On April 14, 2014, 276 adolescent schoolgirls were abducted from their school in Nigeria.  After watching their school buildings burn to the ground, they were forced to walk or ride in airless convoys to a very remote area of Nigeria.  The kidnappers were a part of a militant Islamic group who called themselves Boko Haram.  One of the group’s tenets is a firm belief that women should not be educated, rather they should marry young, bear children and carry out household duties.  Some of the girls converted to Islam and married their captors hoping to receive better treatment.  The majority of the girls refused.  A few were able to escape and return to their families.  Here is their story with special attention given to four of the kidnapped girls.

Beneath the Tamarind Tree is a heart-breaking read.  Throughout one can see how the author identifies with these girls and finds their behavior heroic.