From Refugee to Prodigy: A Story of Loss, Love and New Life. Dieser Artikel ist nicht verfügbar.From Refugee to Prodigy: A Story of Loss, Love and New Life

This story is about a life torn apart by war and painstakingly reassembled. It is the story of my journey from a childhood spent in a refugee camp to my goal of becoming a successful, educated member of the world community. Along the way, I share reflections on my family, my life in exile, meeting my adopted mother, the culture shock of coming to America, life in graduate school, the death of my mother, life after her death and my hopes for a brighter future. You may ask why this story is important. There are a lot of books about children growing up as refugees, and the news is full of Africans of all ages suffering terrible tragedies, but most of these stories are told second-hand, written by people who are observing these atrocities, not living through them. This book is different. It is a firsthand look at these experiences of pain, loss, betrayal and hopelessness, but also experiences of love, sacrifice, struggle and triumph. The most important thing about this book, at least to me, is that it is also the story of one special woman who changed my life forever. Lynn Bain gave me fresh hope for the future and poured her unconditional love into my life. Even after her death, I can still feel her love sustaining me deep within. This book is my way of saying “thank you” to Lynn and all the others like her who give of themselves without fear or reservation.

On December 24, 1989, civil war broke out in the small West African state of Liberia. The war lasted over fourteen years. The casualties are heart rending: 250,000 deaths, 150,000 internally displaced, 850,000 refugees in neighboring countries, and a country completely destroyed. Marvin Garbeh Davis Jr. was born to teenage parents during this period and was raised by his grandparents at Buduburam refugee camp for most of his childhood under intense fear and uncertainty. This is book is about his experiences as a refugee and his journey to America. He graduated from Cuttington University, Bong County, Liberia, in 2012 with a Bachelor's degree in Peace and Development Studies, and he also holds a Masters Degree in International Studies from Chapman University, Orange, California, United States of America. He has worked with several Non Governmental Organizations in Liberia and West Africa, and also as a research assistant during his two years of graduate school at Chapman University. He is happily married to his high school sweetheart, Nyanda Finda Davis, and they have been blessed with a son, Lyndon, who they named after Marvin's late adopted mother Lynn Bain.