Refugee, a historical fiction novel written by Alan Gratz, tells the story of three young teenagers trying to leave their homes for a brighter future throughout different time periods in History.
Josef Landau, the first boy, is trying to flee Germany by boat to Cuba during the early stages of World War II. His family decided to leave after Josef’s father was imprisoned in a German camp for six months. Unfortunately, his father began to suffer from severe PTSD upon returning home, leaving Josef to take on more responsibilities. Josef leaves with his mom, dad, and younger sister Ruthie. During the journey, Josef also turns 13, which means he becomes a man under the laws of Judaism. Another problem Josef runs into is at the landing port in Cuba. After traveling to their destination, the passengers find out that they may be turned away.
Isabel Fernandez is a girl who is attempting to leave poverty-stricken Cuba for the United States during 1994. Both Isabel’s family and her best friend Iván’s family, the Castillos, leave Cuba on a boat they had secretly been building for months. Isabel sells her most prized possession, her trumpet, to fuel the escape boat with gas. The people in Isabel’s family include her pregnant mother, her father, and her grandfather, who was the officer with control of Josef’s boat many years before. Her best friend Iván leaves with his parents, his older brother, and the girlfriend of his older brother. As the boat leaves, they are shot at, and water begins to leak out of the boat during the journey. The families must also avoid the Coast Guard, which would bring them back to Cuba.
The third character, Mahmoud Bishara, is leaving Syria, a war-zone, in 2015. In his family is his younger brother Waleed, his baby sister Hana, his mom, and his dad. At first, Mahmoud deals with his environment by being invisible and staying unnoticed. His mindset changes, however, once a bomb lands on his house, destroying what little parts of his life he had left. As Mahmoud’s family travels, they are denied travel in many countries.
As the book progresses, the three characters path’s cross, and the reader can make the connections between the lives of these teens. Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are all extremely brave and selfless. They are each forced to make sacrifices to save their loved ones. This book teaches the readers of real-issues that are in our world, even today. This novel also allows the reader to grasp at these events from the perspective of the characters.
Written by Arianna, Teen Volunteer
CBPL Reviews 