June 6, 1944: The Nazis are terrorizing Europe, on their evil quest to conquer the world. But while I was on the edge-of-my-seat throughout, the ultimate conclusion is one of hope - that the sins of our collective past do in fact have the power to positively impact the choices we make in the future.A New York Times bestseller!Alan Gratz, bestselling author of Refugee, weaves a stunning array of voices and stories into an epic tale of teamwork in the face of tyranny - and how just one day can change the world. The three accounts really took me into the heart of these historical moments in a way that news reports rarely do, each depicting a unique version of desperation, tragedy, and longing. The stories, unfolding in alternating points of view, are benchmarked at the start of each chapter with a subhead: xx days from home, demonstrating that from a kids' vantage point, home - or lack of - is the only landmark that really matters.

Louis Isabelle, who, along with her family, flees Cuba as a 1994 rafter and Mahmoud, who departs Aleppo in 2015, bound for (bringing us full circle) Germany. We meet Josef, a Jewish boy leaving Germany in 1939 as he boards the ill-fated ocean liner St. This heart-wrencher of a tale chronicles three separate journeys of children experiencing what none should have to: fleeing a home that is no longer safe. And although Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are separated by continents and decades, shocking connections will tie their stories together in the end.Īlan Gratz ( Prisoner B-3087, Projekt 1065) delivers an action-packed novel that tackles topics both timely and timeless: courage, survival, and the quest for home. But there is always the hope of tomorrow. All will face unimaginable dangers - from drownings to bombings to betrayals. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe.Īll three kids go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety in America. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world. Josef is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. A tour de force from acclaimed author Alan Gratz ( Prisoner B-3087), this timely and powerful novel tells the story of three different children seeking refuge.

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