This compelling novel will help young people make sense of todays refugee crisis. Josef Landauis fleeing Nazi Germany in 1939. Instant PDF downloads. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. If Cuba does not let the refugees in, it signifies a return to a society that is more than willing to be unjust and cruel toward them. The novels subtler point is that this extraordinariness itself is terrible. And although Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are separated by continents and decades, surprisingconnections will tie their stories together in the end. online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. Usually, Im not interested in history, but I couldnt put this book down. Isabel Fernandez is an eleven-year-old girl who lives just outside Havana in 1994. Refugee is more than a story about children fleeing their homelands, it is a story about what unites us all love, family and perseverance. Josef Landau, from the book Refugee, is a 13 year old boy born into the life of World War 2. Josef's story is set in Nazi Germany in 1939. When Isabel is asked to play a song at her new school in America, she plays a Cuban salsa version of The Star-Spangled Banner.. Josef is a Jewish boy in 1930s Nazi Germany. Josefs hope starts to waver following the discovery that the ship may not actually allow them to find a new life in Cuba. Meeting Aaron at Hamburg, Josef is shocked to see his once-confident father visibly anxious and harrowed. As Gratz observes in his author's note to the novel, the MS St. Louis was a real ship carrying . Josef's story starts with Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass in 1938. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. In the end, these three stories are connected. A stunning, poignant novel about the plight of refugees Grade A. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. After the police see Isabels father participate in a riot, there is no option but for the Fernandez family to leave Cuba by boat. Interestingly, the stories are also tied together through the symbolism of water and boats. However, one day Castro announces that he wont enforce staying in the country anymore, and Isabels family is ready to leave in a small boat their friends made. Josefs story starts with Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass in 1938. Trauma and. Young readers will finish this book and ask: What should we do? If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. The second is the date of All will face unimaginable dangersfrom drownings to bombings to betrayals. Fatima holds little Hana over her head, while Mahmoud keeps Fatima afloat. Eventually, the captain announces that they are not going to be allowed to dock in Havana and that the boat will be leaving. Aboard the St. Louis, Josefs family and the other passengers, all Jewish refugees, are treated well by Captain Schroeder and most of the ships crew. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. This is a fascinating tale. The two families face many challenges as they try to cross the Caribbean Sea to Florida. One example is when Josefs family falls apart and he has to be the leader by talking to other people and acting as the main adult of his family. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. The Nazis labelling Aarons practice as a crime against the German people inherently detaches them from their own German culture. Students will see themselves in the young protagonists: children faced with tragic circumstances but who, at their heart, are just kids who love their families and want to live in peace. The places where they live are in a horrifying state of turmoil. The refugees aboard the St. Louis are delivered to England, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. In addition, any storyboard can be made sharable, where a private link to the storyboard can be shared externally. Isabels family and friends have always wanted to leave the country, but Castro will throw you in jail if you try to escape. The Landau's went through many hardships during the . Because of this, they all want to escape to a safer place. Im a big fan of that, and it was executed brilliantly here. publication in traditional print. This is how Mahmoud puts it: No one cares about us if we stay out of your way, but if we come near you were seen as a burden. Gratzs stirring novel humanizes the plight of refugees worldwide. Mahmoud decides that he no longer wants to be ignored and leads the refugees out of the prison, walking twelve hours to Austria. Josefs father is taken to Havana to recover. The family struggles between needing to stay "invisible" in order to avoid danger and survive and becoming "visible" so that those with means can give them aid. Also, there are parallels between the three stories, and at the end, all of the three stories are connected. Eliot Schrefer, two-time National Book Award finalist. Josef is a Jewish boy in 1930s Nazi Germany. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." The ship leaves for Europe, and Captain Schroeder promises to divide the passengers between England, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. His experiences with oppression in Germany, and then as a refugee, cause him to grow up far sooner than he should have to. You'll also receive an email with the link. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. Summary Themes Questions & Answers Characters Analysis Refugee Summary R efugee is a novel by Alan Gratz that examines three interrelated stories of the refugee experience. With Storyboard That, you can create a wide variety of storyboards such as the story from the main character's perspective, or any other character's point of view. On their way to Switzerland, the Landaus unfortunately run into German soldiers. In their memory, she decided to make Berlin her home. Josef, his sister Ruth, and his mother all travel to Hamburg to board a ship that will take them to Cuba. It is shabbos and time for Josefs Bar Mitzvah, the Jewish religious ceremony when a Jewish boy turns 13 years old. Teachers can view all of their students storyboards, but students can only view their own. The interplay between water and vessel, then, marks the unpredictable nature of a refugees journey. Lito, Isabels grandfather, allows himself to be deported so that the Fernandezes can make it to Florida. However, beneath the surface, the ride isnt as perfect as it looks, and Josef has to take the initiative several times. Frau Rosenberg takes Mahmoud aside and tells him the story of her childhood: she is Ruth, Josefs sister. Josef's father grows anxious, and Josef fears the doctor will find his father mentally ill and turn the family away. Josefs fathers jump into the sea symbolizes his desire to annihilate himself. Please wait while we process your payment. This summary should be accessible to high beginning or low intermediate ENL students. Synopsis: Refugee is a historical fiction novel that features 3 stories in one ; Josef, a Jewish boy escaping Nazi Germany in the 1930s, Isabel, a Cuban girl escaping Castro's regime in 1994, and Mahmoud, a Syrian boy fleeing from the conflict in Syria in 2015. His 2017 novel Refugee has spent more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list, and is the winner of 14 state awards. What are some ways that the characters were helped by the kindness and compassion of others? Mahmouds father arranges for a smuggler to take them to the island of Lesbos, in Greece. It carried 937 Jewish refugees who were seeking freedom from Nazi persecution in Germany. This is how Mahmoud puts it: No one cares about us if we stay out of your way, but if we come near you were seen as a burden. Out of these passengers, it was mostly those who found asylum in England who survived World War II. The hatred that Josef experiences on the tour only reminds him, and the readers, of the stakes of the trip. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. Josef warns his father that he must . This is a must read for anyone, especially people who like history. The Nazis invade France just a few months after Josefs family arrives there. Filled with both tragic loss and ample evidence of resilience, these memorable and tightly plotted stories contextualize and give voice to current refugee crises, Exceptional readers Michael Goldstrom, Kyla Garcia, and Assaf Cohen tackle Gratzs compelling novel. The Nazis invade France in 1940, forcing the Landaus to go on the run once again. On Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, members of the Brownshirts, the police force of Nazi Germany, invade Josefs house and take away his father, Aaron Landau. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Fast paced, insightful, filled with drama and tension. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. Six months later, his mother receives a telegram that her husband has been released, but the family must leave Germany immediately. His selflessness is made evident when he sacrifices his own life for his sister's. Josef later dies in a concentration camp. The rest, like Josef and his mother, were largely sent to concentration camps after Germany invaded other European countries. Mahmouds journey is punctuated by icy rain even when he is still on dry land, as in Turkey, where his family scrambles for a dry place to stay. Refugee is both thrilling and heartrending. Its other accolades include the Sydney Taylor Book Award, the National Jewish Book Award, the Cybils Middle Grade Fiction Award, a Charlotte Huck Award Honor, and a Malka Penn Award for . It only gets worse for them, but in the end, he learns a powerful life lesson: Its better to be visible than invisible, because even though the bad people can harm you, the good people can help you. Log in here. Though Refugee is a novel, all three of its main storylines are based on actual historical events. Mahmouds father tells them that Germany is accepting Syrian refugees and if they can get to Greece, they will be able to travel within the European Union to reach Germany. All three families make their asylum-seeking journeys on boats through perilous waters. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. Refine any search. Storyboards also promote higher-level thinking by encouraging students to synthesize information and think critically about what they have read. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights, Refugee: LitCharts Teacher Editions. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. Chapter 34 Summary: "Josef: Just outside Havana Harbor1939" Aboard the MS St. Louis, the passengers give a hero's welcome to Officer Padronthe policeman who rescued Josef's father from the water. They walk to the ship and their father races inside, convinced the authorities will try to stop them. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world, Isabel is a Cuban girl in 1994. Free trial is available to new customers only. They board the ship St. Louis, based on the actual ship that brought Jewish refugees to Cuba and then to the United States but was denied entry by both.That ship had to return the refugees to Europe, where they were split among four countries, and when those countries . His experiences with oppression in Germany, and then as a refugee, cause him to grow up far sooner than he should have to. School Library Journal Audiobooks - STARRED REVIEW. The woman promises Mahmoud that she will help them find Hana and reveals to them her own story of being a refugee. They run into several problems, like being in bloody water with many sharks around on a sinking boat and there are high stakes at the end. Storyboard That is the perfect tool for novel lesson plans and activities because it's so easy to use and extremely versatile. A storm sweeps them to the Bahamas, where they are not allowed to disembark; Ivn is attacked by sharks and eventually bleeds to death in the boat; and toward the end of the journey, Isabels pregnant mother goes into labor. publication online or last modification online. The summary is broken up into approximately 50-page blocks. The smugglers raft is destroyed by rocks as they cross the Mediterranean. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. Out of the 937 aboard, roughly 254 ultimately perished in Nazi concentration camps. Review: Refugee is a powerful novel about three very different children. Aarons real crime, of course, is that he is a Jew, the minority group that Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler wants to eradicate. Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. eNotes.com Renews March 11, 2023 Josef's life is turned upside down on the night when Nazi Brownshirts take his father away to a concentration camp. Empathy and Social Responsibility. The Syrian Civil War is still ongoing as of 2021. Seor Castillo, who is passive for much of the action, pulls Isabel into the water at the end of the novel to ensure that she reaches the American coast. Chapter 22 Summary: "Josef: Somewhere on the Atlantic Ocean1939" . At another level, however, water represents change, which many of the main characters have to undergo either to survive or to redeem themselves. date the date you are citing the material. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Refugee by Alan Gratz is a historical fiction novel written in 2017 that weaves together three compelling stories of families seeking sanctuary in other countries. His only distinguishing characteristics are big ears and wire-rimmed glasses. Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 6 days, Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 8 days, Isabel: Straits of Florida 1994, 1 day (1), Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 10 days, Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 11 days, Isabel: The Straits of Florida 1994, 1 day (3), Mahmoud: Izmir, Turkey 2015, 11 days (1), Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 14 days, Isabel: The Straits of Florida 1994, 1 day (4), Mahmoud: Izmir, Turkey 2015, 11 days (2), Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 17 days, Isabel: Straits of Florida 1994, 2 days, Mahmoud: The Mediterranean 2015, 11 days (1), Mahmoud: The Mediterranean 2015, 11 days (2), Isabel: Between Bahamas and Florida 1994, 4 days, Mahmoud: The Mediterranean 2015, 11 days (3), Isabel: Between Bahamas and Florida 1994, 5 days (1), Mahmoud: Lesbos to Athens 2015, 12 days (3), Isabel: Between Bahamas and Florida 1994, 5 days (2), Mahmoud: Macedonia to Serbia 2015, 14-15 days, Isabel: Coast of Florida 1994, 5 days (1), Mahmoud: Serbia to Hungary 2015, 15-16 days, Isabel: Coast of Florida 1994, 5 days (2), Isabel: Coast of Florida 1994, 5 days (3), Josef: Vornay, France 1940, 1 year, 1 month, 10 days, Isabel: Coast of Florida 1994, 5 days (4), Mahmoud: Hungary to Germany 2015, 17 days. Even amongst people who have lost everything, they still have empathy toward this man who showed the same courtesy to a fellow Jewish person. A large part of the novels narrative focuses on boats, which represent tenuous hope. Refine any search. creating and saving your own notes as you read. LitCharts Teacher Editions. As Gratz observes in his authors note to the novel, the MS St. Louis was a real ship carrying 937 passengers, almost all of them Jews fleeing Nazi atrocities, that set sail for Cuba from Hamburg in 1939. Josef; his mother, Rachel; and his sister, Ruth, leave for Hamburg, where they are to meet Aaron and sail to Cuba, which is said to be offering asylum to those fleeing Nazi Germany. The way the content is organized, Mahmoud: The Mediterranean 2015, 11 days (3), Isabel: Between Bahamas and Florida 1994, 5 days (1), LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in, Injustice and Cruelty vs. In the end, these three stories are connected. (read more from the Pages 164 - 215 Summary) More summaries and resources for teaching or studying Refugee (Alan Gratz). We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. Josefs father is convinced there is a trap, so Josef and his mother go without him. They take a train to board the St. Louis, where it feels like paradise compared to the treatment they received the last couple of years. After the war ended, Ruth returned to Germany to look for Josef and Rachel, but learned that the two were killed in concentration camps. Isabel's story is like that of thousands of other Cuban immigrants who all fled Castro's Cuba. But Captain Schroeder recognizes the necessity of keeping those hopes alive, and so continues to conceal that there may be trouble when they reach Cuba. Struggling with distance learning? Josef is loyal, compassionate, paternal, and selfless. eNotes.com, Inc. Teachers and parents! Summary Plot Overview Refugee follows the stories of three different children and their families, each attempting to flee their violent homelands, in different regions of the world and during different decades. Isabels beloved grandfather Litoshort for Abuelitois on board as well, though he is unsure about leaving Cuba. Refugee: Josef: Havana Harbor - 1939, 19 days (2) Summary & Analysis Next. Lito is rescued and deported to Cuba. on 50-99 accounts. With urgent, clear-eyed storytelling, Gratzs Refugee compellingly explores the desperation and strength that unites those struggling for a place to call home. The St. Louis was an actual ship that sailed from Hamburg to Cuba in May, 1939 under the command of Captain Gustav Schrder. "Refugee - Summary" eNotes Publishing Refugeeis both. Though Josef is devastated, he wonders if this is what becoming a man means - not relying on your father. Isabel trades her trumpet to a fisherman for gasoline, paying her familys way onto Ivns familys boat. For Aaron, it represents a metaphorical death, as he disappears into the water and subsequently out of Josefs life. Yet instead of succumbing to the despair of these events, Josef and the rest of his family resolve to try to find a better life in a new country. They wash their hands and pray facing Mecca, praising God and reciting from the Qur'an. Gratz accomplishes a feat that is nothing short of brilliantPoignant, respectful, and historically accurate while pulsating with emotional turmoil, adventure, and suspense. publication in traditional print. At only 13, Josef takes on much of the family's responsibilities. Storyboarding is an incredibly powerful tool for educators because it helps students process and understand the information in a deep, meaningful way. Josef Landau. $24.99 March 4, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 Is Ravis experience Josef Landau is a Jewish boy in Germany in 1938. Comment on the use of imagery in "Games at Twilight.". Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. Empathy and Social Responsibility. Josef: Train to Hamburg - 1939, 1 day Themes and Colors Key Summary Analysis After school, Mahmoud, Waleed, and their mother, Fatima, do their usual afternoon prayer. The Bisharas set sail on the crowded raft, standing in the freezing rain and cold. In one, Josef and his Jewish family flee Nazi Berlin in 1938. Impossible odds and families in peril make for vivid and unrelenting suspense in these stories of flight and daring. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. Josef and his family flee Nazi Germany in 1938; Isabel and her family flee Cuba in 1994; and Mahmoud and his family flee Syria in 2015. Refine any search. Amidst the celebration of leaving, Josef is concerned about his father. eNotes.com Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 6 days, Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 8 days, Isabel: Straits of Florida 1994, 1 day (1), Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 10 days, Isabel: Straits of Florida 1994, 1 day (2), Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 11 days, Isabel: The Straits of Florida 1994, 1 day (3), Mahmoud: Izmir, Turkey 2015, 11 days (1), Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 14 days, Isabel: The Straits of Florida 1994, 1 day (4), Mahmoud: Izmir, Turkey 2015, 11 days (2), Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 17 days, Isabel: Straits of Florida 1994, 2 days, Mahmoud: The Mediterranean 2015, 11 days (1), Mahmoud: The Mediterranean 2015, 11 days (2), Isabel: Between Bahamas and Florida 1994, 4 days, Mahmoud: Lesbos to Athens 2015, 12 days (3), Isabel: Between Bahamas and Florida 1994, 5 days (2), Mahmoud: Macedonia to Serbia 2015, 14-15 days, Isabel: Coast of Florida 1994, 5 days (1), Mahmoud: Serbia to Hungary 2015, 15-16 days, Isabel: Coast of Florida 1994, 5 days (2), Isabel: Coast of Florida 1994, 5 days (3), Josef: Vornay, France 1940, 1 year, 1 month, 10 days, Isabel: Coast of Florida 1994, 5 days (4), Mahmoud: Hungary to Germany 2015, 17 days. In 1938, his home is raided by Nazi storm troopers, and his father is taken to the Dachau concentration camp. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. The audio version provides an ideal (even mandatory) opportunity for libraries to share these resonating tales with readers reluctant to pick up the page. The family face incredible hardship and tragedy throughout their long journey through Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, and Hungary on their way to Germany. Refugee is a novel by Alan Gratz that examines three interrelated stories of the refugee experience. What I really like about this book is the changing perspectives. The passage of the two families is secured by Lito, who throws himself into the water to distract the US Coast Guard. When Josefs father is reunited with his family, they notice that Dachau has changed him: he is paranoid and very thin. Note: When citing an online source, it is important to include all necessary dates. Just when Miami becomes visible on the horizon, a U.S. Coast Guard boat tries to intercept the two families. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. What are some ways we can all help. 4 Mar. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Each version of Storyboard That has a different privacy and security model that is tailored for the expected usage. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs Through the perils and forced courage of his protagonists, Gratz highlights the biggest tragedy of all refugee crises in history: the loss of childhood. . online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. Mahmouds story starts with their apartment building collapsing, due to people rioting because of the civil war going on in Syria. All storyboards are public and can be viewed and copied by anyone. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. In Cuba in 1994, eleven-year-old Isabel Fernandez lives a life of poverty and uncertainty in the middle of civil strife. Summary This section starts with Josef's perspective, somewhere on the Atlantic in 1939, "8 days from home" (74). Josef again shows his passage into adulthood, as he notices and worries about his mothers mental condition. Not only does Isabel rescue her father from arrest, she also sells her beloved trumpet to enable the family to buy gasoline to power the boat her neighbors, the Castillos, have been secretly building. Christina Diaz Gonzalez, author of The Red Umbrella and A Thunderous Whisper. His family decides to leave and trek to Germany. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety and freedom in America Ed. After Mahmouds home is destroyed, his brother Waleed, sister Hana, and his parents drive to the border of Turkey, hoping to escape. After a riot in Havana, Isabels family decides that they should also leave Cuba immediately. Water becomes the agent of change in each of these cases, emphasizing the centrality of adapting to survival. A few of the crew, however, openly dislike the Jewish passengers, especially Otto Schiendick, who proudly states his Nazi allegiance. This dude does his history homework and then hides it in a total page-turner. The stories are set in different times and places and are told from the perspective of the refugee children. If there are two dates, the date of publication and appearance Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. (one code per order). The book revolves around three main characters from three different eras: Nazi Germany, 1990s Cuba, and modern-day Syria. As the starving populace rioted against dictator Fidel Castros police, Castro allowed Cubans to flee to the United States, thus ending the riots in effect. Lito atones for the past by treading water and returning to Cuba. Like Josef, Isabel too has to grow up overnight in the face of uncertainty and assume the mantle of the adult of the family. This Study Guide consists of approximately 70pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - Finally, the Bisharas reach Germany, where they are offered a place to stay by a kind older Jewish woman. After . Complete your free account to access notes and highlights, Refugee: You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Summary Themes Questions & Answers Characters Analysis Refugee Themes T he main themes in Refugee are trauma and growing up, the dehumanization of refugees, and empathy and hope. The elderly woman Mahmoud meets is Ruth, Josefs younger sister. This is a powerful and inspirational book written by Alan Gratz, a great author. In Isabels story, the water is choppy with sharks, representing the violence and uncertainty of her condition as well as fact: the ninety-mile stretch between Cuba and Florida is known to be shark territory. Josef wonders what this means for (read more from the Pages 74 - 109 Summary). Writing of the Syrian crisis, he notes. These arent completely true stories, but these things do happen to real people, even today. However, unspeakable tragedy occurs when Ivn dies in a sudden shark attack. Isabels boat, too, tips over, the sea claiming her familys food and water. Refugee Characters. Because of this, they all want to escape to a safer place. This is a powerful and inspirational book written by Alan Gratz, a great author. Refugee is a heart-pounding adventure as well as an important book that shines a light on a too often invisible and politicized problem. for a customized plan. Summary & Analysis Josef: Berlin, Germany - 1938; Isabel: Outside Havana, Cuba - 1994 (1) Mahmoud: Aleppo, Syria - 2015 (1) . The boat the Castillos have cobbled together becomes the center of Isabels existence. It is shabbos and time for Josef's Bar Mitzvah, the Jewish religious ceremony when a Jewish boy turns 13 years old. They run into several problems, like being in bloody water with many sharks around on a sinking boat and there are high stakes at the end. However, one day Castro announces that he wont enforce staying in the country anymore, and Isabels family is ready to leave in a small boat their friends made. Empathy and Social Responsibility. In exchange for Rachels diamonds, the soldiers offer her an impossible bargain: she can save just one of her children from being arrested. However, beneath the surface, the ride isnt as perfect as it looks, and Josef has to take the initiative several times. The novel begins with the story line of twelve-year-old Josef, a Jewish boy in Germany. This immediately places Josef in the role of an adult, forcing him to grow up quickly. He also draws a clear line between this view of the children, and their justification of the violence that they deem acceptable against Jewish people. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world Isabel is a Cuban girl in 1994. What is the setting of "Games at Twilight" by Anita Desai? Im a big fan of that, and it was executed brilliantly here. All three stories make for a great novel and it will teach you a lot and appreciate how good we have it. Instant PDF downloads. Josef, Isabel, and Mahmouds strands begin to converge. The two families face much peril in the Florida straits: giant tankers, a hurricane that blows them off course, running out of fuel and water, deadly sharks, and Mami's going into labor all while trying to avoid the U.S. Coast guard so that they can make it to shore where they can claim asylum. What is the summary of refugee? Full of struggle, heroism, and non-stop adventure, Refugee is not only an important book, its a terrific story. From the outset, Gratz places readers in the middle of the action and immediately demonstrates the cruelty of the Nazis against the Jews. The family is eventually pulled from the water by the Greek Coast Guard.
josef refugee summary