Refugee by Alan Gratz

While I usually start off by listing for whom I would recommend a book, I can only say that everyone--EVERYONE-- needs to read this book.

Words that resonated with me:  

"...We should have waited.  Things change.  They always change."
"But do they ever get better?"  Ivan asked.

They only see us when we do something they don't want us to do...

"...But a funny thing happened while I was waiting for the world to change, Chabela:  It didn't. Because I didn't change it..."

Whether you were visible or invisible, it was all about how other people reacted to you.  Good 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.  If you stayed invisible here, did everything you were supposed to and never made waves, you would disappear from the minds of all the good people out there who could help you get your life back.

It was better to be visible.  To stand up.  To stand out.

(This last one is absolutely breathtaking to me.)

In a time of political turmoil, in a time in which our politicians don't always keep humanity in mind,  I rank Alan Gratz's Refugee as one of the most important reads of our time.  It is the story of three different refugee families from three different countries in three different time periods. At the center of each of the refugee families is a child as the main character of each family's story.  In chapters that rotate through the different experiences of each child, we are shown the heartbreaking and hauntingly realistic journey of each family.  

While this is most definitely a story of loss, tragedy, and unfairness, it is also a story of resilience, acceptance, and perseverance.  Anyone who travels with Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud will never be the same--thank you, Alan Gratz, for writing this oh, so important novel.  Thank you for showing the real stories behind the faces we see on the news.  You have quite possibly saved lives by opening the hearts and minds of your readers.

A portion of Alan Gratz's proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to UNICEF.
www.unicefusa.org

www.savethechildren.org