Morpurgo, Michael. Shadow. Feiwel&Friends/Macmillan
Children’s Publishing Group 178p $16.99 978-0-312-60659-6 2012 ms/jr VG-BN Realistic fiction
Michael
Morpurgo, author of War Horse (which was recently released as a movie), offers a fictional story based on real events. Morpurgo was inspired by a news clipping about an Australian sniffer
dog who was separated from his handler when serving in Afghanistan. Although he went missing for
more than a year and was presumed dead,
the dog survived and was returned to her unit, having been fed and cared for by
local people.
Matt is visiting his grandfather when he learns the plight of his classmate Aman, who, along with his mother, has been incarcerated in Yarl’s Wood, a detention camp, to await deportation. Matt convinces his grandfather, a retired journalist, to visit the family and to take steps to secure their release.
The story is told from several perspectives. Aman tells the story of life under the Taliban and his family’s harrowing flight from Afghanistan. Six years after seeking asylum in the UK, Aman and his mother are abruptly threatened with deportation to the country they fled, where retribution for their flight is a certainty. Matt is grounded in the present, and his story is one of friendship and describes Aman’s many admirable qualities; Aman is a star athlete, good student, and loyal friend. Matt’s grandfather provides a mature point of view, and has the life experience to place all the stories in perspective and prepare a plan of action.
It is not until Matt brings his dog to the prison-like detention center that the story of Shadow, a remarkable springer spaniel, comes to light. Shadow’s story threads itself through all the story lines, and ultimately brings together the elements necessary for Aman’s rescue in the UK, as well as Afghanistan.
The theme of civil liberty is obvious. The parallels between the Afghani regime and the British government are deliberate. How can the UK call itself a democracy when it infringes on civil rights to this extent? The call to action is more subtle. Aman and his mother are, at the last minute, permitted to stay on in the UK, but what about the other families who are still living in the detention camp? Readers may be prompted to action in considering their plight. This offers a springboard to discussions of the value of friendship and loyalty, conflict, and how to take effective steps to become an activist at any age.
Matt is visiting his grandfather when he learns the plight of his classmate Aman, who, along with his mother, has been incarcerated in Yarl’s Wood, a detention camp, to await deportation. Matt convinces his grandfather, a retired journalist, to visit the family and to take steps to secure their release.
The story is told from several perspectives. Aman tells the story of life under the Taliban and his family’s harrowing flight from Afghanistan. Six years after seeking asylum in the UK, Aman and his mother are abruptly threatened with deportation to the country they fled, where retribution for their flight is a certainty. Matt is grounded in the present, and his story is one of friendship and describes Aman’s many admirable qualities; Aman is a star athlete, good student, and loyal friend. Matt’s grandfather provides a mature point of view, and has the life experience to place all the stories in perspective and prepare a plan of action.
It is not until Matt brings his dog to the prison-like detention center that the story of Shadow, a remarkable springer spaniel, comes to light. Shadow’s story threads itself through all the story lines, and ultimately brings together the elements necessary for Aman’s rescue in the UK, as well as Afghanistan.
The theme of civil liberty is obvious. The parallels between the Afghani regime and the British government are deliberate. How can the UK call itself a democracy when it infringes on civil rights to this extent? The call to action is more subtle. Aman and his mother are, at the last minute, permitted to stay on in the UK, but what about the other families who are still living in the detention camp? Readers may be prompted to action in considering their plight. This offers a springboard to discussions of the value of friendship and loyalty, conflict, and how to take effective steps to become an activist at any age.
Friendship-Fiction, Dogs-Fiction, Taliban-Fiction, War-Fiction, Afghanistan-Fiction, United Kingdom-Fiction --Hilary
Welliver
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