Refugee (noun)
/rɛfjʊˈdʒiː/
A person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution or a natural disaster.
The book Refugee by Alan Gratz, published by the Scholastic Press, follows the lives of three young refugees in three different timelines, all going through similar experiences. Josef, in 1939, fleeing from Nazi Germany to Cuba; Isabel, in 1994, fleeing from the civil unrest in Cuba to America; and Mahmoud, in 2015, fleeing from war torn Syria to Germany. All three characters along with their families have to make difficult decisions and go through excruciatingly long and painful journeys to make better lives for themselves. Along the way, some of their loved ones lose their lives while some are lost; this gives us a glimpse into the reality of what it means to be a refugee. It also shows us how we never really learn from past experiences. How we as humans repeat the same injustices time and time again, neither realizing nor caring about its impact on civilians. History has always been the best teacher, it’s up to us if we wish to learn from it or repeat it.
The author has done a phenomenal job of tying the stories together. He has put in a lot of effort to do his research and keep the book as historically accurate as possible. While reading the book, it feels like you’re amidst the characters, a part of their journey, experiencing their fleeting moments of joy and longer moments of pain and hardship. Oftentimes when we read about the plight of refugees in articles or hear about it on the news, it might seem like their struggle is from a different world. That’s why books like these are paramount. Even though the characters are fictional, there are hundreds if not thousands of people who go through the same kind of hardship every year. It helps us develop empathy towards people who are suffering from such crises. It helps us to understand their situation and help them in whatever capacity we can.
This book is classified as a middle grade book. It is crucial to teach children about the reality of the world and to care for people different from themselves. We may not all be from the same race, religion or gender, but at the end of the day, we are all humans who deserve to live in peace and safety.
World Refugee Day is observed on June 20th each year and the theme for the year 2021 was “Together we heal, learn and shine”. This day offers a chance to spread awareness on the plight of refugees around the world and of the efforts to protect their human rights. One way in which we can do this is by reading and talking about important books like this one. Nothing will ever change if we don’t take a stand to educate ourselves and help those who are helpless.
Author: Zainab Ali, President - GIO Chennai
Pic. Credits: Google
Date: 30th June, 2021.
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