Books / Biography & Memoirs /

Homes: A Refugee Story

Abu Bakr Al Rabeeah , Winnie Yeung
  • Front cover

Homes: A Refugee Story

Abu Bakr Al Rabeeah , Winnie Yeung
$19.95
$19.95 $0.00
Final Sale. No returns or exchanges.
Oversized: This item will be shipped by appointment through our delivery partner.
Overweight: This item will be shipped by appointment through our delivery partner.

Digital download

Immediate access in your Kobo library

Deliver to

In stock online. Free shipping on orders over $49

Buy online, pick up at Bay & Floor

Free pick up today

Find it in store

Out of stock

Found in: Biography, General Biography

Check nearby Stores

Earn 100 plum points and save more with plum Rewards. Learn more

View full details

Overview

CANADIAN224 PAGESENGLISH
Promotional Details

Others Also Bought

Previous
Next

Overall rating: 5.0 / 5 from 8 reviews.

AI Generated Review Summary

Summary topics

Review topics: [story, read, family, life, lives, book, friend].

Review highlights

Reviews

Homes

"A fantastic read for young readers. I purchased this for my niece to help her better understand where her new classmates are coming from and what they have experienced."

— Elayne (5/5)

An important read for Canadians

"This was an eye-opening, heart warming and yet at times, difficult story to read. I learned so much about the situation in Syria and the challenges of the people who were trying to survive the daily challenges during the civil war. It also was eye -opening to learn about the struggles as this boy and his family try to come to Canada, then come to Canada."

— Anonymous (5/5)

I think every Canadian should read this book

"This book was amazing. I think in Canada we are so isolated from the world and what happens so to read this book was a tiny view into another world. To read about this families life in Syria despite what was going on they had each other and lived very normal lives. It was just different then I expected. They went on with their lives despite everything and had a thriving business and went to school and the mosque whenever they could. I feel for them though. To come to Canada and Edmonton of all places. I like Edmonton but it is cold and I imagine it is very difficult to adjust coming from Syria. Us Canadians are very different. Our culture is different and I imagine this is so difficult for them. They want to be away from the warfare but as must as they appreciate being here I imagine it is also a huge disappointment. All Canadians need to read this book so they can be more empathetic and understanding of what refugees go through and how hard it is. This book painted a very clear picture of how difficult and confusing refugees lives. There are so many more to be told and should be told."

— Karley T. (5/5)

Honest, raw and hopeful

"An honest and raw account of growing up during the war. While there were heartbreaking details, I finished this book feeling light and happy for how things turned out. This is a book about resilience, love, and hope. It puts a face and story to the refugee experience that unfortunately many do not understand or try to empathize with. It is inspiring that the author and his family was willing to rehash their life story to share it with the world. It's a read I won't forget and one that I'll recommend to all."

— Krish (5/5)

Beautiful and hopeful story

"Even though this is about growing up during war, it is not a depressing book. Abu Bakr's family and friends are close and loving, always looking for a better life for themselves and their children. I don't often give five stars, but this is a must-read, especially for those who want to know about the Syrian refugees in Canada."

— Itsmenic (5/5)

Beautiful Story

"What an incredible story about a family’s escape from Syria. Makes you appreciate our lives in Canada. I was captivated from the moment I started reading about Abu Bakr’s story and in disbelief of the horror that this family went through, but this is the reality for many. I am so grateful that he shared his family’s story, I believe that everyone would benefit from reading this book as it would change the perspective, I think, of many."

— Christina (5/5)

A Story of Family and Courage

"This is the first 2019 Canada Reads Shortlisted book I've read, and it was phenomenal. It is a story of hope, fear, and family. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about the experiences of refugees. #Indigoemployee"

— Christine (5/5)

Amazing by a teen refugee

"A beautiful memoir from a Teen in Edmonton. Covers his family leaving Iraq for Syria and the slow rise of danger in Syria. His family struggles, the increasing danger and violence and their eventual acceptance in Canada as refugees. A sad but well written recollection of his life from 10 to 15 in war torn Syria. A great read for anyone who wants to know what life is like in Syria, esp for children."

— Chadwick (5/5)

Q&A

  • Published date: May 01, 2018
  • Language: English
  • No. of Pages: 224
  • Publisher: Freehand Books
  • ISBN: 9781988298283
  • Dimensions: 4.5" W x 0.56" L x 7.0" H

Both Homes and The Boy on the Beach humanize a conflict that has too often been condensed to numbers, statistics, and nameless victims . . . These eloquent, nuanced, and heartbreaking books ? filled with life in the face of death ? deserve to be read with all the compassion and courage it must have taken to write them." ? Quill and Quire starred review

"From a safe distance, the violence of the Syrian civil war is too vast and grotesque to grasp. How does one comprehend the deaths of 500,000 people, after all? Homes grants readers an intimate view of the war through the eyes of a ten-year-old boy as he struggles to play, pray, and survive as his world collapses around him. Homes stands as one of those rare books that manages to find humanity in the inhumane and, in the end, says more about love than war." ? Marcello di Cintio, winner of the Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing for Walls: Travels Along the Barricades

"This charming and warm-hearted book is a refugee story like no other. A captivating read." ? Deborah Campbell, winner of the Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Award for Non-Fiction for A Disappearance in Damascus

"Abu Bakr al Rabeeah is brave, his family are brave, and Homes is a compelling, honest chronicle of one harrowing journey across collapsing nation-states. Winnie Yeung does a fine job bringing out the humanity in this ? and by extension, every other ? refugee tale." ? Charles Foran, author of Mordecai: The Life and Times

Abu Bakr al Rabeeah lives in Edmonton, Canada. Homes: A Refugee Story was on CBC's Canada Reads 2019 and was a finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award and the Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing.

Winnie has been an English teacher for over ten years. Homes is her first book and received extensive critical acclaim. It was shortlisted for the 2018 Governor General's Literary Award for Nonfiction and the 2019 Writers' Trust Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing. Homes was also a finalist on CBC's Canada Reads 2019. When she is not teaching, writing, or reading, Winnie likes to spend her days cooking, baking, and playing with her black pug, Zoe. Edmonton, Canada is her permanent home, but her writing retreat/tiny home (named The Mini Winnie, of course) is on Vancouver Island.

You May Also Like

Previous
Next

Recently Viewed