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The Bone Sparrow
Sometimes, at night, the dirt outside turns into a beautiful ocean. As red as the sun and as deep as the sky. I lie in my bed, Queeny's feet pushing up against my cheek, and listen to the waves lapping at the tent.
Subhi is a refugee. Born in an Australian permanent detention centre after his mother fled the violence of a distant homeland, life behind the fences is all he has ever known. But as he grows, his imagination gets bigger too, until it is bursting at the limits of his world. The night sea brings him gifts, the faraway whales sing to him, and the birds tell their stories.
The most vivid story of all, however, is the one that arrives one night in the form of Jimmie, a scruffy, impatient girl who appears from the other side of the wires, and brings a notebook written by the mother she lost. Unable to read it, she relies on Subhi to unravel her own family's love songs and tragedies.
Subhi and Jimmie might both find a way to freedom, as their tales unfold. But not until each of them has been braver than ever before.
Subhi is a refugee. Born in an Australian permanent detention centre after his mother fled the violence of a distant homeland, life behind the fences is all he has ever known. But as he grows, his imagination gets bigger too, until it is bursting at the limits of his world. The night sea brings him gifts, the faraway whales sing to him, and the birds tell their stories.
The most vivid story of all, however, is the one that arrives one night in the form of Jimmie, a scruffy, impatient girl who appears from the other side of the wires, and brings a notebook written by the mother she lost. Unable to read it, she relies on Subhi to unravel her own family's love songs and tragedies.
Subhi and Jimmie might both find a way to freedom, as their tales unfold. But not until each of them has been braver than ever before.
234 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2016
253 people are currently reading
6149 people want to read
About the author
Zana Fraillon
21 books111 followersZana Fraillon was born in Melbourne, but spent her early childhood in San Francisco.
Zana has written two picture books for young children, a series for middle readers, and a novel for older readers based on research and accounts of survivors of the Forgotten Generation. She spent a year in China teaching English and now lives in Melbourne with her three sons, husband and two dogs.
When Zana isn't reading or writing, she likes to explore the museums and hidden passageways scattered across Melbourne. They provide the same excitement as that moment before opening a new book - preparing to step into the unknown where a whole world of possibilities awaits.
Zana has written two picture books for young children, a series for middle readers, and a novel for older readers based on research and accounts of survivors of the Forgotten Generation. She spent a year in China teaching English and now lives in Melbourne with her three sons, husband and two dogs.
When Zana isn't reading or writing, she likes to explore the museums and hidden passageways scattered across Melbourne. They provide the same excitement as that moment before opening a new book - preparing to step into the unknown where a whole world of possibilities awaits.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 856 reviews
March 26, 2018
STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING AND GO READ THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW. I just finished it about half an hour ago and I’m reeling. Beautiful, poignant, enlightening, heartbreaking, and hopeful - this, THIS is why middle grade books should absolutely not be overlooked as worthy literature. This should sit right alongside other books shedding light on the plight of refugees and asylum seekers. This is the kind of book that helps all our hearts grow bigger - big enough to make sure that no one in this scary world is forgotten. Read it.
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First book down for #middlegrademarch
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First book down for #middlegrademarch
January 12, 2018
This book is horrifying disturbing and alarming. Yet it is also a story of hope and love.
I really liked that both Jimmie and Subhi are trying to find out who they are by remembering people and stories from their families and the past.
I could not put tbis down... and read it whenever I had the chance. As an adult reading this, I think there is a responsibility we have to ensure that all people are treated in an humane and compassionate way, no matter how they come to our country... and no matter what their circumstances. Also that we SHOULD question why asylum seekers are treated as criminals.
There is a lot to think on and to scratch my head over, now that I have read this.
I really liked that both Jimmie and Subhi are trying to find out who they are by remembering people and stories from their families and the past.
I could not put tbis down... and read it whenever I had the chance. As an adult reading this, I think there is a responsibility we have to ensure that all people are treated in an humane and compassionate way, no matter how they come to our country... and no matter what their circumstances. Also that we SHOULD question why asylum seekers are treated as criminals.
There is a lot to think on and to scratch my head over, now that I have read this.
September 14, 2020
Ένα έντονα οδυνηρό μυθιστόρημα είναι
«Το κοκάλινο σπουργίτι».
Το μυθιστόρημα βρίσκεται σε χώρο αυστραλιανού στρατοπέδου προσφύγων και ο πρωταγωνιστής είναι
ένα ανήλικο αγοράκι που ανήκει στην φυλή Ροχίνγκια.
Οδυνηρά κινούμενο σαν τη θάλασσα και τα ταξίδια ανάμεσα στα αστέρια και φυσικά, αξέχαστο.
Λένε πως γράφτηκε για παιδιά και αλίμονο αν δεν το διαβάσουν όλοι οι ένοχοι ενήλικες που ντροπιάζουν την ανθρωπότητα με απανθρωπιά μα
μπορούν να αλλάξουν τον τρόπο με τον οποίο σκέφτονται οι άνθρωποι.
Λένε πως τα παιδιά δεν ξεχνούν ποτέ και μακάρι να το διάβαζαν όλα τα αγγελικά ματάκια του κόσμου τούτου.
Η ιστορία του Subhi, με ευαισθησία λέγεται και με πάρα πολύ συγκινητικό και οξυμένα τρυφερό ύφος θλίψης , μας δίνει μια γεύση από το πώς αισθάνεται η άστεγη, φυλακισμένη ζωή ύπαρξης ... και πώς η ελπίδα που επενδύεται σε ένα όραμα για ένα καλύτερο μέλλον μπορεί να καταλήξει να είναι η διαφορά μεταξύ της δημιουργίας και της παράδοσης στην απελπισία.
Η Ύπατη Αρμοστεία του ΟΗΕ για τους πρόσφυγες έχει ζητήσει απο όλα τα έθνη να σταματήσουν να αντιμετωπίζουν αυτούς που ζητούν άσυλο σαν να είναι παράσιτα, σκουπίδια ή στην καλύτερη περίπτωση εγκληματίες. Εκατοντάδες χιλιάδες πρόσφυγες και άνθρωποι που ζητούσαν άσυλο, οδηγούνται κάθε χρόνο σε κέντρα της Ευρώπης, ενώ οι νόμοι της ευρωπαϊκής ένωσης επιτρέπουν τον υποχρεωτικό εγκλεισμό τους για δεκαοχτώ μήνες, ακόμη κι αν δεν υπάρχει καταδικαστική απόφαση. Τα στρατόπεδα προσφύγων λειτουργούν υπό άθλιες συνθήκες διαβίωσης και επιβίωσης.
Στην Αυστραλία, αυτοί που ζητούν άσυλο και οι πρόσφυγες, μαζί με παιδάκια, μένουν επ’αόριστον σε κέντρα κράτησης, όσοι φθάνουν στην Αυστραλία με βάρκες, χάνουν για πάντα το δικαίωμα μετεγκατάστασης στη χώρα αυτή.
Και μετά μου λέτε πως ο Θεός δεν έχει πεθάνει ή πως αν ζει, τότε φροντίζει στα σίγουρα να πεθαίνουν μετά απο μαρτυρικά βασανιστήρια αυτοί που αγωνίζονται απλώς να επιζήσουν ταξιδεύοντας επισφαλώς απο χώρες που λιώνουν σάρκες σε χώρες που χιονίζει στην κόλαση.
Καθώς η ιστοριούλα μας αφορά μια ομάδα προσφύγων, ξεχασμένων, αόρατων ανθρώπων για τους οποίους δεν έχω ακούσει πολλά, οι άνθρωποι των Ροχίνγκια της Βιρμανίας, είναι μέσα στα μάτια του Subhi, ο οποίος γεννήθηκε σε προσφυγικό καταυλισμό, όπου ζει με τη Maa, την αδερφή του Queeny, τον φίλο του Eli και ένα ευγενικό άνθρωπο με γλυκιά ψυχή που ανήκει στην στρατιωτική ομάδα φύλαξης και ονομάζεται Harvey.
Ο Subhi δεν ξέρει άλλη ζωή εκτός φυλακής μέχρι να γνωρίσει την Τζίμι, ένα Αυστραλό κορίτσι που ζει έξω από το στρατόπεδο. Σε μια ιστορία στέρησης, αγώνα και επιβίωσης, ένα άγγιγμα χιούμορ προστίθεται μέσω της πάπιας του Σαίξπηρ και αστεία που οι χαρακτήρες λένε ο ένας στον άλλο. Μια τραγική ιστορία, αφηγημένη με εμπειρία και ανθρωπιά.
Αν το προσφυγικό είναι πρόβλημα τότε σίγουρα έχει και τη λύση του. Ας κάνουν κάποιοι το σύμπαν, λίγο, ελάχιστα, περισσότερο πολιτισμένο.
Καλή ανάγνωση.
Πολλούς ασπασμούς.
November 2, 2016
“But if the world measures a refugee according to the worst story, we will always excuse human suffering, saying it is not yet as bad as someone else's.”
----Victoria Armour-Hileman
Zana Fraillon, an Australian author, has penned a heart breaking and thoroughly compelling tale about refugees in her latest book, The Bone Sparrow that is centered around a young refugee boy living his days with his mother and his elder sister in an Australian detention camp where he spends his days helping his orphan friend to smuggle and with an outsider to help her read the stories about her family history, all the while longing to meet his father across the ocean and to save his soul from such a wretched place.
Synopsis:
Subhi is a refugee. Born in an Australian permanent detention center after his mother and sister fled the violence of a distant homeland, Subhi has only ever known life behind the fences. But his world is far bigger than that—every night, the magical Night Sea from his mother's stories brings him gifts, the faraway whales sing to him, and the birds tell their stories. And as he grows, his imagination threatens to burst beyond the limits of his containment.
The most vivid story of all, however, is the one that arrives one night in the form of Jimmie—a scruffy, impatient girl who appears on the other side of the wire fence and brings with her a notebook written by the mother she lost. Unable to read it herself, she relies on Subhi to unravel her family's love songs and tragedies.
Subhi and Jimmie might both find comfort—and maybe even freedom—as their tales unfold. But not until each has been braver than ever before.
Subhi is a 10 year old Rohingya refugee from Myanmar living in an Australian detention camp along with his mother and elder sister, where the living conditions are extremely poor, not to mention the worm-filled food that they are fed in a handful amount once a day. But Subhi is content with his life as well as with his unhinged dreams about the Night Sea bringing him gifts from across the ocean, in that detention camp where he along with his best friend, Eli, played all day or sometimes Subhi helped his friend to smuggle things around the camp. But once Eli is sent away to live with older single men in a different part of the camp, Subhi found yet another friend in his rubber duck that one of the guards brought for him and surprisingly he shared about his day with the duck and that duck advised right back him. And when Jimmie, a 10 year old girl manages to enter the camp from the outside, Subhi finds the world even more enthralling and mysterious beyond his imagination, although there are lots of mature decisions that Subhi needs to take before he loses his friends as well as his family in that wretched life forever.
The lives of refugees are hard, that we know, but how painful that are and how unfortunate that are, we rarely get to know that. As least from the inside. And that's what this talented writer has succeeded by penning a strikingly heart breaking story of a little refugee boy born in a detention camp, where the living conditions are so poor that a normal human being cannot imagine to live there even for a day. Through this 10 year old child's voice, the readers will get a thorough insight into the raw and honest world of refugees in detention camps, a human being, with no passport to go back home and at the same time, no permission to settle in a foreign country, its more liking living on the edge of a country, ill-treated daily to remind them that they are outsiders and that they must be grateful towards the country who are allowing them to live and eat for free.
The author's writing style is coherent and extremely brilliant, laced beautifully with deep, heart felt emotions that will make the readers fall for the story. The narration is thoroughly evocative and innocent as the author gracefully captures the voice of a 10 year old boy through whose eyes the readers can easily comprehend the world without flaws. The dialogues are so compelling that it will beg the readers to keep a firm grip on the story till the very last page. The story is unraveled without much layers yet it aspires for a slow pace, so impatient readers must look away, whereas this turns out to be a perfect read for all those who love to enjoy a novel gradually through its folds and progression.
The characters are well developed, complete with realism to make them look believable in the eyes of the readers. The protagonist, Subhi is an innocent little child with a smart mind and knows how to survive mutely in harsh conditions, and his sense of responsibility towards his family is really beyond any words. He reflects impeccable maturity despite of his tender age when it is necessary but his story will keep the readers rooted till the very end. The supporting characters are equally well etched out, especially the characters of Subhi's bossy elder sister, the sweet and loving Jimmie with a plan, the clever rubber duck with a sharp mouth and a strong yet sad young orphan boy, Eli. Each and every characters from this book are bound to leave an impression on the minds of the readers long after the end of this story.
In a nutshell, this heart wrenching story will make the readers shed a tear or two for the characters' plight in a sad, sad dump that they call it home.
Verdict: This poignant yet enlightening journey of a 10 year old refugee boy is a must read.
Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers from Hachette India for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
----Victoria Armour-Hileman
Zana Fraillon, an Australian author, has penned a heart breaking and thoroughly compelling tale about refugees in her latest book, The Bone Sparrow that is centered around a young refugee boy living his days with his mother and his elder sister in an Australian detention camp where he spends his days helping his orphan friend to smuggle and with an outsider to help her read the stories about her family history, all the while longing to meet his father across the ocean and to save his soul from such a wretched place.
Synopsis:
Subhi is a refugee. Born in an Australian permanent detention center after his mother and sister fled the violence of a distant homeland, Subhi has only ever known life behind the fences. But his world is far bigger than that—every night, the magical Night Sea from his mother's stories brings him gifts, the faraway whales sing to him, and the birds tell their stories. And as he grows, his imagination threatens to burst beyond the limits of his containment.
The most vivid story of all, however, is the one that arrives one night in the form of Jimmie—a scruffy, impatient girl who appears on the other side of the wire fence and brings with her a notebook written by the mother she lost. Unable to read it herself, she relies on Subhi to unravel her family's love songs and tragedies.
Subhi and Jimmie might both find comfort—and maybe even freedom—as their tales unfold. But not until each has been braver than ever before.
Subhi is a 10 year old Rohingya refugee from Myanmar living in an Australian detention camp along with his mother and elder sister, where the living conditions are extremely poor, not to mention the worm-filled food that they are fed in a handful amount once a day. But Subhi is content with his life as well as with his unhinged dreams about the Night Sea bringing him gifts from across the ocean, in that detention camp where he along with his best friend, Eli, played all day or sometimes Subhi helped his friend to smuggle things around the camp. But once Eli is sent away to live with older single men in a different part of the camp, Subhi found yet another friend in his rubber duck that one of the guards brought for him and surprisingly he shared about his day with the duck and that duck advised right back him. And when Jimmie, a 10 year old girl manages to enter the camp from the outside, Subhi finds the world even more enthralling and mysterious beyond his imagination, although there are lots of mature decisions that Subhi needs to take before he loses his friends as well as his family in that wretched life forever.
The lives of refugees are hard, that we know, but how painful that are and how unfortunate that are, we rarely get to know that. As least from the inside. And that's what this talented writer has succeeded by penning a strikingly heart breaking story of a little refugee boy born in a detention camp, where the living conditions are so poor that a normal human being cannot imagine to live there even for a day. Through this 10 year old child's voice, the readers will get a thorough insight into the raw and honest world of refugees in detention camps, a human being, with no passport to go back home and at the same time, no permission to settle in a foreign country, its more liking living on the edge of a country, ill-treated daily to remind them that they are outsiders and that they must be grateful towards the country who are allowing them to live and eat for free.
The author's writing style is coherent and extremely brilliant, laced beautifully with deep, heart felt emotions that will make the readers fall for the story. The narration is thoroughly evocative and innocent as the author gracefully captures the voice of a 10 year old boy through whose eyes the readers can easily comprehend the world without flaws. The dialogues are so compelling that it will beg the readers to keep a firm grip on the story till the very last page. The story is unraveled without much layers yet it aspires for a slow pace, so impatient readers must look away, whereas this turns out to be a perfect read for all those who love to enjoy a novel gradually through its folds and progression.
The characters are well developed, complete with realism to make them look believable in the eyes of the readers. The protagonist, Subhi is an innocent little child with a smart mind and knows how to survive mutely in harsh conditions, and his sense of responsibility towards his family is really beyond any words. He reflects impeccable maturity despite of his tender age when it is necessary but his story will keep the readers rooted till the very end. The supporting characters are equally well etched out, especially the characters of Subhi's bossy elder sister, the sweet and loving Jimmie with a plan, the clever rubber duck with a sharp mouth and a strong yet sad young orphan boy, Eli. Each and every characters from this book are bound to leave an impression on the minds of the readers long after the end of this story.
In a nutshell, this heart wrenching story will make the readers shed a tear or two for the characters' plight in a sad, sad dump that they call it home.
Verdict: This poignant yet enlightening journey of a 10 year old refugee boy is a must read.
Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers from Hachette India for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
December 27, 2016
There are not enough stars to give “The Bone Sparrow.” Even a thousand would be insufficient.
Subhi, the main character, is a child born inside an Australian detention camp to a Burmese refugee. The way the story progresses is a work of art, with the reader taking the journey with Subhi as he grows to realize the only world he has ever known is not at all normal or fair. It’s a painful path to take with him. There are occasional chapters written in third person about the life of Jimmie, a girl from the outside. She provides both her own story and a way to see the contrast of what people think goes on and what actually happens inside of the camps.
The book is written for middle graders and does an excellent job of presenting very difficult subjects at an appropriate reading level without sugar-coating any of the horror. I believe any age group ten and up should read “The Bone Sparrow,” but the fact that children can learn from the lessons contained within it gives me hope for the future of humanity.
Highly recommended.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Subhi, the main character, is a child born inside an Australian detention camp to a Burmese refugee. The way the story progresses is a work of art, with the reader taking the journey with Subhi as he grows to realize the only world he has ever known is not at all normal or fair. It’s a painful path to take with him. There are occasional chapters written in third person about the life of Jimmie, a girl from the outside. She provides both her own story and a way to see the contrast of what people think goes on and what actually happens inside of the camps.
The book is written for middle graders and does an excellent job of presenting very difficult subjects at an appropriate reading level without sugar-coating any of the horror. I believe any age group ten and up should read “The Bone Sparrow,” but the fact that children can learn from the lessons contained within it gives me hope for the future of humanity.
Highly recommended.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
June 22, 2016
"WE ARE INNOCENT.
PLEASE HELP US TO BE FREE.
WE CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT HOPE."
This book was devastating and enlightening and delightful all at once. The story follows two very different young children, as they discover more of the world through their friendship with each other. From the moment I met Subhi, a young refugee born in an Australian detention centre, I knew that his story would be heartbreaking. And it definitely was.
If you want to learn more about the refugee situation and how asylum seekers are being treated in Australian Detention Centres, then this is a very informative book. It outlines the disgusting and abhorrent conditions that these people suffer through every day. At the same time though, through Jimmie, a young girl living in a town near the detention centre, Zana shows the potential of all Australian's to accept and welcome refugees into our society.
I think that it's extremely important that we all become aware of what Australia is NOT doing in regards to the refugee problem, and the ways that we can try and change refugee treatment.
Overall rating; 4.5/5 stars. This really was an excellent book.
PLEASE HELP US TO BE FREE.
WE CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT HOPE."
This book was devastating and enlightening and delightful all at once. The story follows two very different young children, as they discover more of the world through their friendship with each other. From the moment I met Subhi, a young refugee born in an Australian detention centre, I knew that his story would be heartbreaking. And it definitely was.
If you want to learn more about the refugee situation and how asylum seekers are being treated in Australian Detention Centres, then this is a very informative book. It outlines the disgusting and abhorrent conditions that these people suffer through every day. At the same time though, through Jimmie, a young girl living in a town near the detention centre, Zana shows the potential of all Australian's to accept and welcome refugees into our society.
I think that it's extremely important that we all become aware of what Australia is NOT doing in regards to the refugee problem, and the ways that we can try and change refugee treatment.
Overall rating; 4.5/5 stars. This really was an excellent book.
February 17, 2024
Beautifully written, this story is powerful and haunting. A heartbreaking look at the life of a child in a detention centre. A story that needs telling.
August 24, 2018
یک کتاب ِ خوب برای این که یادمون بمونه دنیا رو به چه گندی کشیدیم!
راوی داستان پسر کوچولوییه که توی اردوگاه پناهندگان روهینگیایی به دنیا اومده و از دنیای بیرون چیزی نمی دونه. . . و این منطقیه، چون دنیای بیرون هم از حضور اون چیزی نمی دونه!
راوی داستان پسر کوچولوییه که توی اردوگاه پناهندگان روهینگیایی به دنیا اومده و از دنیای بیرون چیزی نمی دونه. . . و این منطقیه، چون دنیای بیرون هم از حضور اون چیزی نمی دونه!
June 11, 2017
Trigger warnings: this book follows the story of refugees in a detention centre, so...PTSD, mistreatment by guards, murder, hunger strikes, self harm, and a multitude of other things.
This book was veeeeeeeeeeery slow to start for me. The first...50-75 pages was a serious struggle and it reminded me a lot of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, seeing as it was narrated from the perspective of a ten year old who had very little understanding of the broader situation going on around him.
But then, without even realising it had happened, I was COMPLETELY HOOKED and I sped through the rest of the book. This is so beautifully told while also being absolutely horrifying to read. Fraillon doesn't pull any punches about the way refugees are treated in Australian detention centres.
I loved the friendship that develops between Subhi and Jimmie. I loved the storytelling elements. I loved Subhi's friendship with Eli and the complexities of his relationship with Harvey. And I love that by making Subhi and his family Rohingya, Fraillon has made the story incredibly timely.
I teared up a bunch of times and I definitely didn't expect certain events that take place in the course of the story to happen. So I was hesitant through the first third or so, but ended up having my heart torn out and stomped on.
This book was veeeeeeeeeeery slow to start for me. The first...50-75 pages was a serious struggle and it reminded me a lot of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, seeing as it was narrated from the perspective of a ten year old who had very little understanding of the broader situation going on around him.
But then, without even realising it had happened, I was COMPLETELY HOOKED and I sped through the rest of the book. This is so beautifully told while also being absolutely horrifying to read. Fraillon doesn't pull any punches about the way refugees are treated in Australian detention centres.
I loved the friendship that develops between Subhi and Jimmie. I loved the storytelling elements. I loved Subhi's friendship with Eli and the complexities of his relationship with Harvey. And I love that by making Subhi and his family Rohingya, Fraillon has made the story incredibly timely.
I teared up a bunch of times and I definitely didn't expect certain events that take place in the course of the story to happen. So I was hesitant through the first third or so, but ended up having my heart torn out and stomped on.
October 23, 2016
YOU KNOW YOU'RE READING A BRILLIANTLY HEARTBREAKING BOOK WHEN YOU'RE SOBBING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. This is such a powerful book that needs to be read by EVERYONE for awareness of what's going on in refugee camps.
February 11, 2023
Η ιστορία του Σούμπι δυστυχώς δεν είναι η μοναδική στον κόσμο. Υπάρχουν αμέτρητοι σαν κι αυτόν που είτε αναζητούν τη γαλήνη, είτε δεν έχουν καν μέτρο σύγκρισης γιατί τα όριά τους φτάνουν ως εκεί που ξεκινά το συρματόπλεγμα. Κι ο Σούμπι μας διηγείται την ιστορία του για τη ζωή μέσα από το συρματόπλεγμα.
Άνθρωποι σαν αυτόν τον πιτσιρίκο, είναι ενίοτε τα πιόνια σε παιχνίδια δύναμης και υπεροχής όπου οι χαμένοι είναι προδιαγεγραμμένο ποιοι θα είναι.
Το προσφυγικό είναι δύσκολο θέμα. Και επίπονο. Να το διαβάζεις. Πολλώ δε μάλλον να το βιώνεις. Κυρίως αν σκεφτούμε, ότι καθαρά από τύχη δεν είμαστε ο Σούμπι και ο κάθε Σούμπι. Και το βιβλίο αυτό, χωρίς να ωραιοποιεί καταστάσεις ή να κουκουλώνει γεγονότα, είναι μια άριστη υπενθύμιση ως προς αυτό.
Άνθρωποι σαν αυτόν τον πιτσιρίκο, είναι ενίοτε τα πιόνια σε παιχνίδια δύναμης και υπεροχής όπου οι χαμένοι είναι προδιαγεγραμμένο ποιοι θα είναι.
Το προσφυγικό είναι δύσκολο θέμα. Και επίπονο. Να το διαβάζεις. Πολλώ δε μάλλον να το βιώνεις. Κυρίως αν σκεφτούμε, ότι καθαρά από τύχη δεν είμαστε ο Σούμπι και ο κάθε Σούμπι. Και το βιβλίο αυτό, χωρίς να ωραιοποιεί καταστάσεις ή να κουκουλώνει γεγονότα, είναι μια άριστη υπενθύμιση ως προς αυτό.
May 8, 2019
Wow! That was a difficult read. But I'm so glad I pushed through.
The Bone Sparrow is amazing -- tragic, heart-breaking, tear-jerking... yet hopeful, showing the power of friendship, family, love, story-telling, and remembering.
I definitely needed some time to process this book.
The Bone Sparrow is an amazing story -- I just couldn't take too much at once. I am definitely the target audience here. I know little about Burma or its ethnic groups, but I care deeply about the plight of refugees worldwide (especially children) and desire (need) to know more.
Everyone (13 and older) should read this book. We need to know what is going on and we need to do something about it. Refugees are not criminals and should never be treated as such or even temporarily locked up. The world may have forgotten about these refugees, but it is time to remember and set them free.
I received a copy of this book from Disney-Hyperion via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
BUDDY READ: Contemporary/Romance > The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon -- Starting October 21st 2016
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
The Bone Sparrow is amazing -- tragic, heart-breaking, tear-jerking... yet hopeful, showing the power of friendship, family, love, story-telling, and remembering.
I definitely needed some time to process this book.
The Bone Sparrow is an amazing story -- I just couldn't take too much at once. I am definitely the target audience here. I know little about Burma or its ethnic groups, but I care deeply about the plight of refugees worldwide (especially children) and desire (need) to know more.
Everyone (13 and older) should read this book. We need to know what is going on and we need to do something about it. Refugees are not criminals and should never be treated as such or even temporarily locked up. The world may have forgotten about these refugees, but it is time to remember and set them free.
I received a copy of this book from Disney-Hyperion via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
BUDDY READ: Contemporary/Romance > The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon -- Starting October 21st 2016
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
June 8, 2017
I was pleasantly surprised by this - I really really enjoyed it! This received four stars out of five from me and I thought it was an absolutely brilliant read.
It's set in an Australian refugee camp; it follows a boy named Subhi who lives there with his sister Queeny and his mother and all we know about their past so far is that Subhi has been born there so he's lived in the camp all his life and the two girls fled from their homeland far away. It focuses on imagination; it focuses on refugee life; it focuses on how a story can help you escape. It's mainly about the relationship between Subhi and Jimmie who is a very impatient, chatty girl who does not live in the camp but visits through a hole in the fence. We learn that Jimmie does not have an alive mother and her mother has left her this book containing a story that her mother told to her but Jimmie cannot read so she relies on Subhi to allow her to escape into this poignant story and cling to her mother's existence.
As the book goes on, it focuses more and more on letting go of the past and moving on along the path set for you and it also focuses on finding luck by actively searching for it and making it rather than just metaphorically sitting and waiting for it.
There is a really obvious, stereotypical book-to-book comparison that I could make with The Bone Sparrow and that is The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas because they both focus on children within closed-off camps being invisible to the rest of the world and how conversing with someone from the outside can give you more of an identity and the consequences that can arise from it. If you liked the themes in TBITSP, which I did when I read it, then you will enjoy this book too.
But that's really obvious!! :)
Another book-to-book comparison that DOESN'T offer itself to you on a plate is The Pearl by John Steinbeck. The reason for this is: I thought that what music was to Kino in The Pearl is what stories are to Subhi in The Bone Sparrow. If you haven't read The Pearl, very simply, it follows a family of three who live in a brush hut and the father, Kino, is a pearl-diver (that's really simplifying the synopsis!). There is a lot of focus in The Pearl on music and how the music playing within Kino's head adjusts to the atmosphere and how Kino just loses himself in the music to escape from what is going on but really we can see, as readers, that the music links to what his happening within the plot.
That music theme in the Steinbeck book is what Subhi's stories felt like. The prime theme to do with the story-telling in The Bone Sparrow is that Subhi uses it as a way to escape from the camp and absorb himself within the characters and plot but links are made to what is happening within his life too. This is something I can really connect to because the reason I read so much is because the ultimately best thing about reading a book is the immersion and the way that you can just completely lose yourself within the book for however long you like. Now, without any details, I was bullied quite a lot between the late stages of primary school and also in the early parts of Year 7 and Year 8 so for such a long time, books were my easy way out and, especially if it was a book I really loved, I could go about my daily life with these characters alongside me and just have them in my head as a comfort. Therefore, to see Subhi and Jimmie in this novel do the same thing, I was with them the WHOLE time, I could completely connect to what was happening and I just went on this journey with them and absorbed every story within this novel.
However, ultimately, the biggest thing that made this book click for me was the writing style. The writing is stunning. I usually enjoy really British, old-fashioned, aristocratic writing styles: this is the complete opposite but I still loved the writing. It's the sort of writing that can immediately just sweep you up and take you along on the journey. Rather than taking this book from the library, I read it on my Kindle instead (and am very glad I did!) so these were the two measures I gave myself: one, did I make highlights? Yes! A lot :)
And two, did I reread sections? Yes I did! I did reread sections because I was just astounded with what Zana Fraillon could do with a sentence.
I have found a section of this really great writing style to read to you. It was difficult to find a passage that wasn't a) too long and b) spoiler-free so I've chosen this one (this might be a bit of a poor example but trust me, there is better stuff than this!). This is when Subhi is sticking his head out of the fence into the outside world after Jimmie is leaving after one of their meetings:
"Jimmie, she stays there, holding the book in one hand and the wire in the other. She keeps that wire up, letting the wind feel its way over my face, letting me taste the air on the other side. I don't know how long we stay like that. It feels like a long time. Like when I put my head under the water. Except this time I don't need to hold my breath. This time I can enjoy the breathing. Enjoy pulling that air deep inside of me. This time the birds don't need to worry."
To me, that's just a really meticulous depiction of the atmosphere and the effect the outside world has on Subhi and I think it's beautiful! Not only is there really beautiful writing, there is also some really hilarious writing! This is a passage when he meets Jimmie for the first time and it made me laugh out loud:
"But when I see that girl, my brain jumps to thinking about our guardian angel, and for a moment, a long moment, I get to thinking that maybe that girl is our guardian angel. Even though it seems kind of strange that a guardian angel would wear trousers with more holes all over than mine, even, and a shirt that is way too big, but maybe that's to hide the wings, which are a definite must for any guardian angel worth their salt.
Then that girl hocks up the biggest ball of snot I've ever seen - and I've seen some pretty big balls of snot being hocked around here - and she spits that snot right on to the ground. That's when I know. Guardian angels don't hock up snot." So funny! :D The only negative thing that I will say about the writing is that sometimes it is SO metaphorical that you actually lose yourself in it too much and I had to reread quite a few sections in this novel just to catch up on what was going on after zoning out.
The last thing I want to say before wrapping it up is that the relationship between Jimmie and Subhi is really developed slowly and bit-by-bit which was incredibly powerful. As I've said, this is set in Australia and on the 2017 Carnegie shortlist, there is another book set in Australia: Alice and Manny, from The Stars at Oktober Bend, live in Australia and they also have a gradual friendship with a similar style of development. I really didn't like The Stars at Oktober Bend and I felt like that the friendship between Jimmie and Subhi was what The Stars at Oktober Bend was trying to achieve. It's dealing with different things but it is focused on Australia and on friendships between children. I just thought that the elements of friendship in The Bone Sparrow, which were fairly similar, were SO much more powerful! I don't want to seem unfair by comparing the two books but it is difficult not to when they are both on a shortlist for the same prize.
It's set in an Australian refugee camp; it follows a boy named Subhi who lives there with his sister Queeny and his mother and all we know about their past so far is that Subhi has been born there so he's lived in the camp all his life and the two girls fled from their homeland far away. It focuses on imagination; it focuses on refugee life; it focuses on how a story can help you escape. It's mainly about the relationship between Subhi and Jimmie who is a very impatient, chatty girl who does not live in the camp but visits through a hole in the fence. We learn that Jimmie does not have an alive mother and her mother has left her this book containing a story that her mother told to her but Jimmie cannot read so she relies on Subhi to allow her to escape into this poignant story and cling to her mother's existence.
As the book goes on, it focuses more and more on letting go of the past and moving on along the path set for you and it also focuses on finding luck by actively searching for it and making it rather than just metaphorically sitting and waiting for it.
There is a really obvious, stereotypical book-to-book comparison that I could make with The Bone Sparrow and that is The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas because they both focus on children within closed-off camps being invisible to the rest of the world and how conversing with someone from the outside can give you more of an identity and the consequences that can arise from it. If you liked the themes in TBITSP, which I did when I read it, then you will enjoy this book too.
But that's really obvious!! :)
Another book-to-book comparison that DOESN'T offer itself to you on a plate is The Pearl by John Steinbeck. The reason for this is: I thought that what music was to Kino in The Pearl is what stories are to Subhi in The Bone Sparrow. If you haven't read The Pearl, very simply, it follows a family of three who live in a brush hut and the father, Kino, is a pearl-diver (that's really simplifying the synopsis!). There is a lot of focus in The Pearl on music and how the music playing within Kino's head adjusts to the atmosphere and how Kino just loses himself in the music to escape from what is going on but really we can see, as readers, that the music links to what his happening within the plot.
That music theme in the Steinbeck book is what Subhi's stories felt like. The prime theme to do with the story-telling in The Bone Sparrow is that Subhi uses it as a way to escape from the camp and absorb himself within the characters and plot but links are made to what is happening within his life too. This is something I can really connect to because the reason I read so much is because the ultimately best thing about reading a book is the immersion and the way that you can just completely lose yourself within the book for however long you like. Now, without any details, I was bullied quite a lot between the late stages of primary school and also in the early parts of Year 7 and Year 8 so for such a long time, books were my easy way out and, especially if it was a book I really loved, I could go about my daily life with these characters alongside me and just have them in my head as a comfort. Therefore, to see Subhi and Jimmie in this novel do the same thing, I was with them the WHOLE time, I could completely connect to what was happening and I just went on this journey with them and absorbed every story within this novel.
However, ultimately, the biggest thing that made this book click for me was the writing style. The writing is stunning. I usually enjoy really British, old-fashioned, aristocratic writing styles: this is the complete opposite but I still loved the writing. It's the sort of writing that can immediately just sweep you up and take you along on the journey. Rather than taking this book from the library, I read it on my Kindle instead (and am very glad I did!) so these were the two measures I gave myself: one, did I make highlights? Yes! A lot :)
And two, did I reread sections? Yes I did! I did reread sections because I was just astounded with what Zana Fraillon could do with a sentence.
I have found a section of this really great writing style to read to you. It was difficult to find a passage that wasn't a) too long and b) spoiler-free so I've chosen this one (this might be a bit of a poor example but trust me, there is better stuff than this!). This is when Subhi is sticking his head out of the fence into the outside world after Jimmie is leaving after one of their meetings:
"Jimmie, she stays there, holding the book in one hand and the wire in the other. She keeps that wire up, letting the wind feel its way over my face, letting me taste the air on the other side. I don't know how long we stay like that. It feels like a long time. Like when I put my head under the water. Except this time I don't need to hold my breath. This time I can enjoy the breathing. Enjoy pulling that air deep inside of me. This time the birds don't need to worry."
To me, that's just a really meticulous depiction of the atmosphere and the effect the outside world has on Subhi and I think it's beautiful! Not only is there really beautiful writing, there is also some really hilarious writing! This is a passage when he meets Jimmie for the first time and it made me laugh out loud:
"But when I see that girl, my brain jumps to thinking about our guardian angel, and for a moment, a long moment, I get to thinking that maybe that girl is our guardian angel. Even though it seems kind of strange that a guardian angel would wear trousers with more holes all over than mine, even, and a shirt that is way too big, but maybe that's to hide the wings, which are a definite must for any guardian angel worth their salt.
Then that girl hocks up the biggest ball of snot I've ever seen - and I've seen some pretty big balls of snot being hocked around here - and she spits that snot right on to the ground. That's when I know. Guardian angels don't hock up snot." So funny! :D The only negative thing that I will say about the writing is that sometimes it is SO metaphorical that you actually lose yourself in it too much and I had to reread quite a few sections in this novel just to catch up on what was going on after zoning out.
The last thing I want to say before wrapping it up is that the relationship between Jimmie and Subhi is really developed slowly and bit-by-bit which was incredibly powerful. As I've said, this is set in Australia and on the 2017 Carnegie shortlist, there is another book set in Australia: Alice and Manny, from The Stars at Oktober Bend, live in Australia and they also have a gradual friendship with a similar style of development. I really didn't like The Stars at Oktober Bend and I felt like that the friendship between Jimmie and Subhi was what The Stars at Oktober Bend was trying to achieve. It's dealing with different things but it is focused on Australia and on friendships between children. I just thought that the elements of friendship in The Bone Sparrow, which were fairly similar, were SO much more powerful! I don't want to seem unfair by comparing the two books but it is difficult not to when they are both on a shortlist for the same prize.
April 27, 2022
so much compassion and hope woven into this story about australia’s brutal treatment of refugees and especially refugee children
i don’t think many authors could deal with such difficult subject matter in such a loving way
i don’t think many authors could deal with such difficult subject matter in such a loving way
June 19, 2017
I wanted to like this book more than I did. Yes, I now have a much more vivid image of how wrong conditions in refugee camps can be (this one in Australia) and an awareness of more of the ethnic Burmese minorities. The last couple chapters were a dramatic ending that were exciting, sad and I didn't fully see coming.
But overall the pacing was slow and I mostly didn't connect with the characters (I did like Eli). Full disclosure -- I typically am turned off by characters who talk to an inanimate object so once the plastic duck showed up, my connection to the story lessened. The target age for book is presumably younger middle school/upper elementary but I'm not sure there's enough to keep readers engaged. I kept reading as an intellectual exercise not because of a connection to characters or place.
But overall the pacing was slow and I mostly didn't connect with the characters (I did like Eli). Full disclosure -- I typically am turned off by characters who talk to an inanimate object so once the plastic duck showed up, my connection to the story lessened. The target age for book is presumably younger middle school/upper elementary but I'm not sure there's enough to keep readers engaged. I kept reading as an intellectual exercise not because of a connection to characters or place.
February 11, 2018
Read this review and more on my blog.
The Book Return BlogI received this book for free from Publisher (via Netgalley) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Subhi is born in a refugee in an interment camp. He has never seen the outside world. He has no books, no school, and not enough food, water, or clothes.
Every once in a while I stumble on a book that totally takes me by surprise. One that I haven't heard anything about. A book that you had no idea would be so meaningful, impactful, wonderful, and life changing. One that rips out your heart, and in the process makes you a totally different person. 'The Bone Sparrow' is definitely one of those books. I had absolutely no idea what 'The Bone Sparrow' was about going in to it. Right before I started reading it, I read over the synopsis, so I had a vague idea that it was about a refuge. I was not at all prepared for the punch that 'The Bone Sparrow' gave me.
First thing is that Subhi is only ten years old. Honestly, the story did seem as if it is being told by a ten-year old. As the mother of three kids around this age, I am stunned at what Sushi had to endure. Lack of enough food, clothes, water, places to bath, a school, or even a home (they live in tents) is all part of Sushi's life. It was all so absolutely heartbreaking. This is especially true when you find out that Subhi was born in the camp ten years ago and has never left. Despite his family being in the camp for ten years, the Australian government has no plans on what to do with them.
Sushi's story leads you to think, 'how can this have ever happened'. Then you realize, omg, this isn't the distant past, this is present day Australia. The fact that Subhi doesn't know any better and just loves the life he leads, is just gut wrenching.
Subhi makes up for many of the things he is missing in his life (like toys and books) by using his imagination. Every night he imagines a night sea lapping up against the tent flaps. The sea brings creatures and treasures with it. The way that Fraillon describes the Night Sea is so vivid and detailed, that you can actually feel the sea breeze and hear the tide.
Subhi as a character is dead-on with a child his age. He is full of wonder and love and imagination. The character of Subhi's mother is not always endearing but holds true to what an adult would be going through in her situation. I did also love Sushi's sister, as she is mean to him at times but truly loves him. I also appreciate that one of the jackets (guards) as Subhi called them, was kind to him. This demonstrates that the guards in the camp are not all stereotypically bad people. Subhi's relationship with the girl he meets, Jimmie, serves to give Subhi hope and a glance at the outside world. Jimmie has suffered her own tragedy and together her and Subhi form a bond. Each child helps the other move on with their lives.
In many ways, 'The Bone Sparrow' reminds me of one of my favorite books of all time, 'The Storyteller', by Jodi Picoult. Both books entwine a present day story with an original fairytale. The fairytale captures part of the ordeal that the character in the main story is going through.
Although the ending of, 'The Bone Sparrow' did not wrap up as I would have liked, it did give the message that hope can be the greatest gift of all. The theme of 'The Bone Sparrow', is a timely topic. It definitely made me rethink how I view refugees. It is a multilayered, timely, and soul-searching read. It is one of the most under hyped books I've ever read. Everyone, absolutely everyone, needs to read this book now.
This review was originally posted on The Book return...
The Book Return BlogI received this book for free from Publisher (via Netgalley) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Subhi is born in a refugee in an interment camp. He has never seen the outside world. He has no books, no school, and not enough food, water, or clothes.
Every once in a while I stumble on a book that totally takes me by surprise. One that I haven't heard anything about. A book that you had no idea would be so meaningful, impactful, wonderful, and life changing. One that rips out your heart, and in the process makes you a totally different person. 'The Bone Sparrow' is definitely one of those books. I had absolutely no idea what 'The Bone Sparrow' was about going in to it. Right before I started reading it, I read over the synopsis, so I had a vague idea that it was about a refuge. I was not at all prepared for the punch that 'The Bone Sparrow' gave me.
First thing is that Subhi is only ten years old. Honestly, the story did seem as if it is being told by a ten-year old. As the mother of three kids around this age, I am stunned at what Sushi had to endure. Lack of enough food, clothes, water, places to bath, a school, or even a home (they live in tents) is all part of Sushi's life. It was all so absolutely heartbreaking. This is especially true when you find out that Subhi was born in the camp ten years ago and has never left. Despite his family being in the camp for ten years, the Australian government has no plans on what to do with them.
Sushi's story leads you to think, 'how can this have ever happened'. Then you realize, omg, this isn't the distant past, this is present day Australia. The fact that Subhi doesn't know any better and just loves the life he leads, is just gut wrenching.
Subhi makes up for many of the things he is missing in his life (like toys and books) by using his imagination. Every night he imagines a night sea lapping up against the tent flaps. The sea brings creatures and treasures with it. The way that Fraillon describes the Night Sea is so vivid and detailed, that you can actually feel the sea breeze and hear the tide.
Subhi as a character is dead-on with a child his age. He is full of wonder and love and imagination. The character of Subhi's mother is not always endearing but holds true to what an adult would be going through in her situation. I did also love Sushi's sister, as she is mean to him at times but truly loves him. I also appreciate that one of the jackets (guards) as Subhi called them, was kind to him. This demonstrates that the guards in the camp are not all stereotypically bad people. Subhi's relationship with the girl he meets, Jimmie, serves to give Subhi hope and a glance at the outside world. Jimmie has suffered her own tragedy and together her and Subhi form a bond. Each child helps the other move on with their lives.
In many ways, 'The Bone Sparrow' reminds me of one of my favorite books of all time, 'The Storyteller', by Jodi Picoult. Both books entwine a present day story with an original fairytale. The fairytale captures part of the ordeal that the character in the main story is going through.
Although the ending of, 'The Bone Sparrow' did not wrap up as I would have liked, it did give the message that hope can be the greatest gift of all. The theme of 'The Bone Sparrow', is a timely topic. It definitely made me rethink how I view refugees. It is a multilayered, timely, and soul-searching read. It is one of the most under hyped books I've ever read. Everyone, absolutely everyone, needs to read this book now.
This review was originally posted on The Book return...
June 10, 2025
Realidade muito dolorosa!
NOTA - 08/10
NOTA - 08/10
August 5, 2017
One of the marks of a great children's book, I think, is a voice that can speak across generations and to any age group. 'The Bone Sparrow', I hope, will certainly be a book that does just that, and it really deserves to be remembered and cherished for a long, long time. It's an important, powerful little story, one that takes the complicated mess of politics and bureaucratic arguing, and whittles it all down to the simple questions: 'why is it illegal for people to try and save their families? Why is it illegal to want to live?'
Subhi is an easy character to root for, empathise with, and love. Right from the start, he’s a sweet, endearing, and dreamy sort of kid whose imagination weaves magical realism and escapism into the story, despite how his world is so challenging and limited. Subhi’s chapters were in first person and Jimmie’s were in third, which created a natural distance between Jimmie and the reader — an interesting narrative choice as Jimmie is the character whose life reflects those of her readers the closest. She takes her education for granted, misses her mother, and has her own struggles to overcome in this story. And then there’s the story of the Bone Sparrow itself, and all the little stories and imaginings that bind these two characters together. It’s not often I read a story-within-a-story that is as engrossing as the main plot, but the story of the Bone Sparrow brilliantly mirrored the danger and furious fear in the background of the children’s real lives.
It’s impossible to read this book without taking stock on Subhi's life as an echo of the real lives of real children, out there somewhere, who are treated like criminals because their families only wanted to survive. It's an important reminder in the current political climate of refugee-blaming, that refugees are not responsible for what they're trying to escape. But this book's strengths are not in its political messages, but in accessibility for all ages, its emotion, its down-to-earth nature, and its constant hope.
A lot of the pre-publication media I read about this book compared it to John Boyne's 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' but the only links between the two books that I could see was a friendship formed on two sides of a fence, and one child belonging to a persecuted ethnic group. 'The Bone Sparrow' is full of hope in a way that 'Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' is not, and it gives it a wonderful and uplifting sense that yes, change is still possible. These people are not lost in the past, they’re out there right now and we can make a difference. Fraillon’s note at the end of this book is well worth a read as she outlines the very real background to her novel.
I’ve dithered over this review for a few weeks now, as there’s always more I want to say, more praise I want to give. I won’t ever forget this novel. Fraillon’s writing is beautiful and honest and endearing, and is the most hopeful book about such a serious and real situation that I’ve ever read. This is a book I want to share with absolutely everyone, and if you’re reading this review, you absolutely have to just go and read it!
[Thank youuu, Hatchett books (and Julia), for sending me a copy.]
Subhi is an easy character to root for, empathise with, and love. Right from the start, he’s a sweet, endearing, and dreamy sort of kid whose imagination weaves magical realism and escapism into the story, despite how his world is so challenging and limited. Subhi’s chapters were in first person and Jimmie’s were in third, which created a natural distance between Jimmie and the reader — an interesting narrative choice as Jimmie is the character whose life reflects those of her readers the closest. She takes her education for granted, misses her mother, and has her own struggles to overcome in this story. And then there’s the story of the Bone Sparrow itself, and all the little stories and imaginings that bind these two characters together. It’s not often I read a story-within-a-story that is as engrossing as the main plot, but the story of the Bone Sparrow brilliantly mirrored the danger and furious fear in the background of the children’s real lives.
It’s impossible to read this book without taking stock on Subhi's life as an echo of the real lives of real children, out there somewhere, who are treated like criminals because their families only wanted to survive. It's an important reminder in the current political climate of refugee-blaming, that refugees are not responsible for what they're trying to escape. But this book's strengths are not in its political messages, but in accessibility for all ages, its emotion, its down-to-earth nature, and its constant hope.
A lot of the pre-publication media I read about this book compared it to John Boyne's 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' but the only links between the two books that I could see was a friendship formed on two sides of a fence, and one child belonging to a persecuted ethnic group. 'The Bone Sparrow' is full of hope in a way that 'Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' is not, and it gives it a wonderful and uplifting sense that yes, change is still possible. These people are not lost in the past, they’re out there right now and we can make a difference. Fraillon’s note at the end of this book is well worth a read as she outlines the very real background to her novel.
I’ve dithered over this review for a few weeks now, as there’s always more I want to say, more praise I want to give. I won’t ever forget this novel. Fraillon’s writing is beautiful and honest and endearing, and is the most hopeful book about such a serious and real situation that I’ve ever read. This is a book I want to share with absolutely everyone, and if you’re reading this review, you absolutely have to just go and read it!
[Thank youuu, Hatchett books (and Julia), for sending me a copy.]
February 3, 2017
4.5 on my blog. This book made me extremely emotional. It is three stories in one really. It is beautiful and fanciful in parts and cruelly realistic in others. It is skillfully wrought. My head and heart are swimming in feelings right now. Full blog review to follow. I will add the link when it is posted.
I was approved for an eARC, via Netgalley, in return for an honest review.
I was approved for an eARC, via Netgalley, in return for an honest review.
December 11, 2016
I may or may not have cried all the way through the ending. Please read this. It's such a wonderful story filled with the realities of the world
July 15, 2017
I'm glad this book has been selling so well, because it's an important story, but I felt it was poorly executed. Readers in the audience demographic may be more forgiving than me.
August 27, 2021
61%
It sorta just ripped off The Boy In The Striped Pajamas
It sorta just ripped off The Boy In The Striped Pajamas
June 19, 2023
i read this book for english class.
thats the only reason i dislike it.
thats the only reason i dislike it.
November 22, 2017
Subhi is geboren in het vluchtelingenkamp en kent geen andere wereld dan de wereld binnen de hekken. Op een avond ontmoet hij Jimmie, die aan de andere kant van het hek woont. Samen ervaren ze een vorm van vrijheid door de verhalen in het dagboek van Jimmies overleden moeder.
Binnen het kamp is Subhi bevriend met Eli, in mijn ogen voelde hij als zijn grote broer die hem beschermde en met wie hij lol had. Wanneer hij Jimmie ontmoet zegt hij: ‘Ik bedenk hoe anders ik me voel als Jimmie er is. Alsof iemand mij echt ziet, echt naar mij luistert.’
Het verhaal wordt verteld door de ogen van Subhi, met zijn kinderlijke gedachten, zijn fantasie en zijn woorden.
Hij denkt veel na over zijn moeder die alleen maar op bed ligt, over zijn vader die hij hoopt terug te zien, maar ook over gebeurtenissen en de sfeer in het kamp.
‘En ik wou dat ik het niet snapte, want dat ik het snap lost niks op. Dat ik het snap maakt het alleen maar erger.’
Subhi houdt ook veel van verhalen, verhalen die zijn moeder vertelde en ook verhalen die hij met zijn vriendin Jimmie leest. ‘Maar ik heb geen herinneringen aan ergens anders, en alle dagen hier worden één grote brij. Ik heb hun verhalen nodig. Ik heb ze nodig om mijn eigen herinneringen te maken.’
Wanneer andere mensen in het kamp besluiten in hongerstaking te gaan denkt Subhi: ‘De hele wereld is gek geworden en alles staat op instorten.’ Hij voelt dat er steeds meer spanning in de lucht hangt en dat er wat te wachten staat. Op dat moment neemt hij een beslissing die hij eerder niet had durven maken.
Het is mooi dat verschillende elementen terugkomen in het verhaal en niet zomaar geschreven zijn, maar met een achterliggende gedachte.
In het boek wordt ook gesproken over Binnen en Buiten en deze binnen en buiten worden niet bedoeld zoals wij deze kennen. Binnen is niet binnen in hun tent, maar binnen de hekken. Buiten is niet buiten hun tent, maar Buiten de hekken. Ze leven om Ooit naar Buiten te kunnen, als volwaardig mens.
Wat een goed geschreven verhaal! Van tevoren wist ik dat het zich afspeelde in een vluchtelingenkamp, maar niet dat het zo goed geschreven was. Dit boek verdient meer aandacht, want helaas is dit wel de harde werkelijkheid in sommige kampen. Zo gaan wij toch niet om met mensen?
Omdat het verhaal vanuit het kind is geschreven en omdat Zana Fraillon een mooie manier van schrijven heeft, komt het verhaal beter binnen. Vier welverdiende sterren.
Binnen het kamp is Subhi bevriend met Eli, in mijn ogen voelde hij als zijn grote broer die hem beschermde en met wie hij lol had. Wanneer hij Jimmie ontmoet zegt hij: ‘Ik bedenk hoe anders ik me voel als Jimmie er is. Alsof iemand mij echt ziet, echt naar mij luistert.’
Het verhaal wordt verteld door de ogen van Subhi, met zijn kinderlijke gedachten, zijn fantasie en zijn woorden.
Hij denkt veel na over zijn moeder die alleen maar op bed ligt, over zijn vader die hij hoopt terug te zien, maar ook over gebeurtenissen en de sfeer in het kamp.
‘En ik wou dat ik het niet snapte, want dat ik het snap lost niks op. Dat ik het snap maakt het alleen maar erger.’
Subhi houdt ook veel van verhalen, verhalen die zijn moeder vertelde en ook verhalen die hij met zijn vriendin Jimmie leest. ‘Maar ik heb geen herinneringen aan ergens anders, en alle dagen hier worden één grote brij. Ik heb hun verhalen nodig. Ik heb ze nodig om mijn eigen herinneringen te maken.’
Wanneer andere mensen in het kamp besluiten in hongerstaking te gaan denkt Subhi: ‘De hele wereld is gek geworden en alles staat op instorten.’ Hij voelt dat er steeds meer spanning in de lucht hangt en dat er wat te wachten staat. Op dat moment neemt hij een beslissing die hij eerder niet had durven maken.
Het is mooi dat verschillende elementen terugkomen in het verhaal en niet zomaar geschreven zijn, maar met een achterliggende gedachte.
In het boek wordt ook gesproken over Binnen en Buiten en deze binnen en buiten worden niet bedoeld zoals wij deze kennen. Binnen is niet binnen in hun tent, maar binnen de hekken. Buiten is niet buiten hun tent, maar Buiten de hekken. Ze leven om Ooit naar Buiten te kunnen, als volwaardig mens.
Wat een goed geschreven verhaal! Van tevoren wist ik dat het zich afspeelde in een vluchtelingenkamp, maar niet dat het zo goed geschreven was. Dit boek verdient meer aandacht, want helaas is dit wel de harde werkelijkheid in sommige kampen. Zo gaan wij toch niet om met mensen?
Omdat het verhaal vanuit het kind is geschreven en omdat Zana Fraillon een mooie manier van schrijven heeft, komt het verhaal beter binnen. Vier welverdiende sterren.
September 4, 2017
Eight year old Subhi survives behind within the wire compound of the detention centre, overcrowded bodies neglected under the parched Australian sun. Subhi is one child of thousands of men, women and children escaping their homeland and applying for asylum in Australia. Born within the compound, his family surviving the harrowing journey from Burma where his father is under political incarceration. Persecuted and malnourished, families are placed within the compound and abandoned by the Australian government, segregated from their family members while abused and tormented by confinement.
Subhi is a remarkable young man, Intelligent and compassionate. The narrative is incredibly confronting, the lack of empathy towards those who seek asylum, the impoverished conditions and atrocious deficiency of humanity. Subhi imagines a freedom for his ailing mother and sister Queeny, a resilient young woman who has become Subhi's guardian.
Nine year old Jimmie lives within the remote community, occupied by exploring since her mother passed away. While her father is a single parent living below the poverty threshold, all that remains of Jimmie's late mother is her treasured book of stories and her Bone Sparrow necklace. An insufficient education and inadequate parenting, Jimmie is illiterate and continues to grieve for her mother's stories.
Although Subhi is a fictional character, he represents the thousands of children and families denied refuge and placed within detention centres and incarcerated, his narrative instigating important conversations about human rights and the Australian refugee legislation. The conditions within the refugee compound are appalling. Inadequate basic necessities, dehumanised and often brutalised by government employed wardens. Their meagre possessions confiscated upon arrival. Mental and physical health deteriorate as families are segregated. Their voices left unheard.
The Bone Sparrow is a conscientious and impassioned narrative of the abhorrent treatment and conditions asylum seekers face in Australia. Captivating and confronting.
Subhi is a remarkable young man, Intelligent and compassionate. The narrative is incredibly confronting, the lack of empathy towards those who seek asylum, the impoverished conditions and atrocious deficiency of humanity. Subhi imagines a freedom for his ailing mother and sister Queeny, a resilient young woman who has become Subhi's guardian.
Nine year old Jimmie lives within the remote community, occupied by exploring since her mother passed away. While her father is a single parent living below the poverty threshold, all that remains of Jimmie's late mother is her treasured book of stories and her Bone Sparrow necklace. An insufficient education and inadequate parenting, Jimmie is illiterate and continues to grieve for her mother's stories.
Although Subhi is a fictional character, he represents the thousands of children and families denied refuge and placed within detention centres and incarcerated, his narrative instigating important conversations about human rights and the Australian refugee legislation. The conditions within the refugee compound are appalling. Inadequate basic necessities, dehumanised and often brutalised by government employed wardens. Their meagre possessions confiscated upon arrival. Mental and physical health deteriorate as families are segregated. Their voices left unheard.
Jimmie looks at me and nods. 'I know,' she says. 'I hear you.'
The Bone Sparrow is a conscientious and impassioned narrative of the abhorrent treatment and conditions asylum seekers face in Australia. Captivating and confronting.
November 11, 2019
It was really good and I recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it yet.
January 19, 2021
It's a slow pace reading. The bone sparrow touches my heart when the innocent main character which is subhi, who born in immigration detention and life behind the fences is all he has ever known until he meet jimmie.
A story about hope and love. It broke my heart when knowing that people who being held at detention camp will be taken everything from them, for example hearing aid and fake foot for those who misfortune. But one thing that i adore from this story that they never lose hope.
"We are innocent. Please help us to be free. We can't live without hope"
hundreds and thousands refugees are detained in europe every year and they're been treating like criminals. When will this situation ever stop forever?
Full review
https://www.anakdenesor.com/2021/01/t...
A story about hope and love. It broke my heart when knowing that people who being held at detention camp will be taken everything from them, for example hearing aid and fake foot for those who misfortune. But one thing that i adore from this story that they never lose hope.
"We are innocent. Please help us to be free. We can't live without hope"
hundreds and thousands refugees are detained in europe every year and they're been treating like criminals. When will this situation ever stop forever?
Full review
https://www.anakdenesor.com/2021/01/t...
August 9, 2016
The Bone Sparrow
revolves around the life of Subhi, a refugee born in an Australian permanent detention centre. Having never stepped foot outside of the fence, Subhi has no idea what life could be like. No matter if he has never known a life behind he fences, his world is bigger than the fences. When he meets Jimmie, a young girl from the Outside who needs someone to read her late mother's stories, he offers to help her.
The Bone Sparrow is a captivating book. It brings light to a situation that is horrifying but true. It is traumatic, saddening, and heartbreaking to read the way these people were treated. This is a story that delves into a situation that is still occurring to this very day. Just because one doesn't see it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.
The title does have a meaning in the novel [a sparrow carved from bone that symbolizes hope, protection, courage and faith, has been in Jimmie's family for a long time] which is a pleasant surprise. Jimmie, now the owner of the sparrow, believes that Subhi needs it more. Zana Fraillon brings to life these characters and portrays them honestly well tackling such a saddening topic extremely well.
Overall, this is an captivating book that ensnares and engages readers from beginning to end. I definitely recommend that everyone, all ages, read this novel.
ARC was kindly provided by Hachette Book Group Canada. Thank you.
For this review and more, check out: http://amalialock.blogspot.ca
The Bone Sparrow is a captivating book. It brings light to a situation that is horrifying but true. It is traumatic, saddening, and heartbreaking to read the way these people were treated. This is a story that delves into a situation that is still occurring to this very day. Just because one doesn't see it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.
The title does have a meaning in the novel [a sparrow carved from bone that symbolizes hope, protection, courage and faith, has been in Jimmie's family for a long time] which is a pleasant surprise. Jimmie, now the owner of the sparrow, believes that Subhi needs it more. Zana Fraillon brings to life these characters and portrays them honestly well tackling such a saddening topic extremely well.
Overall, this is an captivating book that ensnares and engages readers from beginning to end. I definitely recommend that everyone, all ages, read this novel.
ARC was kindly provided by Hachette Book Group Canada. Thank you.
For this review and more, check out: http://amalialock.blogspot.ca
July 31, 2016
The Bone Sparrow was a captivating book about life in an Australia Immigration Detention Centre. A boy named Subhi is a refugee born in the Centre and all that his life consisted of was being behind fences. He has an imagination larger than himself. Life in the Centre is dull and boring and the one thing that keeps everyone from giving up is the memories and stories from the past. Subhi doesn’t have any other memories than the Centre so he needs other peoples, to realise what life was and what it could be. When he meets Jimmie a young girl from the Outside, desperately needing someone to read out her late mother’s stories, he offers.
The bone sparrow actually is a sparrow carved from bone that has been in Jimmie’s family for a very long time. It symbolizes hope, protection and courage. Jimmie is now the owner of this ‘bird’, but once she sees the conditions of the Centre she believes that Subhi needs it more.
I really enjoyed this book and loved how it was written. I praise Zana Frailon for writing about such a confronting topic. Although she is an adult she has portrayed a child’s perspective extremely well. The only fault I can find in this book is that the story is sad and slightly traumatic. However, this isn’t a fault in the writing, it is the horrible way that people were treated.
The bone sparrow actually is a sparrow carved from bone that has been in Jimmie’s family for a very long time. It symbolizes hope, protection and courage. Jimmie is now the owner of this ‘bird’, but once she sees the conditions of the Centre she believes that Subhi needs it more.
I really enjoyed this book and loved how it was written. I praise Zana Frailon for writing about such a confronting topic. Although she is an adult she has portrayed a child’s perspective extremely well. The only fault I can find in this book is that the story is sad and slightly traumatic. However, this isn’t a fault in the writing, it is the horrible way that people were treated.
December 11, 2016
This is a beautiful story, written very well and very moving. A timely story of refugees and the horrific treatment they receive in custody in the lands they go to hoping for an improvement in their lives. This is the story of a young boy of Burmese descent who was born in a detention centre, this is his misery filled life and a grim picture of life in a refugee camp. It is also the story of a young girl who lives near the centre, she is a character, a rebel and full of wildness and good humour despite the sadnesses in her own life. It is a small book with a big story. I think this book is deserving of the allocades being heaped upon it, but like many books that are so worthy, it won't be a huge hit with the teenagers it is written for. Such a shame as they would so benefit from reading this story.
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