Beneath the Tamarind Tree by Isha Sesay

In April of 2014 a militant Islamic group called the Boko Haram abducted 276 young girls after setting fire to the school they attended in Chibok, Nigeria. A handful of the girls escaped during the early hours but the majority were taken far from their home, made to live under horrible conditions, verbally abused and repeatedly told they were going home only to find it a lie. Many of these young girls were not brought home until years later and the fate of quite a few of them is still unknown. Isha Sesay is the CNN reporter who heard about these girls early on and made a commitment to them and their families to never give up searching for them and working towards their release. In an amazing lack of coverage by other sources, red tape government policies and the uncertain dealings with Boko Haram leaders, these young women held together and remained strong. The anguish, fear, and mistreatment at the hands of their captors would have been enough to cripple most but these young women had a strong faith and each other. Some gave in, converted and married Boko Haram men but the majority refused to convert and held their ground. A secondary part of the book is devoted to the author's own upbringing, her African roots and her mother's health disaster that was the only thing to take her away from getting the girls back. It is a heroic story of faith, sisterhood and the tireless journey of both the girls, their families and the reporter who wouldn't give up on them.