Author: Anne-Laure Bondoux
Translator: Y. Maudet
Genre: fiction
Sub genre: Historical
Theme: Soviet Union, hope, family
Primary and secondary characters: Blaise Fortune (Koumaïl) and Gloria
Awards: Batchelder Award winner
Publication Date: 2009
Publishing Company: Bayard Editions Jeunesse
This book follows a boy and his journey through life and the struggles that it can sometimes throw at people. The book opens up with the main character Blaise telling how he ended up separated from his "mom" Gloria. When the Soviet Union collapses, Gloria and Blaise know that they must flee for safety. However, they are separated during the journey. Through the journey, Blaise attempts to untangle his identity and find out who he really is. It is not until he is a young man that he can truly understand himself. Though this is a heartbreaking story, it shows genuine signs of love, sacrifice, and hope.
This book would be perfect in the older classroom. It has a lot of good historical history in it so it would work for both a literature class or a history class. This book would be perfect for a critical thinking assignment or a literature circle because there is so much that can be taken apart in this story.
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