The Stray and the Strangers by Steven Heighton
Release: September 1st 2020
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Groundwood Books
Source: Netgalley
Synopsis:
The fishermen on Lesvos call her Kanella because of her cinnamon color. She’s a scrawny, nervous stray — easily intimidated by the harbor cats and the other dogs that compete for handouts on the pier.
One spring day a dinghy filled with weary, desperate strangers comes to shore. Other boats follow, laden with refugees who are homeless and hungry. Kanella knows what that is like, and she follows them as they are taken to a makeshift refugee camp in the parking lot of an abandoned nightclub. There she comes to trust a bearded man — an aid worker. She gradually settles into a contented routine, given shelter like the other refugees who line up for food and sleep on the ground for a few nights before being taken to a much bigger, permanent camp that the aid workers call Mordor.
Kanella grows healthy and confident. She has a job now — to keep watch over the people in her camp.
One day, a little boy arrives and does not leave like the others. He seems to have no family and, like Kanella, he is taken in by the workers. He sleeps on a cot in the food hut, and Kanella keeps him warm and calm. And then two new adults come to the camp. Kanella is ready to defend the boy from them, until she is pulled away by the bearded man. They are the boy’s parents, and now he must go with them.
The camp is eventually dismantled, and Kanella finds herself homeless again. Until one night, huddled in the cold, she awakens to see two bright lights shining in her eyes — the headlights of a car. The bearded man has come back for her, and soon Kanella is on a journey, too, to a new home of her own.
The Stray and the Strangers Review:
A BIG Thank You to Netgalley and Groundwood Books for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of “The Stray and the Strangers” for my review.
I enjoyed reading this cute children’s book! I am very happy that there are more children’s books published highlighting such essential topics. Moreover, I think it is important for everyone to read such books to understand the difficult life of refugees. It also highlights the hardships they face when their whole livelihood is no more. This tale highlights the lives of millions of refugees who came to Lesvos after fleeing war. It is told from the perspective of a stray dog Kanella, the stray dog.
Kanella is adorable as the main character and gives the book a feel of innocence from trying to understand the situation. In fact, I loved how the character balanced the seriousness of the theme with the light-hearted nature of Kanella, when she interacts with the refugees. I also love the bond she develops with the bearded man and the boy. However, I wish the story had been longer for us to know more about the people that Kanella interacts with. At the same time, I think the way it was told was apt since we only see the story from Kanella’s view.
I really liked the author’s style of writing and hope to read more of his works int he future. The illustrations by Melissa Iwai also compliment the story well. Overall, this is an interesting book to read.
