Abawi, Atia A Land of Permanent Goodbyes 278 pages. Philomel
Books (Penguin Random House), 2018. $7 (paperback). Language: G; Mature Content: PG; Violence :
PG
Tareq’s family has a wonderful life until the Syrian Civil
conflict comes showering down on their heads.
Of the family Tareq, his father, a younger brother and a younger sister
are the only survivors and they work to make their way to Europe, specifically
Germany. The going is really hard; Tareq’s family tries to do everything
legally in a situation where no one else recognizes any laws. The book teaches about empathy and
understanding. We wonder why refugees
don’t go home, we need to realize for some there is no home to go back to.
I read a prepublication copy, at times it switched to first
person and then went back to a narrative.
It was a bit confusing, but I felt the book was worth reading and would
definitely buy it for my library.
MS – ESSENTIAL; HS – ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Lisa Moeller; Language Arts
Teacher/Librarian
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