To no longer be a child. One of the girls had found a long piece of string and was dangling it over the side, tickling the noses of passengers who were sleeping in chairs down on A-deck. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. Refugee by Alan Gratz (18) Their children looked like miniature versions of them, and acted like miniature adults toothere was very little crying and whining, and none of the kids were playing. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Please! she cried. More of them wore the brown shirts and red swastika armbands of the Sturmabteilung, Adolf Hitlers storm troopers. Josefs mother and father were there too, lying on the floor at the feet of the Brownshirts. However, Waleed, unable to cope, has just turned into a robot, numb to the pain around him. They were just standing and watching. Soon all of them were laughing with her. What happens to Josef at the end of the book? But for Mahmoud, the scene brought back memories of another time, just after the war had begun. I cant reach your father, Mahmouds mother said, thumbing her phone. He had to get up. But if he looked right at them, they would Thats what they wantedto get out of Syria using the fastest path possible. One day, the bombings and war hit home, literally. What other ships were they talking about? Teachers and parents! asked. Tomorrow. A crown jewel of the Middle East. Mahmouds head was hot and wet. castle on hill. Papi had already tried to flee Cuba twice. His mother, father, little brother Waleed, and baby sister Hana barely manage to escape the . Mahmoud Bishara-Refugee Mahmoud Bishara, Age 12, Aleppo, Syria Lauryn V, Copyright 2022 April 21, 2022 In the book Refugee by, Alan Gratz their were three characters, Mahmoud, Isabell , and Josef. Officer Padron just looked away. Youssef Mahmouds mom warned. A sign that they would eventually get to America. Refine any search. This reminds Mahmoud of, might be too old. Mahmoud decides that he no longer wants to be ignored and leads the refugees out of the prison, walking twelve hours to Austria. Mahmoud grapples with this question of whether it is better to be invisible or visible over the course of the novel as his family travels from Syria to Germany. In the days to come, Josef learned that his family wasnt the only one the Nazis had attacked that night. Getting noticed by the Syrian army or the rebels fighting them, he knows, is "just inviting trouble." When the bell rings in school, Mahmoud finds his 10-year-old brother Waleed to walk him home. Hey, Isabel! Ivn said, making her jump. And now they were in line with him, all those hundreds of people and thousands more, and they werent invisible anymore. There was an old Arabic proverb that said, Close the door that brings the wind and relax, and thats exactly what they did; while the rest of the Middle East was rioting, Syrians stayed inside and locked their doors and waited to see what would happen. She trades her trumpet for gasoline in order to get the boat to start. Disappear. His breath came quick and deep, and his hands clenched into fists. Gratz highlights parallels between Mahmouds, Isabels, and Josefs stories: all three are locked in oppressive and dangerous situations. He has a mother, a father, a younger brother, and a baby sister. All right, then. of the soldiers is hit and killed. It was an old blue Opel taxi, traveling so slowly Mahmoud could walk faster. She was barefoot like always, and wore a tank top and shorts. Luis didnt have time to answer. That is when incidents like this occur, and the world calls the Cuban government cruel and inhumane. Mahmoud: Izmir, Turkey 2015, 11 days from home (1). Senora Castillo had mishandled the boat, which had landed up on the sand. She hadnt had much time to even imagine it. Take your brother and your sister. She could fix that too. But maybe this is what becoming a man is, Josef thought. He smelled so ripelike the alley behind a butcher shop that Josef had to turn his head away. The kitten gobbled up the last of the beans and mewed pitifully. A recent tally has placed the reported death toll for this journey across the Mediterranean at above 15,000 since only 2014,and the actual number is likely much higher). Until now. Hes going to have his bar mitzvah next Shabbos. A bar mitzvah was the ceremony at which a boy officially became a man under Jewish law. This must have been the Castilloss plan all alongfor Luis and his girlfriend to run away with them! He bowed and praised Allah again three times, stood and praised Allah again, then got down on his hands and knees and put his head to the floor, praising Allah three times more. Which is usually that dog Assad. Mahmoud breathed again with relief. Mahmoud stayed in the classroom all day, never going to the bathroom or the playground. They couldnt afford their old place, not since the Nazis told Josefs father he wasnt allowed to practice law anymore because he was Jewish. See the top reviewed local solar panel installation companies in Witzhave, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany on Houzz. explaining through the translator that she is a toy designer. No! Josef cried. Twelve-year-old Mahmoud Bishara is used to being invisibleit is how he survives. We can sell the car there and make our way north, to Germany. Everyone stopped while Mahmouds father walked ahead. Shed never known any other life except this one. Mahmoud couldnt draw a breath. What are you playing at, letting them on board? he demanded. If you dont take us with you, theyll throw him in prison. Seor Castillo paused his hammering for a moment, then shook his head. This is all a misunderstanding, Papa said. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. Where would they go? She wore a dark blue wool dress with a white sailors collar and carried her white corduroy stuffed Rabit-Bitsy, everywhere she went. More police were arriving by motorcycle and military truck, and the protest was turning bloody. Did no one else see the Nazi flag overhead as we came on board? Will you not go to your own sons bar mitzvah, then? Josefs mother and Ruthie were already dressed in their nice Shabbos dresses. Jewish. Staring back up at them was the huge face of Fidel Castro! Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Josef was about to leave when he thought to buy Ruthie a piece of candy. But the blow never came. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs Before he could protest, the girls dragged him to a womens restroom. But Josef and his mother and sister werent going anywhere. the wall. The circus is in town! Mahmoud looked around. A man in the group we walked with gave me the name of a smuggler who can get us from Turkey to Greece. A smuggler? Mom said. Mahmouds ears rang with a high-pitched whine, like the TV when the satellite was searching for a signal. Straight brown hair slicked back from his pale white forehead, brown eyes behind wire-frame glasses that sat on a short nose, ears that stuck out maybe a little too far. We have to go. Fatima had long, dark hair she wore up on her head, and intense brown eyes. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs His sister. Seor Castillo was in charge of the boat. And why do you need gasoline so badly? To leave Cuba before my father is arrested. The fisherman wiped his lips on the back of his hand. He and his mother and sister would be put off the train, maybe even sent to a concentration camp. The Old City, at the heart of Aleppo, was built in the 12th century, and people had lived in the area as early as 8,000 years ago. But before Mami had reached the set, Castro said something that made them all sit up and listen. Step after step, kilometer after kilometer, hed begun to think they would never, ever escape Syria. Even grumpy Seor Castillo chuckled. How long will it take to get to Florida? she asked. Waleed didnt seem to get excited about much these days. He put a hand to it and came away with blood. Buskers played rumbas on guitars and drums. He decides that it is better to be visible because even though bad people can hurt you, good people can finally help you. At a command from their leader, they pushed forward into the crowd, arresting rioters and hitting them with wooden batons. Didnt Castro say it was all right to leave? Give us the whole sum of money! He wasn't literally invisible. Answers: 1. Teachers and parents! That seemed like a good omen to him. I should do something, he whispered. Theres no food to feed the baby here anyway, Isabel said. Waleed! the place feels mournful, as many people here lost someone in the crossing from Turkey. His thick brown hair and beard had been shaved off, and his head and face were covered with scraggly stubble. He and Mahmoud had known each other for years, and even though Mahmoud was Sunni and Khalid was Shia, that had never mattered to them. But, Mahmouds father has stopped joking, numb and broken from the beating he had recieved after standing up to a soldier. Slowly, shakily, Josef lifted his eyes from the black shoes to the white socks, brown shorts, brown shirt, and red Nazi armband of a Hitler Youth. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Maybe we shouldnt talk about drowning, Papi said, clutching to the side of the boat as they chopped into a wave. Ahead of her, Seora Castillo staggered and lost her grip too, and the front of the boat slammed into the sand. Struggling with distance learning? Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. No police cars or emergency crews hurried to the scene. Maybe one day visit the real St. Louis. Ever since the Nazis had taken over six years ago, Jews were fleeing Germany. No police cars or emergency crews hurried to the scene. All Mahmoud wanted to do was curl up into a ball and disappear. He was filled with sadness for the boy his age. When another raft made out of an old refrigerator sank, everyone laughed. The car skids to a stop, and Youssef, Fatima (with, Mahmoud: Izmir, Turkey 2015, 11 days from home (1), Mahmoud tells the man that the family has nowhere to go, and that his sister, Mahmoud: Somewhere on the Mediterranean Sea 2015, 11 days from home (1), He then hears Fatima scream out, and watches as she struggles to lift a crying, for help, but the dinghy isnt slowing down. Daesh? She needs a name, Ivn said. And what is your name, pretty one? Lito asked her. 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: 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. This article discusses what its like to live in Syria during a conflict. His breath left him all at once, and he fell to the floor with a heavy thud in a heap of metal and mortar. Book hotel rooms. She dropped to her knees and pulled them both into a hug. Why did mahmoud and his brother receive poos of displeasure in the boat? Without offering any additional details while the disturbance continues, Iranian official television reported that the death toll from protests following the murder of a 22-year-old woman in police custody has increased to nearly two dozen. Your hijab, Dad said. All they knew from images on TV and posts on Facebook and Twitter was that people in Tunisia and Libya and Yemen were rioting in the streets, and as each country stood up and said Enough! so did the next one, and the next one, until at last the Arab Spring came to Syria. Two girls around Ruthies age wearing matching flowery dresses were leaning over the railing and giggling. No one who has lived in Germany for the past six years would be so foolish as to go to a Jewish service aboard a Nazi ship. Papa ran a hand over his shaved head. And Waleed was centimeters from joining them both. Everyone was afraid of what he would do if the Arab Spring swept through Syria. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. When the Jewish refugees are rejected from entering Cuba and it seems likely that the ship is going to take them back to Germany, Josef works with other passengers to try to take the ship hostage so that they can avoid this fate. Amahl Bishara, Tufts University . Josef shuddered. In the year 1938, Josef Landauis a twelve-year-old Jewish child living in Berlin, Germany. Mahmoud himself deals with the contrast between being visible but liable to get hurt and invisible but unable to receive assistance. That afternoon, a group of Hitler Youth were waiting for Josef outside the school. Seor Castillo shrugged. Josef Age 12. They were right. We sent them back to Europe and Hitler and the Holocaust. If the bullies didnt notice you, they didnt hit you. Isabel was listening for the clave underneath the music, the mysterious hidden beat inside Mama put her hands on Josefs and Ruthies heads. Well, I need money. I dont have any money, Isabel said. After halting the vehicle on the highway, what did the Serbian taxi driver do? What is the falling action of Mahmoud in refugee? Buying a paper for your father? he asked Josef. She was almost to Papis outstretched arms when she saw her fathers eyes go wide. Then, Fatima emerges from the bedroom with, Mahmoud: Just Outside Aleppo, Syria 2015, 1 day from home, soldiers is hit and killed. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. On top of this, he deals with coping, loss, and hardship. Mahmoud didnt have any friends. bomb, though, you needed walls. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. Evelyne and Renata were the genuine names of two sisters who came on the St. Louis, and they were the only ones permitted to disembark in Cuba since their father already resided there and had significant relations to the local authorities. An incredibly important, heartrending, edge-of-the-seat read, bringing light to the plight of immigrants who search for safety and freedom. Pam Muoz Ryan, author of the New York Times bestseller and Newbery Honor Book Echo Full of struggle, heroism, and non-stop adventure. Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, author of the New York Times bestseller and Newbery Honor Book The War That Saved My Life He stood there awkwardly, not sure if he should stay or go. And well have to get to Izmir, on the Turkish coast. He wore the same thing he did every time he was on television a green military jacket and flat round capand sat behind a row of microphones. Explore books by genre, topic, reading level, or series to find your next read. He quickly called over two of the stewards, and soon they had the portrait down and were taking it from the room. It was the last straw for the police. If theres enough people, Josef reminded his sister. Boats built out of Styrofoam and oil drums. Bullets whizzed by, then caught the car againping-ping-pingand Mahmouds dad threw open the drivers-side door and pulled Mom and Hana out with him. Among the people who join Isabel on the journey is her grandfather Lito, who is eventually revealed to be Mariano Padron, the Cuban officer who, decades ago, prevented Josef from entering Havana. For the gasoline. Her grandfather was shocked. You have to take us with you! Isabel said. Freedom! chanted some of the rioters. Tomorrow morning well have the sun to guide us. All that matters now is we get as far away from Cuba as we can, said Luiss girlfriend. Mahmoud Bishara and his family live in war-torn Aleppo, Syria in 2015, four years after the Arab Spring had reached their country (the Arab Spring was a group of pro-democracy protests that occurred in several Middle Eastern countries in 2010-2011). Refugee is a historical fiction novel written in 2017 that weaves together three compelling stories of families seeking sanctuary in other countries. Freedom! We have to get out! Mr. and Mrs. Sarraf hurried back into their apartment, and Mahmoud carried Hana down the stairs, pulling Waleed behind them. One of the soldiers in the backseat snatched up Moms iPhone and looked at the route. Papi! Luis, the older boy whod saved her from the policemans nightstick, wasnt home from work yet, and neither was his mother, Juaneta, who worked at the cooperative law office. Who is the main character in the book Refugee? Nobody would tell her anything, and Josef began to despair that he would never see his father again. Of course, Captain Schroeder said. Isabel listened as everyone listed more and more things they were looking forward to in the States. At last, he reached out and took the trumpet. Mahmoud Bishara (12) In what year did the Arab Spring come to Syria? A telegram from Papa! Mahmoud and Waleed could disappear among the heaps of twisted metal and broken cement, and there were no walls to fall on them if an artillery shell went whizzing overhead. Im a man now. And when those soldiers said one of us could go free and the other would be taken to a concentration camp, Josef said, Take me.. We have to get on that ship. However, Mahmoud pulls Hana out of his mothers arms and someone takes her on board, saving her from drowning and the freezing water (many such travelers are unable to save themselves or their children. And he had been beaten up as badly as Khalid. Earn weekly rewards. Josef tiptoed down the corridor. Back when people saw them. Mahmoud, wheres your mother? Mahmouds dad looked sheepish. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs He shook his head as he paced their little room in his oversized nightclothes. She stood on the wide promenade, where it seemed all of Havana was on display. Head down, hoodie up, eyes on the ground. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. Mahmoud jumped when it fell, but Waleed stood still, like this kind of thing happened every day. What country is Mahmouds family trying to reach? He nods, but says that Frau Rosenburg can make one for, and Rachel died so that she could live. The shock shut Ruth up, but only for a moment. Im hot, Ruthie said, pulling at her coat. We didnt want to leave our homes! another man yelled. Wait! the sailor cried. All the station attendants and other passengers gave them a wide berth, flowing around them like water around a stone. Mami started counting clave by clapping, and Isabel frowned, trying to follow the beat. There wasnt another ship on the horizon as far as he could see. High above her, Isabel saw people climbing out onto the big electric sign hanging from the side of a tourist hotel, and it gave her an idea. Mahmoud's mother. No! Paranoid. [1] Similar novels written by Alan Gratz also include Prisoner B-3087 and Allies. Beyond the next door was the German part of the train. No. Ruth! Mama cried when she saw them. Mom! Mahmoud yelled. The boy who had died so Ruthie could live. His only distinguishing characteristics are big ears and wire-rimmed glasses. Then, any left. Then, they sneak into Serbia in a taxi, as they dont have official papers. And then his lungs were working again, raking in great gulps. The rebels and the army and Daesh are all fighting here, he said, pointing to places on the map. And why did it matter which one got there first? When Mahmoud and his family finally got to the front of the line, late in the day, Mahmouds father presented their official documents to the border agent. In the year 1938, Josef Landau is a twelve-year-old Jewish child living in Berlin, Germany. But the food shortages had driven more and more Cubans to el norte. A daughter! Mahmoud, Waleed, Youssef, and Fatima reside at a Munich school for four weeks until a host family offers to let them share their house with them. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. Your mother is pregnant, for one thing! Lito said. Chabela, get down from there! Isabel ignored them both and turned this way and that, calling out for her father. Down a side street just like this one, Mahmoud found Khalid getting beaten up by two older boys. No! Refugee is more than a story about children fleeing their homelands, it is a story about what unites us all: love, family, and perseverance. Christina Diaz Gonzalez, award-winning author of Moving Target A gripping, visceral, and hold-your-breath intense story of three young refugees. John Green, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Turtles All the Way Down An intelligent, human, harrowing read. Ellen Silva, NPR Meant to be read, discussed, and shared widely. School Library Journal A haunting fictional treatment of historic events. Booklist Unflinching and sympathetic. The New York Times A stunning, poignant novel. The "Middle East & Africa Air Barrier market" is divided into vapour permeable and vapour impermeable materials, according to recent industry data. Mahmoud pulled himself up out of the rubble and saw the building across the street in raw daylight, like he was standing in midair beside it. Instead of running away, should Mahmoud and his father join the rebels and fight to win their country back? Khalid (17) IWB does part of the story take place in 1939? She wont take up any room!, Whether you were visible or invisible, it was all about how other people reacted to you. Isabel sipped from a bottle of soda. One such scholar is Mahmoud Mamdani who, although he shares many of Rouhana's concerns, makes a useful comparison between the Native American and Palestinian situations. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. Mahmoud felt like he was in trouble. No ambulances came to help the wounded. Nothing else mattered in that moment but air. It will be expensive, but we can pay. As Josefs eyes adjusted, he saw the seven strangers who had invaded his home. We will not stand in their way. What did he just say? Mami asked. Isabel noticed her father and grandfather heading down the road toward the city to stand in line for food. The villagers on the beach cheered for them, and Seor Castillo revved the engine, leaving the charging policemen in their wake. No! Papi cried, scrambling as far away from them as he could. I found a bit of dead fish on the beach for the cat. Isabel recoiled at the smell, but the kitten came running back, eating greedily from Ivns hand. Sajid Javid (/ s d d d v d /; born 5 December 1969) is a British politician who served as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care from June 2021 to July 2022, having previously served as Home . We should have gone long ago. On the count of three, we make a break for it, he told his family. Mahmoud pulled Waleed behind a burned-out car, his heart racing. Isabels narrative is eerily similar to that of many Cubans under the dictatorship of Fidel Castro. Assad and the Syrian army? Isabels father pitched across the roiling boat and grabbed Seor Castillo by the shirt. I want to be able to choose who I vote for, Luis said. What if there was a line of police waiting to arrest them at the beach? Hush, Josef begged her. But I have this. She held out the trumpet. Isabel watched as Mami cleaned his cuts with a washcloth. The soldier with the iPhone scrolled up the map to see their destination. You should stand up for your country! Angry and desperate, hundreds of refugees begin to riot and try to push through the fence. No police cars or emergency crews hurried to the scene. Tomorrow. Take me back. Ruthie clung to her brother. Our father is waiting for us in Cuba, Renata told them. The family takes a bus to reach a port city, but the promised boat that will transport them to Greece is not there. Do you understand? I Yes, Josef stammered. It was his dad. what were two observations the boys made about lesbos from the boat? Activities at StoryboardThat include Refugee book summary, themes, & more. His gas-powered fishing boat rocked gently at a little pier nearby.