Which Way is Home?

Which Way is Home?

Maria Kiely

Nancy Paulsen/Penguin, 2020

173 pages

Historical Fiction

Grades 4-7

Debut novelist, Kiely. fictionalizes her mother's actual escape from Communist Czechoslovakia in the late 1940's. World War II is over and Czechoslovakia can finally breath after Nazi invasion and the devastation left behind after the war. Anna misses her father. He was a spy for the allies during the war and, now that the Soviet Union has taken over his beloved country, refuses to pledge to it's allegiance. This has made life very dangerous for the while family. Currently in France, it is not safe for Papa to come home. Anna and her mother and older sister are currently living on her grandmother's farm and life is filled with animals, cousins, and games. One day, an aunt whisks her away to the city, where she meets up with her mother and sister only to discover that they must secretly flee the country. A train trip yields strange behaviors from her mother, encounters with strangers, and much changing of trains. After a night in a hotel, the small family meets up with a member of the underground, who will lead them across the boarder, along with a teenage boy named Honza, who immediately becomes a friend. After being double-crossed by their guide, the courageous group, almost by accident, stumbles across the boarder, where they encounter two nice American soldiers. The soldiers escort them to the German outpost, where they are taken to a displacement center for refugees. At the converted school the travelers are reunited with some old friends and connect with fellow Czechoslovakian loyalists. The family is safe, but where is Papa? How will they find him in this big world with no money and nowhere to turn?

Lately I have been reading many eastern European books and am not sure if its a coincidence or a publishing trend. This title traces the escape of a young girl and her family from soviet Czechoslovakia to German, the former country of their enemies. Along the way they meet kind people, as well as dishonest ones. Once at the refugee center Anna asks "which way is home?", only to realize that she can never return to the home of her birth and now she and her family must make a new home. This is a relevant story for today's times and may make readers a bit more sympathetic to the needs of others turning to our country for sanctuary. What I like about this book is that the reading level and maturity skew a bit younger than most historical fiction middle grade titles. It is hard to find historical fiction for younger grades and reading levels, especially on subjects "off the beaten path". The book reads quickly, is exciting, and easy to comprehend. Anna is a likable and relatable character. Readers will travel across the boarder right along with her and experience the uncertainty and apprehension of the changes and insecurities she is facing. My favorite part of the book is the author's note at the end, which separates fact from fiction and includes a photo of the author's mother and aunt at the age right before the events in this story take place. It is comforting to know that the characters in the story find a new home and that Anna eventually lands in the United States, where she has a family of her own and a daughter, who grows up to be an author. pure satisfaction!