Sisyphus Moment

Refugee by Alan Gratz tells the interconnected stories of three refugee families across different time periods. The first story follows Josef, a Jewish boy escaping Nazi Germany in 1938. The second story revolves around Isabel, a Cuban girl in 1994 seeking asylum in the United States. The third narrative introduces Mahmoud, a Syrian boy in 2015 fleeing the civil war.As the families embark on perilous journeys, the novel highlights the challenges and dangers refugees face. Josef's family struggles to escape the Nazis on the MS St. Louis; Isabel and her family sail across the treacherous waters between Cuba and Florida on a makeshift raft; Mahmoud and his family navigate the dangers of the Syrian conflict and embark on a dangerous trek toward Europe.The characters' stories intertwine, emphasizing the universality of the refugee experience and the resilience of the human spirit.