Alan Gratz’s book, Refugee follows the stories of three different kids, all from different places, all from different times, all refugees.
Josef is a Jewish boy escaping from Nazi Germany in the 1930s. On the Night of Broken Glass, the Nazis take his father and threaten to take him too. When they find out his father will be released but he must leave the country immediately, they all board a ship to Cuba.
Isabel is a Cuban girl in 1994, living through the riots and unrest in her country. It’s not safe there anymore she has to leave, and soon, otherwise, her father might be arrested. Due to all of the chaos in Cuba, they don’t have any gas to power their simple raft made of scrap metal. Isabel gives up her most precious belonging, her trumpet to get some gas for the boat. Isabel, her family, and her neighbors set off on a journey to America, across the ocean.
Mahmoud is a Syrian boy living in 2015. Ever since the war started, he’s done his best to be invisible. It’s easier that way, but when his apartment blows up, his family sets off with tons of other Syrian refugees on a long journey, mostly on foot to Europe.
All three of these kids face hardships, unimaginable dangers, and the constant threat of death as they journey across the world seeking freedom.
Refugee is an amazing book, full of action, adventure, and amazing characters. I’d recommend it to pretty much everyone, especially people who enjoy historical fiction and adventure. Refugee is a book worth reading over and over again.
This harrowing story is more an experience than just a story. This book is about what it really means to be a refugee, and what it takes to find the freedom you deserve.