Refugee

I write books for children, so I love to read middle-grade novels. Though the action in this one centers around three young protagonists and eventually connects their stories, there are plenty of family moments, historical facts, and tense encounters that will appeal to adults.

One child flees Nazi Germany; another escapes Cuba, and yet a third leaves Syria after a bombing. The way the author portrays the danger, hardship, loss, and deception that the families experience on their journeys makes the reader feel powerfully connected and sympathetic to their plights.

It is a real eye-opener regarding what families throughout history… show more.

My favorite part of this book is that it is three stories that are narrated and each one is very unique. However, the dreams, hopes and fears parallel one another making the reader understand that these journeys are universal.

You also learn that history repeats itself because each story is set in a different era. 

A Jewish boy in the 1930s, a Cuban girl in the 1990s, and a Syrian boy in 2015 all attempt to flee violent times in their homelands, only to face hardship and danger while searching for safety abroad. In stories about war and revolution, the perspective of refugees is often overlooked, so it’s wonderful to see those voices centered here. I also love the way the different stories (and characters) are ultimately connected.

In telling three stories set in different times and places, Gratz’s compelling, at times harrowing novel is both historical and contemporary, local and global. It’s a perfect way to illustrate the universal, timeless plight of the refugee. This subject is very close to my heart since three of my grandparents escaped to the U.S.—alone, as youngsters—due to anti-Semitic oppression in Russia. Heartbreakingly, one grandmother came here at age 12 when both of her parents were murdered in a pogrom.