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Une Île Trop Loin (1996)

by Annika Thor(Favorite Author)

3.83 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

2844204104 (ISBN13: 9782844204103)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

T. Magnier

series

En ö i havet

review 1: I listened to the audio translation of this book. At first, I was going to give this book a "2" rating. Poor Stephie: she is the victim of constant bullying and brutality through the first half of the book. This brutality includes having her braids set on fire with a candle. Besides the bullying, Stephie seems to have a knack for making poor choices based on her stubbornness that cause her endless grief. So one way or another, she is beset by difficulties. It became so frightful that I began to see if there would ever be a chapter in this book where something horrible doesn't happen to her. It took into the high twenties before there was a chapter where she did not experience some kind of taunting or predicament of her own causing. Now this is a story that needed ... moreto be told, viz. the tale of the 500 Jewish children who were allowed to enter Sweden prior to the beginning of WWII. I enjoyed reading about the disparities between the children's Vienna upbringing and their new Swedish home. I appreciated the insights into Swedish culture. The later chapters develop the foster-parents' character more fully. For most of the book, I felt that Aunt Marta was portrayed as a caricature. Yet you knew that there had to be more to her story, which you eventually find out. But why couldn't these insights have been developed throughout the course of the story, instead of at the denouement? If I had read about some of the more normal experiences of living in Sweden which Stephie had during those unrelenting chapters of woe, it would have provided a more balanced look at her life. Because frankly, her life is portrayed as so horrible I was not surprised when she decided, again in another foolish decision, to take to the ice and head for the mainland. Of course I have to allow for the fact that the consciousness about bullying is not as high then as it is now. I suppose in even my own generation of upbringing that such behavior was believed to toughen up kids who were on the receiving end, i.e. to build their character. But the fact that the adults are so clueless about what is happening to Stephie and the behavior which she endures from her peers makes this novel a prime anti-bullying text on top of its historical value. The reason that I raised this book to a "3" rating was that in the final few chapters the book finally fleshed out other characters in the text who had been stick figures beforehand. We start to see some more normal activity, such as Stephie fishing with her Uncle Evert, that helps to develop the interrelationships between characters better. The story progresses more as well, instead of just being about Stephie as victim of herself and others.
review 2: Audience: IntermediateGenre: Historical Fiction, Chapter Book-MulticulturalDiscussion questions:Remembering-Name the families with whom Stephie and Nellie Steiner are fostered, and tell how the the families are related.Understanding-What happened to Stephie's hair on Lucia Day? What was her biggest worry regarding the incident? Applying-What do you think would have happened to Stephie if she had not lost the compass in her attempt to walk to Goteburg?Analyzing-Compare at least three aspects of Stephie and Nellie's foster experiences. Why does Nellie seem to have an easier time fitting in?Evaluating-Is Stephie or Nellie the better sister? What actions or characteristics from the book support your answer?Creating-Choose one event from the story and tell it from Nellie's perspective. Include her thoughts and feelings, as well as actions that were not included in the book. less

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