Unnatural Resources

THE BOOK: Unnatural Resources

PUBLISHED IN: 2020

THE AUTHOR: Mindy Uhrlaub.

THE EDITOR: Barbara Ascher, story editor; Rosemarie Robotham, sensitivity editor; Barbara Anderson, copy editor

THE PUBLISHER: The Permanent Press.

SUMMARY: When her Congolese village is destroyed by an invading militia group, eleven-year-old Therese is injured and outcast. Stranded with only her little brother’s best friend in a war-torn jungle, she is forced to make a choice: lie down and become another victim of the war or stand up and survive. Desperate to find her mother and beloved brother, Felix, she uses her greatest gift, her knowledge of English, to navigate the vast web of humanitarian aid groups. Along the way, she meets the charismatic one-legged teenager, Robert, who takes her on an adventure with a film crew which becomes her lifeline back home. Luna, Therese’s mother, has been taken as a slave and concubine to the handsome and evil leader of the militia, The General. In a harrowing act of bravery, she uses her own knowledge of languages to make the difficult choice to escape into the mountainous jungle. In her struggle to reunite with Therese and Felix, some of the least likely people become her friends

THE BACK STORY: The reason I wrote a story about a little girl who succeeds in DR Congo is that females in that part of the world are at the biggest disadvantage. Many become mothers too young.  Many are not educated the way boys are.  Therese represents an unlikely hero.  She’s the kind of person I want to read about when I get news about Congo. When I hear stories that report numbers of suffering people, I feel sad, but my eyes glaze over. When I read about a single hero or activist, I want to know more. My hope is that people who read my book will want to learn more about humanitarian issues abroad. When we feel empathy for others, that’s how we reach out across the globe.    

WHY THIS TITLE?: In the Democratic Republic of Congo, natural resources are abundant. The mineral-rich country has vast reserves of oil, gold, zinc, copper, diamonds, and coltan. There are also trees that are used to make charcoal and fruits and vegetables that easily grow in the rich, volcanic soil.  Congo boasts the natural environment for mountain gorillas, alligators, elephants, okapis, warthogs, antelope, hippos, and lions. In my book, the term “Unnatural Resources” refers to something DRC is largely missing: educational opportunities for girls and women.  My novel’s main characters, Therese and Luna, both speak several languages.  Although Therese’s education wasn’t from a traditional school, she possesses a resource that is “unnatural,” and she uses it to gain an advantage that other girls in the book don’t have.  She utilizes her knowledge of languages to get the attention of a film crew and to become a filmmaker (using a video camera, which is also an unnatural resource). Through the process of becoming an activist, Therese herself becomes what many characters in the book consider to be an unnatural resource.

The kidnapping, rape and slavery of DRC’s females represents the pillage of its mose precious natural resource: its people.  My sincere hope is that girls and women there someday will enjoy the education, freedom, safety, and respect that we enjoy here.

WHY WOULD SOMEONE WANT TO READ IT? When Black Lives Matter and the Me Too movement are in the news, it’s great to hear about underdogs surviving, healing, and leading.  In most literature, a Congolese girl is the least likely person you’ll read about succeeding, so this book is unique.  Anyone who is interested in stories about strong girls, resourceful women, children in peril, or resilience in exotic settings would be into Unnatural Resources.  The book also explores relationships in hostile settings, as well as mother-daughter relationships. Readers who are intrigued by social justice, human rights, or helping marginalized communities should take note that the last page of my book has a list of suggestions on how to help women and children in Congo. If you’re a reader who likes literature with a conscience, this one’s for you! 

REVIEW COMMENTS:

“Uhrlaub’s harrowing novel doesn’t spare readers the grim reality of children harmed by sadists. Readers who like their fiction with a conscience will want to take a look.” – Publishers Weekly

“This straightforward account of the trail of pillage, rape, and murder left by multinational companies dramatizes a recurrent archetype in literature about Africa, as well as an economic failing too rarely addressed. Therese’s shame in her dirty dress and her dignity as she treks across the land in search of her people make this novel a worthy contribution to the growing pool of migrant literature.” – Library Journal

AUTHOR PROFILE: Mindy Uhrlaub has traveled twice with Human Rights Watch and Eve Ensler’s V-Day to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and has taken testimony of rape survivors and child soldiers. Her interest in preventing the pillage of resources in Congo has also led her to visit Virunga National Park and to sit on the committee for Human Rights Watch’s Voices for Justice Dinner. Prior to writing Unnatural Resources, Uhrlaub wrote and produced STALLED, a feature-length film distributed by Concorde New Horizons. She was also a music reviewer and copy editor for Denver’s PULP magazine. In addition, Mindy plays keyboards in 40th Day, a band that has toured with Kansas and performed with groups like The Smashing Pumpkins. She is a contributing author in the anthologies Mamas Write and She’s Got This (named 2019 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Finalist, Kindle Book Awards Reader’s Choice, and Best Book Awards Finalist). She has spoken several times at San Francisco’s Litquake and lives in the Bay Area with her husband and sons.

https://www.amazon.com/Unnatural-Resources-Mindy-Uhrlaub/dp/1579626408

AUTHOR COMMENTS: “I think that it’s easy to get wrapped up in our own little world. As an American, I can become complacent; without seeing and understanding other parts of the globe, things for me can feel disconnected. Especially during the pandemic, life got very small and cloistered. Much of the news was about Covid cases, but terror and violence in places like the Democratic Republic of Congo didn’t take a break. There were still kidnappings and rape and child labor.  When Nyiragongo erupted in May of 2021, thousands of people were displaced. That was in the news. But part of the story was largely omitted: the part about where those internally displaced people went. Did they flee into militia-held land? Across the border into Rwanda? I worry about my friends there. Between political corruption, grinding poverty, militia violence, and erupting volcanoes, it seems that the people of DRC can’t catch a break.” 

WHERE TO BUY IT: Amazon, Barnes & noble, etc. Amazon

PRICE: Retail price $29.95, may vary on Amazon

CONTACT THE AUTHOR: I think it’s very important to open the door to writer/reader interaction. You could post your e-mail address, Facebook page, or Twitter handle, or all of the above.

Website: www.mindyuhrlaub.com

Twitter: @MindyUhrlaub

Instagram: @mindywrites1