(Calgary) – Former child soldier and South Sudanese born author Monybany Dau has released a deeply personal memoir that traces his life from conflict to Canada, offering a powerful reflection on displacement, survival and resilience.
The book titled When the River Reverses Course: The Untold Stories of Us, becomes available on Amazon on July 9 and is also currently stocked at Audreys Books in Edmonton.
Dau’s journey began in South Sudan, where, as a child, he was caught in one of the country’s many cycles of war. Like thousands of others, he fled the violence, eventually finding refuge in Cuba, which recognised the dangers of returning wa -affected children to their homelands. Cuba granted refugee status to the children, allowing Dau and others like him to build new lives abroad. He arrived in Canada in 1998.
“This memoir is not only a personal account of resilience, identity, and hope,” Dau explains, “but also a reflection of the many silent stories of children whose lives have been shaped—and often shattered—by war.”
The book touches on universal themes of nostalgia, identity, migration, and cultural adaptation, offering insight into the lives of immigrants who are often misunderstood or marginalised.
Dau says one of the most important lessons Canadians can draw from his memoir is that no one chooses to become a refugee.
“People do not simply wake up and decide to immigrate,” he notes.
“War, conflict, natural disasters, and persecution—these are the reasons people leave their homes.”
His story voices the experience of many in South Sudan and across the globe, where conflicts continue to displace families and children. The situation is familiar to many South Sudanese today, where thousands remain in refugee camps or face extreme hardship.
Dau’s book also challenges readers to reflect on diversity in their own communities.
“The many names in my story that you cannot pronounce, they are your neighbours, your colleagues at school, your teammates, your coworkers,” he says.
“These names are the opportunity seekers and nation builders. Do not marginalise them just because you have a challenge pronouncing them.”
Now based in Alberta, Dau pursued post secondary education in multiple fields. After training as a nurse in Cuba, he later earned a business administration degree at Mount Royal University in Calgary and went on to receive a postgraduate certificate in human resources management from Red Deer Polytechnic.
Dau’s memoir includes a moving account of being reunited with his mother for the first time in 18 years.
Despite the progress he has made, Dau admits he is still searching for answers.
“I believe hope is immortal. No matter how dark the moment, there is always a light,” he says.
“Above all, I believe that God is watching over everything we do. And yet, I am still searching—for that greater purpose, and for the answers to the questions that have followed me all my life.”
His story, while personal, resonates strongly with readers in South Sudan and across its diaspora, many of whom continue to navigate similar paths of loss, recovery and identity.
When the River Reverses Course can also be purchased directly by emailing dau.monybany@gmail.com.