Book excerpt: "Ayuel Leek Deng and Beny Ngor Chol survived famine, the brutal deaths of family members and homelessness during the war in Sudan, which raged on for more than a decade. They were young boys caught in a bloody battle, attempting to escape with their lives. Fleeing to relief camps brought some refuge and aid, but soon it was time to run again from the brutal enemy that continued to stalk them from place to place." "Courageous Journey is the compelling true story of the bravery of these two young men who refused to become another statistic. It serves as a looking glass to many of the timely issues facing our world today: terrorism by radical Islamic groups, the crisis in Darfur, the struggle for control over limited oil reserves. Through the eyes of Ayuel and Beny, we walk the path of thousands of displaced children who tramped for months across barren land, menaced by starvation, disease, wild animals and gunfire." "This emotionally gripping, deeply moving book follows the two boys through their years in refugee camps to their journey to the United States, where author Barbara Youree mentors them through college as they partake in the American dream and begin to realize their own aspirations of helping the people of their homeland."--BOOK JACKET.