SuitabookFamily loyalty and responsibility
Marya and Georgi travel in search of their separated parents, with Marya narrating the difficulty of managing a much younger brother.
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Book details
Gloria Whelan - Author
Marya and Georgi set out alone after their parents are arrested and separated. Their route towards Siberia brings danger, uncertainty and encounters with people who may help, while Marya’s narration follows the strain of caring for her younger brother.
One Russian night in 1934, Marya and Georgi's parents disappear. Despite high risks, Katya and Misha had spoken against the government. The children, alone and desperate, fear the worst. Will they ever see their parents again? But all it takes is one crumpled letter to give Marya and Georgi hope and send them on a dangerous mission to reunite their family. They must steal away in the dark of night, escape the city, and find passage to the great Siberian wilderness. And even then, if they succeed in getting away, their journey will have only just begun. In this companion novel to her breathtaking Russian epic Angel on the Square, National Book Award winning author Gloria Whelan takes readers on a remarkable journey that is both perilous and transforming.
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Sign in for personalised guidanceMarya and Georgi set out alone after their parents are arrested and separated. Their route towards Siberia brings danger, uncertainty and encounters with people who may help, while Marya’s narration follows the strain of caring for her younger brother.
Marya and Georgi travel in search of their separated parents, with Marya narrating the difficulty of managing a much younger brother.
The story is set during Stalin’s rise to power, with arrests, exile, imprisonment and propaganda affecting the children’s family and surroundings.
During their journey, the children receive help from some people and travel through dangerous conditions towards Siberia.
Consider talking beforehand about separation from parents, arrest, fear and dangerous travel.
This is a grounded book brief while Suitabook strengthens the analysis: some draft conclusions still depend on unresolved evidence.
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