“Once upon a time, from a wounded land/ My family was pushed to leave our homeland,” writes Parwana Amiri in her book of poems, We will fly higher. This collection focuses on her love for her homeland, Afghanistan, and her experiences as a refugee at Lesvos Island. She writes about the feeling of her loss of identity and her longing for safety after losing her country to war. In the book, she portrays the untold stories of refugees who are silently calling out for help. Parwana uses poetic devices such as repetition, punctuation, and sensory detail to emphasize the emotion inside her poems. We will fly higher begins with a poem, “We are burning,” about a family of refugees who lost their child in a fire. They mourn the loss of the baby and challenge their oppressors to imagine the situation that they now live in. The last poem, “The Displaced,” recounts the poet’s life as a refugee. She reflects her struggles and the small flicker of hope that remains inside her. She passionately encourages each reader to work hard to give each refugee their rights back. The poet uses repetition frequently to make her messages strong. The emphasis is especially powerful when she repeats the structure. For example, in the poem “Your Eyes Bother Us,” the same four line stanza is repeated seven times throughout the poem. Five end with the verse “Your eyes bother us!” The stanzas reflect the idea that outsiders should not be bystanders but instead protest for change. She also repeats the use of exclamation marks, which convey strong emotion. When Parwana wrote about her homeland, she used sensory detail to make the reader feel as if they were with her in that moment of her childhood. In “Greetings to nature,” she describes her homeland: “Hey green fields, touch my knees” and “Hey sky, welcome my night / Through your smiling, sparkling stars.” Her attention to detail shows her deep love for her home, Afghanistan. Although refugees have lost their power to speak in their homeland, she protests the loss of power through words on paper, which are just as loud as their voices. In many of the poems, the poet writes about how she will not stop until all refugees gain their rights back. In the poem “The Displaced” she writes, “We will raise the sails of freedom…I am committed to that struggle! For no one is free, until we are!” She vows to never stop writing and protesting. Her drive and emotion aim to empower the reader to join refugees in their struggle instead of being a bystander. Ultimately, I would recommend this book to anyone who loves poetry and is interested in learning more about the untold stories of refugees and the beauty and culture of Afghanistan. We will fly higher by Parwana Amiri. Palewell Press, 2022. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
Book Reviews
Wink, Reviewed by Arjun Nair, 11
Ross Maloy couldn’t have been put against a harder challenge. With middle school being extremely tough to conquer as it is, a rare eye cancer just sharpens the sword. He must remain resilient to defeat the deadly disease. It wouldn’t be a piece of cake, but rather, a tough cookie. Wink by Rob Harrell is an inspiring novel that shows how the light in the darkness may be brighter than one would think. With no great aspirations, Ross intended to sneak his way past seventh grade slowly. Ross had lost his mom years back to cancer, but he was able to get through that hurdle with his dad and step-mom. To keep a memory of his late mother, Ross, an exceptional artist, uses one of his mom’s old sketchbooks to express himself. With his “non-noteworthy” B grade average and a small friend group, everything was in place until cancer knocked its giant fist on the door. After being diagnosed with one of the rarest eye cancers, Ross had many more problems to face: from wearing funny hats and dealing with disgusting eye goo to the possibility of losing his sight forever or worse. Due to his unfortunate circumstance and “winking” eye, rather than helping him beat the disease, other kids at his school bully him. Yet, every cloud has a silver lining. Along his treacherous journey, Ross picked up the guitar, an instrument he began using as an outlet for his emotions. Throughout the book, he grows as a character, understanding the world through a new lens. While he has to endure the challenges that cancer brings, he doesn’t have to do it alone. With help from his friends and family, Ross fights with a determination completely unrivaled. “I walked out of there like a boss. I was going to go through a difficult surgery and eight weeks of radiation and lose the sight in one of my eyes…and yet I felt like a million bucks.” I would recommend this book for children around the ages of 9-13, but this wonderful story can be read by anyone. In my opinion, this novel would be mainly directed towards a middle school audience because of the connections they may be able to make with Ross. Wink is a meaningful story that continued to sink deeper within me as I flipped each page. At some points, there was a feeling of resolution until another problem sprouted from beneath the pages, prompting me to read more. Author Rob Harrell did an exceptional job creating this novel, outlining every detail with a layer of happiness, humor, and, sometimes, sadness. Wink by Rob Harrell. Puffin Books, 2021. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
The Story That Cannot Be Told, Reviewed by Roxy Messier, 12
A few days ago, something happened. If it had not happened, it wouldn’t have been told. What happened was this: I picked up The Story That Cannot Be Told at the library. I did this without knowing that this book would be so very fantastic that I want to learn more about Romania, and of course, get my own copy! The story focuses on a very relatable ten-year-old girl named Ileana. She acts a lot like I feel I acted as a ten-year-old, though of course, I didn’t experience any of the things she experienced. Ileana lives under the hand of the “Leader,” as she calls him throughout the whole story. Ileana writes of how life was back when the “Leader” wasn’t in power, though she’s only ever heard about it in the stories her parents tell. Ileana loves stories, and writes them in her “Great Tome,” not knowing that her life will soon be turned upside down. When her uncle is presumed dead for writing poetry against the “Leader” and his regime it becomes dangerous for Ileana to stay with her family. She is sent to the grandparents she has never met, in rural Romania. Ileana knows nothing of her grandparents and their town except for what her mother has told her. When she arrives she meets a new friend and learns how to farm with her grandparents. As time goes on, Ileana grows close to this town and must fight to defend it with nothing but bravery, her friend, and the power of stories. This book also carries a story within the story, the story of cunning Ileana, for whom Ileana was named. Cunning Ileana must go against her own sisters to survive in a world that is against her father, whom she dearly loves. This book, like all good books do, made me angry at many of the characters, and some parts made me eager to see what happened next. As a plus, the cover is lovely. Ileana’s character development is noticeable, as she transforms from a little girl who loves to write stories, to an older, braver girl, who still loves to write stories! In the end, The Story That Cannot Be Told is a spectacular tale about family, courage, and the power of stories. Everyone between the age of 8 and 800 should read this book, especially people who love history and stories. The Story That Cannot Be Told by J. Kasper Kramer. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2020. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
