Two Suns in the Sky

In the fall of 1944, approximately one thousand refugees from liberated Italy were brought to a refugee shelter set up by the U.S. government at Fort Ontario in Oswego, New York; Miriam Bat-Ami has used this little-known camp as the basis for a thought-provoking novel. She tells her story in two voi [...]
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In the fall of 1944, approximately one thousand refugees from liberated Italy were brought to a refugee shelter set up by the U.S. government at Fort Ontario in Oswego, New York; Miriam Bat-Ami has used this little-known camp as the basis for a thought-provoking novel. She tells her story in two voices: that of Adam Bornstein, a fifteen-year-old refugee from Zagreb, Yugoslavia; and Christine Cook, a fifteen-year-old resident of Oswego. The two story lines begin to intertwine, and we are witness to Chris's inner awakenings as she grapples with the problems her growing attachment to Adam brings, especially as they come into conflict with her Catholic upbringing and her father's strong prejudice against the refugees. Adam's story-his family's escape, his journey to America with his mother and younger sister, his life in the camp, and his feelings for Chris-has the stronger momentum. His relationship with his younger sister Mira is particularly poignant as he keeps alive her special memories of their father. The relationship between the two young people moves events toward a mutual understanding of who they are, what they mean to each other, and what they want in a postwar world. Bat-Ami's story is most timely, reflecting not only what is happening now in many places around the world but also America's attitude toward immigrants and refugees. Adam brings home the crux of America's issue with refugees when he says, "To many of you we are not people...we are a problem you have not solved." Never didactic, Bat-Ami uses her story to probe this issue with sensitivity and depth. martha walke