A Long Way from Home

Gr 5–8—Through the help of an aid organization, 13-year-old Rabia escapes the violence of Taliban-controlled Afghanistan with her mother and brother and finds herself headed toward a new life in America, on an airplane with the unfortunate arrival date of September 11, 2001. After the attacks on the World Trade Center, U.S. air space is closed, and the plane, along with dozens of other flights, is diverted to Newfoundland. While Rabia ultimately reaches her California destination, the book centers on her time in Gander, where she encounters both the kindness of the local community, who rally around the stranded passengers, and the anti-Muslim sentiment of Colin, an American boy on her flight. As Rabia is clearly the protagonist, the chapter-to-chapter perspective shift seems unnecessary, and some of the added personal drama is overdone (Rabia's mother suffers a heart attack and is rushed to a hospital, and Colin grapples with the possibility of his parents' divorce). Additionally, Walsh's characters have moments of slipping into cultural stereotypes that seem a little too easy. The book's strength lies in the importance of the Afghani perspective, as well as in the explanation of the little-covered circumstances of travelers diverted to Newfoundland on 9/11. The narrative is compelling, and readers will find themselves rooting for Rabia's life to take a happier turn. This novel helps broaden the experiences covered in the small coterie of 9/11 books and will appeal to readers looking for information about that event, as well as those interested in books that include a South Asian voice.Joanna Sondheim, Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, New York City