Assad and the Syrian army? The US has spent 7 trillion dollars (!) He was about average height for his age, and he wore a gray double-breasted pin-stripe jacket, brown trousers, and a white shirt and blue tie. The angry cop yanked his arm free from Luis and pointed his nightstick at Papi. Its tummy purred like an outboard motor, and it butted its head against Isabels hand in between bites. Refugee is a young adult literature novel by Alan Gratz published by Scholastic Corporation in 2017. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. (including. The soldiers were silent, and Mahmoud closed his eyes tight, waiting for the shots to come. Dad, our house is gone! Mahmoud told him. When Syria rioted, their leader Bashar al-Assad turned against his own people and has warred against them ever since. It will be expensive, but we can pay. Tomorrow. Khalid. Oh, turn it off, Papi said. Someone was in the house! A rickety-looking raft made out of wooden shipping pallets and inner tubes raised a bedsheet sail, and as it caught the wind, the villagers on the beach cheered. Mahmoud Bishara, a twelve-year-old boy, tries to live an "invisible" life in Aleppo, Syria. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was listening. It took her a moment to process it, but this was really happening. Being able to travel anywhere we want, anytime we want! said Amara. It felt like ages since hed been inside a synagogue. The two policemen had hit the surf and were running high-legged through the waves. Josef jumped, and his mother took a frightened step back. So I have more things to sell! He laughed, and Josef smiled. Mahmoud Bisharas full name is Mahmoud Bishara. Josef just turned thirteen! Ruthie told the girls. Daesh thought they were fighting the final war of the apocalypse, and anyone who didnt agree with their twisted perversion of Islam were infidels who should have their heads cut off. (LogOut/ It demolishes an entire outside wall. He stood on Josefs armband, his eyes wide with surprise. Josef tried to hide in the corner of his bed, but shadowy hands snatched at him. It will be an adventure. Isabel smiled. There was a main street in the camp, a wide lane where refugees had set up little shops, selling phone cards and camp stoves and clothes and things people had brought with them but no longer wanted or needed. Mahmoud Bishara was invisible, and thats exactly how he wanted it. Hed been released from a concentration camp called Dachau, but only on condition that he leave the country within fourteen days. Mahmoud decides that he no longer wants to be ignored and leads the refugees out of the prison, walking twelve hours to Austria. The guards stand down, unable to stop Mahmoud without causing a fight. Mahmoud Bishara. Mahmoud couldnt draw a breath. Twitchy. When he sees a few United Nations representatives passing by the compound, he shouts and gets their attention. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. The motor coughed to life, and the boat lurched into a wave, spraying Isabel with seawater. I found a bit of dead fish on the beach for the cat. Isabel recoiled at the smell, but the kitten came running back, eating greedily from Ivns hand. I have to find him! Chabela! her grandfather cried. It follows Josef Landau, a German Jew in the 1930s, who tries to escape Germany to Cuba, Isabel Fernandez, a Cuban girl in 1994, who tries to escape Cuba's hunger crisis following the dissolution of the Soviet Union to the US, and Mahmoud Bishara, a Syrian youth in 2015 whose house gets destroyed by a missile and whose family decides to seek asylum in Germany. He wanted to look away, but he was worried that might make the guards think he was hiding something. Hundreds. Children with missing limbs. The Brownshirt in charge laughed. There was blood in his hair, and the area around one of his eyes was already turning black. They all continue to walk for twelve hours, all the way to Austria and freedom. The Simpsons! Im going to open my own law office, Seora Castillo said. If theres enough people, Josef reminded his sister. Please! Mahmoud cried. He realizes that even being observed is an invitation to danger, and therefore. No, my son is just twelve. The air seemed to crackle around them like static from a radio. The Nazis had taken all this from them, from him, and now he and the passengers on the ship were taking it back. For this crime against the German people, you will be taken into protective custody. Josef looked at his father, panicked. And dont ever do that again, the Hitler Youth told Josef. Wait! Isabel ignored him. Were going to latch all the stalls from the inside and crawl out under the doors so no one can use the toilets! No, dont Josef tried to tell them, but they were already gone. Waleed Bishara. Isabel shook her head, convinced she was hearing things, and put her lips back to her trumpet. Josef was about to leave when he thought to buy Ruthie a piece of candy. Money had been tight since their father lost his job, and she would enjoy the treat. He howled louder than a fighter jet, and his parents didnt even tell him to hush. In the book, Refugee, who is the author? "Refugee Characters: Mahmoud Bishara." LitCharts. Mahmouds ears rang with a high-pitched whine, like the TV when the satellite was searching for a signal. Fatima had put on a black long-sleeved dress and a pink flowery hijab that covered her head and shoulders. Im sorry. Rafts made of inner tubes tied together. and more. Aaron Landau, one of the Brownshirts said to Josefs father, you have continued to practice law despite the fact that Jews are forbidden to do so under the Civil Service Restoration Act of 1933. Mahmoud explains how they gave, people who hadnt survived. Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 6 days, Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 8 days, Isabel: Straits of Florida 1994, 1 day (1), Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 10 days, Isabel: Straits of Florida 1994, 1 day (2), Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 11 days, Isabel: The Straits of Florida 1994, 1 day (3), Mahmoud: Izmir, Turkey 2015, 11 days (1), Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 14 days, Isabel: The Straits of Florida 1994, 1 day (4), Mahmoud: Izmir, Turkey 2015, 11 days (2), Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 17 days, Isabel: Straits of Florida 1994, 2 days, Mahmoud: The Mediterranean 2015, 11 days (1), Mahmoud: The Mediterranean 2015, 11 days (2), Isabel: Between Bahamas and Florida 1994, 4 days, Mahmoud: The Mediterranean 2015, 11 days (3), Isabel: Between Bahamas and Florida 1994, 5 days (1), Mahmoud: Lesbos to Athens 2015, 12 days (3), Isabel: Between Bahamas and Florida 1994, 5 days (2), Mahmoud: Macedonia to Serbia 2015, 14-15 days, Isabel: Coast of Florida 1994, 5 days (1), Mahmoud: Serbia to Hungary 2015, 15-16 days, Isabel: Coast of Florida 1994, 5 days (2), Isabel: Coast of Florida 1994, 5 days (3), Josef: Vornay, France 1940, 1 year, 1 month, 10 days, Isabel: Coast of Florida 1994, 5 days (4), Mahmoud: Hungary to Germany 2015, 17 days. Josef raised himself up. He found one, put it on the counter, and paid for the candy. Josef and Ruth each carried a suitcase, and their mother carried two more one for herself, and one for Josefs father. Back to their deaths. Only the TV wasnt there anymore. Still cant hear it, Chabela? Lito asked. As Josefs eyes adjusted, he saw the seven strangers who had invaded his home. No, no, no, Lito said. Isabel weaved in and out among them, her trumpet tucked under one arm, looking for Papi and Lito. She got a hand to the side of the boat and looked back. Look at this one! he said, pointing to the wet spot on Josefs nightclothes. They spilled into the streets, and the few policemen on the Malecn were quickly overwhelmed. Josefs veins ran with ice. He fanned his face. Josef Age 12. We didnt want to leave our homes! another man yelled. Do you think the Soviet Union is going to suddenly decide to get back together and start sending us food again? Also, it is asked, How does Mahmoud travel to Germany? Shes a baby. Isabel had lanky limbs and legs and was eleven years old. -Graham S. The timeline below shows where the character Fatima Bishara appears in. Waleed! Dad started the engine, put the car into gear, and they were off. Maybe becoming a man means not relying on your father anymore. It seems inappropriate for such a sacred moment to be celebrated in the presence of Hitler. Josef had seen paintings of the Nazi leader all over the ship, and the first-class social hall was no exception. She was barefoot like always, and wore a tank top and shorts. They threw Josef and Ruth on the floor once more and flicked on the overhead light. Im Renata Aber, said the older of the two girls, and this is Evelyne. They were sisters, and, amazingly, they were traveling alone. But the only people who could afford to give her pesos were the tourists visitors from Canada or Europe or Mexico. There was a riot on the Malecn, Lito said. Education, public health, and sports, they all said together. Too thin. No. He sobbed with the effort of fighting off the mans fingers and hanging onto the dinghy. High above her, Isabel saw people climbing out onto the big electric sign hanging from the side of a tourist hotel, and it gave her an idea. is hit and killed. Isabel tossed an old ball cap on the ground, on the off chance that one of the tourists actually had a peso to spare. Disappear. The soldiers direct them to a route that avoids the battles in return for a ride. Im hot, Ruthie said, pulling at her coat. He was stocky, his shoulders wide and muscular despite the food shortages. The fisherman had to take it in trade. Through Azaz. The soldier opened the back door of the car and slid inside, pushing Waleed into the back of the station wagon. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner! the adults answered back, as though theyd heard that one many times before too. Mahmoud paid ten Syrian pounds for itabout five cents in American money. He is quiet and unobtrusive.. able "to walk around getting noticed by the Syrian army or the rebels fighting them was just inviting trouble" (12). Im a man now. And when those soldiers said one of us could go free and the other would be taken to a concentration camp, Josef said, Take me.. Secondly, How long was Mahmouds journey? Things will get better. Youssef Bishara Mahmoud, Waleed, and Hana 's father, and Fatima 's husband. It was hard to tell anymore. He scared Josef too. Each one came up to Isabels chest. Based on the events of the story, which most likely will happen? She wont take up any room!. What do you think the States will be like? Isabels mother asked everyone. This route crosses a country border, Google Maps told them, marking the alert with a little yellow triangle. See the top reviewed local carpet contractors in Witzhave, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany on Houzz. The man behind the steering wheel honked his horn and took the cigar out of his mouth to yell at her. From the Nazis. Refine any search. It was the last straw for the police. Assuming we stop to sleep every night, thats a nineteen-day walk. It wasnt just his building that had been hit, he realized. Years. Mahmoud is a Muslim boy in Aleppo, Syria in 2015, and his family has no other choice but to leave Syria when their entire apartment building is destroyed by a missile. But you have fish to eat. More importantly, we have our lives. Her thick black hair was cut short for summer and pushed back behind her ears, and her brown complexion was splotchy with freckles. feet, he wasnt coming back. Then, Fatima emerges from the bedroom with, Mahmoud: Just Outside Aleppo, Syria 2015, 1 day from home, soldiers is hit and killed. So we have money! But, the driver stops the car and points a gun at them, demanding almost all of the rest of their money. When he was finished, Mahmoud sat back up on his knees and ended his prayers by turning his head right, and then left, recognizing the angels who recorded his good and bad deeds. Mahmoud has already had a lot of experience dealing with the trauma of war, as the Syrian Civil War has already been raging for four years at the beginning of Mahmoud's story. Buy tickets. Tomorrow. My brother, just a boy, becoming a man at last. Mahmoud puts together that he and the other refugees are invisible only until they do something the natives dont want them to do, and he continues to question the value of staying invisible. The United States only let in a certain number of Jews every year, so Josefs family planned to live in Cuba while they waited. Mahmoud learns to cope with these conditions by assuming a protective role over Waleed, and by learning to be invisible, keeping his head down and ensuring nobody notices him to survive. Everything the soldier was describing stood between them and Turkey. Mahmouds dad kept driving. But they hadnt closed the door tight enough. The water wasnt working again, so he had to pour water over his hands using the plastic jugs his mother had hauled from the neighborhood well. She had flawless olive skin, long black hair, and full red lips. They used it on the door handles of cabins up and down the passageway on A-deck, then hid around the corner and waited. Ruth! Youre on CNN, a woman said in Spanish, her face nothing but a silhouette against the light. For John Gratz Invisible, just as Mahmoud liked it. Book hotel rooms. They yelled and chanted. Mahmoud knew they needed their phones to help them get to Turkey. Please, take us with you!, At least take my sister! Mahmoud begged. One of the soldiers cocked his rifle. The captain himself has arranged it, Mama said. Fatima had long, dark hair she wore up on her head, and intense brown eyes. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. His teacher, Herr Meier, had called him to the front of the room. He stood there awkwardly, not sure if he should stay or go. Despite being exhausted and in agony, Mahmoud must battle to stay afloat in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea with no boat or life jacket. You can publish your book online for free in a few minutes. I just want to keep my family safe, Dad said. The trick was to be invisible. Source (s) Refugee (Alan Gratz) Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. His brother. It was better not to have friends in Syria in 2015. He remembered the map of the world that hung in his classroom. Josefs father threw himself past the sailor and stumbled into the ramps railing before righting himself and sprinting up the gangway. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. What if they send a navy boat after us? The north. It was easier to stay invisible that way. No. No ambulances came to help the wounded. (including. Amara, she said. Amahl Bishara, Tufts University . What happens to Isabels boat at the end of Chapter 14? I want to watch American television, Ivn said. She worked her way to one of the cars stuck in the riot, an old American Chevy with chrome tail fins, still around from before the Revolution in the 1950s. The MEA air barrier market is projected to reach US$ 1,576.20 million by 2028, up from US$ 1,258.12 million in 2022. This is all a misunderstanding, Papa said. Mahmoud is 12 years old, he is kind of stoke has thick black eyebrows a strong nose and wears a hoodie. Isabel sipped from a bottle of soda. Waleed was sitting right where he had been before the attack, on the floor in front of the TV. Lets go, the boy said, and he marched Josef back through the dining car. Mothers carried babies in slings. Russia, Iran, and Sunni Muslims are allied to Al-Assad and they are fighting the rebels who are backed by Turkey, the Gulf Arab States, Jordan, and partially the USA. He stood taller, tugged at the bottom of his brown shirt to straighten it, then turned and marched away. Their boat was barely big enough for seven people, and with Luis and his girlfriend they were practically sitting on top of each other. She wanted to stay in Germany, Evelyne said. Were against whoever is dropping the bombs on us, he said. This was an era when the Syrian civil war was going on. At last, when they had cried all the tears they could cry, Rachel Landau led her children to her room, put her bed back together, and hugged Josef and Ruth close until morning. Mahmoud didnt have any friends. What are you doing? Mahmouds father dove back into the front seat and yanked the iPhone and the charger cord from the Mercedes just as bullets ripped into the car again. They had been drafted into the police, and they werent allowed to leave. Two. Some people fled from the chaos, but more people raced toward it, and Isabel ran with them. It all sounded so wonderful, but when it came down to it, all Isabel really wanted was a place where she and her family could be together, and happy. They had all walked too far and seen too much. Twelve-year-old Mahmoud Bishara is used to being invisibleit is how he survives. All we have now are two backpacks and our phones. 'No boat today. She was sure she had just heard the sound of breaking glass, but cars and bicycles kept streaming by under the bright sun on the Malecn like nothing had happened. But what was the right answer? If the phones were out, he was probably working on trying to fix them. Mama pulled Ruth into her lap. He shook his head as he paced their little room in his oversized nightclothes. Now it was even harder to escape. They walk to a bus stop and reach the Hungarian border. His heart was pounding so hard he thought it would burst right out of his chest, but Mahmoud found the courage to grab Waleed by the arm, drag him over the seat, and dive headfirst out the door. The men wore jeans and T-shirts and tracksuits; the women wore dresses and abayas and hijabs. To be an adult. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. A building shuddered and collapsed, smoke and debris avalanching out into the street. The concession stand man smiled. The camera lights swung around again, and thats when Isabel saw the police. Khalid (17) IWB does part of the story take place in 1939? The Hitler Youth led Josef down the narrow corridor of the German passenger car. Women with burns. Beyond the next door was the German part of the train. Tens of thousands of people poured into the streets, demanding the release of political prisoners and more freedom for everyone. He has a mother, a father, a younger brother, and a baby sister. -Graham S. The president and prime minister of Cuba during the period of, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Start the engine! he cried. What nation and city had Mahmoud and his family been waiting in line to enter? He sobbed with the effort of fighting off the mans fingers and hanging onto the dinghy. His breath left him all at once, and he fell to the floor with a heavy thud in a heap of metal and mortar. Josef later dies in the camps, along with his mother. I want to be able to choose who I vote for, Luis said. People caught criticizing Fidel Castro were thrown into jail and never heard from again. Tourists took pictures. -Graham S. The timeline below shows where the character Mahmoud Bishara appears in. Mahmoud has lived his life trying to be invisible since the civil war started because in Syria that is how he can stay safe. People were as thick on the ground as sugarcane. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. Boys took turns diving into the sea. Mahmoud stared straight ahead at his fathers back instead. He hurried across the room, his ankles turning painfully on broken bits of wall. Josef had never seen anything so big. Isabel had to stop and think about that. Fidel Castro, the man who ruled Cuba as president and prime minister, wouldnt allow anyone to leave the countryespecially not to go to the United Statesel norte, as Cubans called it. After the June 2005 election of hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as Iran's president, however, the situation deteriorated. Like real people. When they didnt, he ran the rest of the way down and burst out onto the street, Hana still in his arms and his brother right behind them. Mahmoud! But I have this. She held out the trumpet. WaleedWaleed, are you okay? Mahmoud asked, turning him around. But he knew better. Mahmoud's brother. Without these stupid armbands, without the letter J stamped on his passport, would anyone know he was Jewish? There was an old Arabic proverb that said, Close the door that brings the wind and relax, and thats exactly what they did; while the rest of the Middle East was rioting, Syrians stayed inside and locked their doors and waited to see what would happen. He used her childhood nickname, like he always did. Not that Waleed smiled much anymore. The lights of Havana had faded to a speck on the horizon behind them, and they had left all the other boats behind. A year after that, Khalid had died in an airstrike anyway. Newspapers Review: Dailies highlight PM's meeting with Israelis, Abbas speech. Fatima continues to go from tent to tent, asking about Hana. He wore a suit and tie in front of a Syrian flag, doves of peace and yellow shining light surrounding him. As she blew, her fingers tapped out the notes she knew by heart. She needs a name, Ivn said. [1] Similar novels written by Alan Gratz also include Prisoner B-3087 and Allies. But what if his father had been hit by one of the bombs? Validate reading with our Dynamic Quiz System. Everything else had to be left behind. With his fathers mental health deteriorating quicker, Josef threatens him to ensure that he can pass the medical inspection to get into Cuba, reversing their roles as father and son. Everything they owned was in these two backpacks. He put a hand to it and came away with blood. Until 2011, when the Arab Spring came to Syria. Josef and his family were on their way to a new country. She can eat the scraps. The fisherman eyed the cat suspiciously. Create a list of books you want then share it with family and friends. No porters rushed to help them with their bags.