s ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁people ▁who ▁work ▁in ▁international ▁development ▁and ▁human itar ian ▁cr ises . ▁ ▁Al ast air ▁N iven , ▁judge ▁of ▁the ▁Man ▁Book er ▁Prize ▁for ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁described ▁it ▁as ▁" a ▁moving ▁and ▁necessary ▁novel ", ▁and ▁The ▁Books eller ▁called ▁it ▁" a ▁ter r ific ally ▁absor bing , ▁top ical ▁and ▁quietly ▁affect ing ▁novel ▁of ▁inter lock ing ▁world s ▁and ▁relationships ". ▁ ▁If ▁you ▁can ▁walk , ▁you ▁can ▁dance ▁( 1 9 9 9 ▁) ▁won ▁the ▁Commonwealth ▁Writ ers ▁Prize ▁for ▁the ▁best ▁book ▁in ▁the ▁Africa ▁region . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁it ▁was ▁re - iss ued ▁by ▁Ni y og i ▁Books ▁in ▁India , ▁where ▁it ▁was ▁long - list ed ▁for ▁the ▁Att a ▁Gal atta ▁Bang al ore ▁Liter ary ▁Festival ▁Prize . ▁ ▁It ▁follows ▁a ▁young ▁woman ▁fle eing ▁from ▁the ▁threat ▁of ▁prison ▁in ▁South ▁Africa , ▁across ▁countries ▁and ▁cult ures , ▁to ▁find ▁a ▁new ▁meaning ▁for ▁her ▁life ▁through ▁music . ▁The ▁composer ▁D iana ▁Bur rell ▁called ▁it ▁" an ▁ex h ilar ating ▁book ▁that ▁celebr ates ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁music ▁as ▁universal ▁language , ▁he aler , ▁political ▁tool ▁- ▁the ▁thread ▁that ▁links ▁hum ank ind ▁across ▁cult ures ▁and ▁contin ents ". ▁ ▁Bo yd ▁Ton kin , ▁rev iewer ▁for ▁The ▁Independent , ▁described ▁it ▁as ▁" amb it ious ▁and ▁g ri