Samuel “Sooley” Sooleymon

Samuel “Sooley” Sooleymon is the central character in the novel. He is 17 years old when he is chosen to play on a national basketball team to represent South Sudan. Up until that time, he lived with his family in Lotta, a remote, poverty-stricken village.

While Samuel is still playing with the national team, his village is destroyed by guerrillas. His father is killed, and his sister is taken away by the guerrillas. His mother and two younger brothers, however, escape and find their way to a refugee camp.

Samuel is distraught when he learns what has happened and believes he should have been with his family. Because there is no way for him to return to South Sudan, Samuel’s coach convinces Lonnie, the coach at North Carolina Central, to give Samuel a scholarship to play with that team. Lonnie is not impressed with Samuel, but...