Refugee by Alan Gratz is an exciting and powerful novel, the plot reveals the fates of three
refugees escaping from different periods of history and other countries, but connected by the
topic of being refugees and the desire for a new life. The novel recounts the protagonists'
experiences of the terror of refugees – Josef, a Jewish boy escaping Nazi Germany in 1938 –
Isabel, a Cuban girl escaping Castro's regime in 1994 – and Mahmoud, a Syrian boy fleeing civil
war in 2015. In their stories, Gratz poses some thought-provoking ideas about the concept of life,
individuality, and the price of war; she also underlines the invincibility of people against terrible
odds of hostility.
The plot revolves around Josef, who has to escape Berlin after the Jewish families release his
father from a concentration camp – the condition was to leave Germany. They get on the MS St.
Louis, a ship headed for a suitable refuge in Cuba. However, their journey is not easy, for the
Cuban government turns around and denies Jewish refugees entry into their country, putting
Josef and his family in rather a joker position. The fear and anxiety create suspense and
helplessness on whether they will be allowed to disembark or be sent back to the horrors of
Europe. Josef's case portrays the life of people who were persecuted during the holocaust and the
toughness of the situation that forces families to seek freedom at any cost.
Isabel's story is set several decades later in Havana when Castro's economic crunch increased
families' survival burden. Having her father at risk of detainment for his involvement in the anti-
government demonstrations, Isabel and her family risk their lives and escape to the United States
on a flotilla. Their travel through the dangerous waters of the Florida Straits is most daring, to
say the least, or perhaps a very symbolic journey, as the lives of many have already proved in
their endeavors of the exact nature. Through a series of ordeals with fatal obstacles, such as
sharks and the harsh sun, Isabel undergoes hope and despair. The novel conveys the
psychological and physical stress endured throughout such a journey and depicts familial ties as
providing strength to Isabel despite seemingly insurmountable odds.
Perhaps the most tragic of all is the story of Mahmoud, which takes place in modern Syria. When
their house is blown up in a loud blast, Mahmoud and his family fly from Syria to Turkey, from
Greece to Italy, and finally, reach France. In the novel, the author reveals the problem of Syrian
refugees, the dangers they meet during the crossing through the Mediterranean, and the
unfriendly reception of Europeans. What becomes apparent in the story of the survival of a man
called Mahmoud is the fact that it is, at the same time, a story of identity loss and confusion. The
physical and psychological effects of being a refugee are well articulated in the novel through the
character of Mahmoud, with moments of hopelessness and compassion.
The nature of the novel to alternate between the three families' narratives helps the reader
compare the fates of past, present and future refugees. In Gratz's book, one can see that the
author applies considerable efforts to make the essence of the phenomenon of displacement and
persecution clear even to children. The narratives also parallel each other to remind the
audiences that the plight of refugees is timeless, or rather, they are trans-historical.
The reader is left with a straightforward and powerful narrative of what it means to be a refugee,
the cost incurred, and the joy attained at the novel's end.
Characters
Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are the refugees of Refugee. All three novices have their unique
evocations of the asylum seeker trials and enjoyment, which are also complemented by lesser
and greater actors they come across en route. Josef is a sensitive and brave boy who finds
himself in early adulthood as he tries to protect his family from the Nazi atrocities. The fact that
he has a traumatic father, who was released from the concentration camp, and a younger sister,
Ruthie, who he tries to protect from the realities of their suffering, gives more complexity to his
character and the load of the children in the conditions of crisis.
Isabel is a very hardworking and domesticated girl who loved her family to the extent that she
was willing to die for her family. She is a devoted daughter, drastically caring for her family,
especially her grandfather, Lito, who has a conflicted relationship with the US. It also seems that
people behaving in a group, or at least being in close contact, tend to create bonds of solidarity
that can be characteristic of the refugees, such as Isabel and her best friend's family, as well as
the strangers they meet along their trip on the raft.
Among the three brothers, Mahmoud is the youngest and the most intriguing. His experiences
make him mature faster, and he is responsible for his younger brother, Waleed, who is a victim
of the ordeals and has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The conflict, which is the core of
Mahmoud's story, is the struggle within oneself between compliance and resistance, conformity
and rebellion. The characters he comes across during the journey, the Turkish couple who
willingly shelter them for one night and the criminals who take advantage of the situation to
exploit refugees are all captured in the refugee crisis.
Opinion
Refugee by Alan Gratz is a well-written historical fiction that makes the ugly side of the world a
little easier to understand. The changes in the perspectives of Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are
well-developed so that the readers can follow the link between the different narrations and
realize the similar fates of the refugees in other times and geographical locations. The success of
this novel is due to its concentration on family and spirit to survive and find safety, making the
novel touching and relevant amid contemporary society, bringing comfort to the readers by the
end of the book.
