Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis

Imara lives as the "Spirit Child" of of a group of armed raiders in the forests of the Republic of Congo.  They believe that she has prophetic powers because she survived the bite of their patron animal, the Black Mamba snake.  The leader of their group consults with Imara before a raid, and asks her to "bless" his men before they attack a village.  Imara lives in constant fear that the band will lose faith in her spiritual powers, but she also hates the violent life they live.  One day the group captures a young ape in a nature preserve that they plan to sell to an American.  It bonds with Imara and gives her the courage to make a change in her life.

This book is written from the point of three characters, Imara, the gorilla child, Kitwana, and the son of a ranger, Bobo.  Lewis does a good job winding their stories around each other, showing how fate brings them together to help them all find what they are looking for.  I was particularly impressed with Lewis' portrayal of Kitwana.  She obviously did a lot of research about gorillas and how they interact with each other.  This is another good choice for kids who like to read about how kids from other cultures overcome difficult situations but parents should beware that there are some tough situations that might upset sensitive kids. (2017, 408 p.)