Seeking Refuge: A Graphic Novel
Author: Irene N. Watts
Illustrator: Kathryn E. Shoemaker
Publisher: Tradewind Books
Print Length: 128 pages
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fiction / Historical Fiction
Area: Europe
Topic: Jews, Holocaust, Kindertransport, Refugees & Forced Migration, Children & Childhood, Youth & Youthhood
In this follow-up to the successful Goodbye Marianne, Irene Watts explores what it is like for a young refugee girl to flee Nazi-occupied Austria alone. The poignant story is relatable to the terrible situation facing refugees in Europe and around the world today.
Inspired by the author’s real-life experience with the Kindertransport, a heroic rescue operation that brought Jewish children to Great Britain prior to World War II. Eleven-year-old Marianne flees Austria, arriving in London in December 1938. Though she trusts her family’s decision to send her away to safety, it doesn’t make the process any less painful as she struggles to adjust to a new country and sponsors who never seem pleased with her. Cold Aunt Vera treats Marianne more like hired help than a guest, while Auntie Vi is overprotective and views her as a replacement for the daughter she recently lost. Her days pass in confusion, hurt, and sadness.
Table of Contents
1. “Like Animals at the Zoo”
2. Welcome to London
3. Lost
4. Refugee
5. Waiting for War
6. Evacuation
7. Billets
8. A New Name
9. “Mam means Mother”
Glossary
Irene N. Watts is a German-born Canadian writer and educator. She was born in Berlin in 1931 and lived there for seven years. She moved to the United Kingdom by way of Kindertransport and was educated in England and Wales. Watts earned degrees in English literature and modern history at Cardiff University. She is a life member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada, and her play “Lillie” based on her novel,
Flower, was awarded first prize in UNESCO’s Biennial Playwriting Award. Watts’s three award-winning novels, Good-bye Marianne, Finding Sophie, and Remember Me, have all been published in the United Kingdom and translated into Italian.
Source: https://www.penguin.com.au/authors/irene-n-watts
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Kathryn E. Shoemaker is the illustrator of over thirty books for children and the author of four books for teachers. She has been the recipient of many awards. She has worked as an art teacher, curriculum specialist, filmmaker, and as an exhibit/display/event designer. Her work ranges from books, filmstrips, and greeting cards, to posters, calendars, and illustrations and articles for magazines. Her paintings, prints, illustrations, and multimedia creations are in public and private collections around the world. She is currently working on her doctorate in Language and Literacy.
Source: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/81367/kathryn-e-shoemaker/
More from Kathryn E. Shoemaker in this library, click here.