Refugee

by Alan Gratz

Scott County Library hardcover 317 pages plus author's notes, maps, and acknowledgements

Published: 2017

Genre: YA historical fiction

I like this author, but this book was a little too busy for me. We followed three main characters' stories: Josef, a Jewish boy leaving Berlin in 1938 to go to Cuba; Isabel, a girl trying to leave Cuba in 1994; and Mahmoud, an Islamic boy trying to leave Syria in 2015.

The author made each child's story interesting and even connected the threads well. I just didn't "get into" the book for any sustained reading. I usually read a YA book in one or two sittings! This took me a few weeks. 

(Isabel) Page 83: "Lito was giving her piropos, the flirtatious compliments Cuban men said to women on the street. Not everyone did it anymore, but to Lito it was like an art form."

Isabel's grandpa (Lito) is lucky that Amara laughed at his flattery. I think it's interesting that there's a word for this in Cuban!

(Mahmoud) Page 192: "Mahmoud cried in exhaustion and misery. He wanted to do it all over again. He wanted to go back and stand up for the boy in the alley in Aleppo who was getting beaten up for his bread. To scream and yell and wake the sleeping citizens of Izmir so they would see him ad all the other people sleeping in doorways and parks. . . . "

The depth of sorrow that these children face while just trying to stay with their families and live life is unbelievable. A lot of middle school students really like Gratz' books. It would be great if they gained some empathy in reading about kids their age having to deal with civil war and strife.

(Isabel) Page 226: "But as she watched Lito and Papi lift up Ivan's body, the empty place inside got bigger and bigger, until she was more empty than full. She wished she was dead too."

I like that the author doesn't shy away from some of the tougher experiences and emotions of life. This part made me so sad!

(Mahmoud) Page 249: "He'd had a gun pointed right at his face. As long as he lived, Mahmoud would never forget that feeling of paralyzing terror, of powerlessness."

I hate that evil people prey upon weak people. I hate that people all over the world are threatened and sometimes killed by others who just want to take without regard for other humans.

(Isabel) Page 278: "'Don't worry about me, Chabela! If there's one thing I'm good at, it's treading water,' Lito yelled back. 'Now, row! Mañana is yours, my beautiful songbird. Go to Miami and be free!'"

 

I love that her grandpa sacrificed himself to the Coast Guard and a return to Cuba so that the rest of the family could reach the beach. I love that he was the same policeman back in the 1930s who had told Josef's family that they would be able to get off in Cuba "Mañana, Mañana," though they were sent back to Europe. 

 

(Mahmoud) Page 281: "And that was the real truth of it, wasn't it? Whether you were visible or invisible, it was all about how other people reacted to you. Good and bad things happened either way. If you were invisible, the bad people couldn't hurt you, that was true. But the good people couldn't help you, either."

I like some of Mahmoud's choices and observations.

The author's notes had a lot of info about his research and links for donating to Unicef and Save the Children. I love that he has committed to donating a portion of the proceeds on book sales to Unicef. Very cool.