A powerful, stirring yet utterly down-to-earth story with an unforgettable message about anger, compassion and forgiveness.
Based on a true story from the Archbishop Desmond Tutu's childhood, Desmond and the Very Mean Word depicts an incident in a South African town. While proudly riding his new bicycle, young Desmond is rudely insulted by some neighbourhood boys – and at first he responds angrily. But he's troubled to find that retaliation brings him no relief, and he can't stop thinking about the mean things the boys said to him. With the aid of the kindly Father Trevor, Desmond arrives at a better understanding of his feelings and learns that true forgiveness comes from within – and arises when you choose to regard all people with compassion, whether or not they say they are sorry. A beautiful tale of forgiveness, as well as a lesson about how to handle bullying and angry feelings, this is a vibrantly illustrated, deeply warm-hearted story.
- ISBN10 1406343919
- ISBN13 9781406343915
- Publish Date 7 February 2013 (first published 3 December 2012)
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 27 September 2022
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Walker Books Ltd
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 32
- Language English