Description
One extraordinary year will change them all... Sorrento, Victoria, 1999. Fred's family is a mess. Her mother died when she was six and she's been raised by her Pop and adoptive father, Luca, ever since. But now Pop's had to go away, and Luca's girlfriend Anika and her son have moved in. More and more it feels like a land-grab for family and Fred is the one being left off the map. Even as things feel like they're spinning out of control for Fred, a crisis from the other side of the world comes crashing in.
When a group of Kosovar-Albanian refugees are brought to a government 'safe haven' not far from Sorrento, their fate becomes intertwined with the lives of Fred and her family in ways that no one could have expected.
Review
Fred, short for Winifred, lives in Sorrento with her Grandfather and her adoptive dad, Luca. Her world is changing fast, as Luca’s girlfriend and her son Sam have just moved in. When they announce they are having a baby together, Fred is not sure where she fits in anymore.
To make matters more complicated, 400 Kosovar refugees have just arrived in Point Nepean and when Luca volunteers to help them, their lives become entwined.
This is a wonderful story set on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula and based around the events of 1999 when refugees were sent to Point Nepean. It is a story of family, love, hope, compassion and kindness. Full of characters that you will wish you knew and a story that will relate easily with readers.
It also shows the tiny things that you do, and the impact they can have on the people around you, in ripples that spread far and wide. A perfect middle grade reader and one I’m sure will become a favourite.
Reviewed by Michelle
