Ana's Story
By Jenna Bush

Ana's Story by Jenna Bush is a fresh insight into the life of a young woman victimized by HIV. This non-fiction story is told straight from the lips of Ana and other loved ones. The naked nearly harsh descriptions reveal her strength and love, as well as her abuse and secrets. HIV numbers Ana's life and so consequently each word may symbolize one of Ana's costly breaths. Her medicine or ‘her dessert,' as Ana likes to call it, delays her inevitable fate. Yet many children with AIDS are not as well supplied and do not receive the medicine that is required to give them the chance that they need. In a year, 2.7 million people under age 15 died of AIDS around the world. Of these deaths, 2.4 million died in Africa. (Fleshman). It is time for a change.

The story starts with Ana's earliest memories and ends at the present day. Each chapter represents an occurrence in Ana's life, either a scar or a kiss. The moving words and serene photos create a pleasurable read that will educate as well as change the reader's outlook on HIV/AIDS.
Ana goes through many hardships. She is born with HIV, then her mother dies when she is very young and her father follows. Both her parents were infected with AIDS. Ana is then abused by many of her family members diseased with poverty. Her relatives take out their pain and anger on Ana. Her life story is filled with hurt and secrecy until she finds happiness. Ana reaches an understanding about being infected with HIV not being her fault and so learns forgiveness.

A main part in Ana's life is when she falls in love with Berto another HIV victim and becomes pregnant. Bush explains Ana's fear and joy at the prospect of having a child. Ana vows to save her baby from the pain she experienced as a child.

As this part of Ana's story comes to an end, one wishes for a happy ending, and so it seems until one remembers the millions of other victims whose stories have gone untold. This story spans the distance created by oceans. As long as prayers go unanswered and problems go unsolved there will be many more Ana stories in the world. This story proves that anyone can make a difference and an easy way to start would be to read this book. This story was not only told to change the reader's life, but also to change Ana's story.

Fleshman, Michael. “A troubled decade for Africa's children.” Africa Recovery. (Now called Africa Renewal.) April 2002. 1 April 2008. http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/afrec/vol16no1/161child.htm