As violence erupted in her once idyllic village in southern Sudan, Adout Goi Ungua fled all she had known to get her children to safety. Her remarkable journey from that small village to a shining city upon a hill reassures readers that the American dream is possible. Like many Americans before her, she persevered through one hardship after another to reach the shores of freedom. In so doing, she kept a promise to her children that they would have a safe place to grow and thrive. Told by her son, Bol Maywal, A Mother’s Promise offers love, hope, tenacity, and a fresh belief in the possibilities of America.
Bol Maywal wrote A Mother’s Promise as a special tribute to his mother who raised him to be the leader he is today. He hopes the book can serve as an example to other young men and provide encouragement to widows, single mothers, and mothers to be the best versions of themselves to their children. The book casts a positive light on refugees and immigrants and their contributions to America.
About the Author
Bol Maywal is a US citizen born in the middle of the Second Sudanese Civil War in a displacement camp in El Haj Yousif, Sudan. In 1997, Bol and his family fled Sudan and lived in a United Nations (UN) refugee camp in Egypt for several years. Bol and family came to the US in 2001 with assistance from the United Nations and Catholic Social Services, now called Catholic Charities. He entered elementary school unable to speak English and faced challenges as a refugee integrating into the local community. He persevered and earned his US citizenship on April 24, 2009.
Bol is a peace scholar, a former NATO Peacemaker, and a US Army officer. Bol earned his bachelor’s degree from Belmont Abbey College on an Army ROTC Scholarship, majoring in political science and minoring in military science. In 2019, he graduated from the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom with his master’s degree. From these life experiences, Bol has dedicated himself to serving others. Bol hopes to become a proactive global peacebuilder.
We asked Bol a few questions about the publishing process.
Bol on working with SPARK Publications:
SPARK Publications is a small team of incredible and professional individuals who were there to help every step of the way. I enjoyed working with them during the whole publishing process.
Is there a particular moment that SPARKed your interest in writing a book?
The day I was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army, I was inspired with the idea to write a book.
Now that your book is published, are there any goals or experiences you’re looking forward to?
I look forward to meeting new people and sharing my mother’s story with fellow Americans and the world.
What surprises did you encounter on the road to writing and publishing the book?
Writing a book takes an incredible amount of discipline, and I discovered that publishing a book is an investment of both time and money.
How did SPARK Publications help in championing and publishing your book?
I sincerely enjoyed the cover design phase and having the opportunity to speak with the team about my vision for the book during the creative strategy session. It helped build confidence in my work!
What advice do you have for other authorpreneurs and aspiring writers?
Writing a book takes discipline, but once you start, the story writes itself.
Tell us about your future plans—what’s next for you?
I am currently writing my second book. I am turning my master’s degree dissertation into a book outlining a vision for building a vibrant, modern state for the world’s youngest country, the Republic of South Sudan.
What does success mean to you?
We all have stories that can be turned into fascinating books to share with the world. The decision to write comes from within. The most interesting thing I found was the fact that we can inspire others with our own stories. To me, success is reaching the benchmarks that we set for ourselves, even while others doubt our vision and audacity to get there.
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