Tag Archives: Refugees

Children of the Stars, by Mario Escobar

Posted on by

Falling somewhere between an odyssey and a saga, this is a tale of exile reminding us that kindness and humanity will radiate in the season of sorrow.

1942: The parents of Jacob and Moses have sent the boys to live with their aunt in Paris since the war is getting worse. On the streets, the boys get swept away in the Velodrome d’Hiver roundup in Paris. Choosing to escape, Jacob and Moses return to their aunt’s home, discover old letters from their parents, and decide to go find them.

Through Jacob and Moses’ journey to reunite with their parents, we see an assortment of people with their own ethnicity, history, ideals, and stories. The variety of people they encounter leave you seeing the variations of WWII through an array of lenses.

I really enjoyed that it centered around the viewpoint of children; two boys holding on to what remains of childhood. The relationship between Jacob and Moses is so sweet and childlike though war attempts to blockade their innocence.

“Observing the happiness of others always makes the world make a little more sense all of a sudden, makes suffering a little more bearable, makes grief a little less suffocating.”

“When you’re young, you dream about making the world a better place, overturning injustice and inequality. But within time you just settle for getting by.”

“Don’t ever change. Sometimes the world can turn us into something we shouldn’t be.”

“Humans are nothing more than the sum of their affections and the connections they make in life. When those ties break, loneliness destroys what little is left in an uninhabited heart.”

The author confirms the brothers, Jacob and Moses, are fictitious. However, they represent the real children who traveled across Europe as refugees during WWII. Historically, Mario Escobar gracefully blends facts with fiction. He addresses areas in Europe that are commonly suppressed amid a defying WWII history. Several authentic historical characters are involved that include Andre Trocme, Daniel Trome, and Edouard Theis.

4 out of 5 star rating explained: While tender and touching, there were some implausible situations and cliché conditions. Also, their voyage to find their parents continued relentlessly, so I always knew what to expect to happen…they would keep going to find their parents.

Overall, it is a feel-good novel that takes you across Europe with two children during war.There is a lot of historical content and I found myself Googling a lot of the names and places. There is mild violence, no vulgar language, and no sex. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

| Purchase on Amazon | Goodreads Review |

More on this topic:
Andre and Magda Trocme
Le Chambon-sur-Lignon
Phillipe Petain and the Vichy puppets

Jewish children hidden in Le Chambon
Jewish children hidden in Le Chambon.
description
Jewish and non-Jewish refugee children sheltered in Le Chambon.

Mario Escobar is the author of many novels including Auschwitz Lullaby. This title, Children of the Stars, was originally published in Spanish under the title Los niños de la estrella amarilla.

Night of Power, by Anar Ali

Posted on by

Night of Power is the considered the most holiest of nights in Ramadan. While the title itself connotes a religious and cultural tone, the book actually focuses on the social constructs within a family of refugees. The family in the story are India-Africa-Muslim, having been part of the Indian-Asian Ugandans who fled Uganda in 1972 under Ida Amin (the Butcher of Uganda). However, their past is not a central topic and is only mentioned in a flashback to provide a short background of where they came from. I thought that this might also include Indophobia because of the circumstances, however, Indophobia was not a theme or point that was brought up. The central theme revolves around the broken relationship between the family. It chronicles the dynamics between father, mother, and son. 

The main characters alternate between three family members who live in Canada: Mansoor, Layla, and Ashif. The father of the household, Mansoor, strives for success in his business. He wants a better life for his family and is haunted by the memories of his own father. The mother, Layla, holds onto her heritage and religious roots although her husband has made it clear that heritage and religion are not needed in his house to be successful. Ashif, the son, grows to become a busy corporate suit, and his parents fall into his young adult life as ambiguous shadows of his past.

Different priorities and definitions of respect create friction between the family of three. They struggle to look beyond the scars of their relationships with each other in order to heal. Each character struggles with their own identity and assimilating into a new culture that often creates internal conflict. 

There are a lot of Punjabi and Arabic words in this book, so I recommend reading it on a Kindle to translate if you are not familiar with Muslim customs. 

I really wanted more from the characters and more from the story line, to go deeper and enter the complexity of a cultural climax but felt I only got a spoonful instead of the bowl. I knew this was about family crisis from the blurb, but was interested to see how Ramadan was involved with the story line and that aspect fell short. However, it was still an enjoyable read and I liked it. It’s a short read, being only 240 pages. Many thanks to NetGalley, Viking, and Anar Ali for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. 

Fast Facts on Ramadan

| Purchase on Amazon | Goodreads Review |

What is the What, by Dave Eggers

Posted on by

Although written by Dave Eggers, it is a narrative account of Valentino Achak Deng, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. It details the plight of the Sudanese refugees. 

The story begins with Valentino being robbed in his American apartment as an adult. When he is knocked out by one of the thieves, he thinks back to his life in the Sudan. He then begins his story of his exodus at the age of seven, when he and thousands of other boys cross the desert by foot. Wild animals, guns, bomb, death, militia, and starvation constantly threaten the boys chance for freedom and survival. “Should we stop? I whispered as we ran. No, no. Run. Always run.” But even if they survive the labyrinth of the desert, they must then find a country to host them so that war does not claim them.
Throughout his narrative account, the chapters sometimes resume back to his current state in America–stuck in a chair, a telephone chord wrapped around him while he is being robbed. I enjoyed his comparisons to being held captive in his own apartment to his turmoil in Sudan. While he could be whimsical and sarcastic at times towards his robbers, it was disheartening to hear the voice of the true refugee, “You would not add to my suffering if you knew what I have seen.”

I highly recommend What is the What for anyone interested in historical fiction, cultural anthropology, and social behaviors. It is a story to savor and one that you will never forget.

| Purchase on Amazon | Goodreads Review |