two years of hard work went into shaping the book and it is amazing to see the second edition now launched.

Raw, honest and vulnerable, the powerful and well written words of ‘Lela Ashes of Childhood’ take you right into the life of a young girl in Uganda and experience that no child should ever face. The events that are retold compel the reader to turn each page waiting for some sort of breakthrough from the tragic circumstances, to occur.

Whilst it may bring moments of discomfort and sorrow it is an important read. Not only is it Lela’s story but it is also the story of so many who are not in a position to give voice to the injustices they face. Stay with it and you will find within its pages a hope that arises in the darkness, an individual with such enormous strength and a tale of faith where you would expect to find despair.

If these aren’t reasons enough to read ‘Lela’ and like me you have had a safe and secure childhood, I would urge you to buy a copy as a reminder of the necessity for human kindness and to stop for those around you as those who stopped for Lela on her journey did. With a percentage of the profits from this book going towards the Rafiki Thabo Foundation, the bravery to share her story and the challenging narrative, the heart of Lela is clearly to help make a difference.

Amazon Review