The novel Refugee, by author Alan Gratz, follows three families, generations apart, as they escape their dangerous homeland. Separated by history and geography, they nevertheless all share the desire to free themselves from oppression. The main characters are:
Josef Landau, a 12-year-old Jewish boy living in Germany, in 1938. His family fled the Nazis by sailing to Havana. Josef wonders what it means to become a man to protect his family.
Isabel Fernandez, an 11-year-old Cuban girl living under the communist regime of Fidel Castro, in 1994. Desperate to become free and escape poverty, she, her family and friends flee to Miami. Isabel must abandon her passion for the trumpet and try to save her family.
Mahmoud Bishara, a 12-year-old Muslim boy living in Syria, in 2015. After bombs from the raging civil war destroy their home, Mahmoud and his family flee to Germany. He tries hard not to attract attention that could put his family in danger.
Joseph
Berlin, Germany — 1938
The novel begins with Josef waking up to the Nazis invading his family's home in Berlin. It is the night of Kristallnacht, or “Night of Broken Glass,” when Jewish families and synagogues are attacked. His father was arrested and sent to the Dachau concentration camp.
Joseph
Hamburg, Germany — 1939
Six months later, Josef, his mother and his sister met his father in Hamburg after his release from Dachau. They are all required to wear their Star of David armbands. Josef's mother booked them on a passenger ship to Cuba. Josef is shocked to see that his father is thin, paranoid and severely traumatized.
Isabelle
Havana, Cuba—1994
Isabel is playing her beloved trumpet in downtown Havana when a violent riot breaks out. People are starving under Fidel Castro's regime. Isabel's father and grandfather are among the protesters and Isabel rushes to protect her father as he is beaten by the police.
Isabelle
Just outside Havana, Cuba – 1994
Isabel and her family leave Cuba the next day. Isabel secretly sells her trumpet in exchange for gasoline to make the trip to Miami. His mother, father and grandfather join his best friend Ivan and his parents on a rickety homemade boat. As they move away from the shore, Ivan's older brother and his girlfriend, both police officers, unexpectedly rush from the beach to join them. They narrowly escape gunfire when other police officers shoot at them.
Mahmoud
Aleppo, Syria—2015
Mahmoud lives with his family in war-torn Aleppo, Syria. When a missile explodes in their apartment, they barely escape unscathed. Mahmoud's father decides that they will flee to Germany.
Mahmoud
Just outside Aleppo, Syria – 2015
Traveling by road from Aleppo, the family abandons their car and belongings when bullets tear through the side of the vehicle. They walk several hours on foot to the Turkish border, following a map on their cell phone.
Joseph
Somewhere on the Atlantic Ocean — 1939
Meanwhile, in 1939, Josef's family moved to a boat with other Jewish families. They feel safe for the first time in years. Josef even has his bar mitzvah on board, but soon discovers that there are a few avowed Nazi sympathizers among the crew.
Joseph
Just outside Havana, Cuba – 1939
When the ship arrives in Cuba, passengers are not allowed to disembark. Soon after, members of the Nazi crew ransack Josef's family cabin, pushing his father to the brink of madness. In desperation, he jumps overboard but a Cuban policeman, the young Mariano Padron, who will one day be Isabel's grandfather, jumps into the water and saves him from drowning.
Isabelle
Somewhere on the Atlantic Ocean, outside Cuba – 1994
Isabel is still on the boat with her family and friends when the engine stops. A large oil tanker rushes towards them and their boat capsizes because of the waves. Isabel saves Ivan's father who almost drowns. Everyone survives, but the boat begins to take on water.
Isabelle
The Atlantic Ocean and the Bahamas — 1994
Diverted and landing in the Bahamas, the refugees are forced to turn around and then decide to continue their route to Miami. Everyone takes turns hanging on to the outside of the leaking boat so it doesn't sink. Ivan bleeds out after being attacked by a shark.
Mahmoud
Izmir, Turkey and the Mediterranean Sea — 2015
In Türkiye, Mahmoud and his family hire a smuggler to take them to Greece. They board an inflatable raft with other refugees who emerge during a storm. Mahmoud's mother, on the verge of drowning, abandons baby Hana to a passing boat. The family is ultimately saved.
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