A Long Way from Home

by Maureen Crane Wartski

Book by Wartski, Maureen Crane

137 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 2, 1980

About the author

Maureen Crane Wartski (Maureen Ann Crane) was born on January 25, 1940 in Ashiya, Japan. She earned her B.A. degree from Sophia University in 1962. As a children's and young adult author, she won the Annual Book Award of the Child Study Committee at Bank Street College of Education for A Boat to Nowhere. In addition to writing children's books, she published romance novels under various pseudonyms, including Francine Shore, Evelyn Shannon, Cynthia Leigh, Laura Jorda, Cynthia Sinclair, and Rebecca Ward. She also wrote for magazines, such as Boy's Life. As well as writing, Wartski taught at Sharon High School in Sharon, Massachusetts, and pursued various creative arts, such as painting and quilt making. She was married to Maximillian Wartski, and travelled with him for his career in the military. Her two sons, Albert and Mark, were born in Thailand, before they moved to the United States in the 1960s. Wartski died on January 14, 2014 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Reviews

[P.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sequel to "A Boat to Nowhere." I think it is relevant today due to the various ideas regarding immigration.

[Megan Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story that deals with issues of racism, bullying, and fitting in not only in a new town, but a new family and country, as well. These topics are dealt with in a realistic and serious manner, but the ending does seem abrupt and even a bit contrived. The messages of the story are excellent.

While it might be thirty years after this book was written and more than forty since the book's setting, the problems Kien faces are still relevant, and it would make an excellent addition to a library or unit on culture.

4/5 on here, 8/10 for myself