Kim Ablon Whitney's YA novels received critical acclaim, including a Booklist Best Book of the Year. Here she retells the story of the doomed MS St. Louis, a ship of mainly Jewish refugees allowed to leave Germany in May of 1939, then denied entrance to Cuba and forced to return to Germany, where 1/3 of the passengers perished in camps. With themes such as survival, first love, self-discovery, and faith, along with narrative threads that feature chess, Goethe, and WWII-era immigration, this is an intelligent, tautly-told novel that will fit into a variety of curriculums, particularly in light of today's immigration.
A heartbreaking novel based on the true story of a World War II voyage.
In May of 1939, the SS St. Francis sets sail from Germany, carrying German Jews and other refugees away from Hitler’s regime. The passengers believe they are bound for freedom in Cuba and eventually the United States, but not all of them are celebrating. Fifteen-year-old Thomas is anxious about his parents and didn’t want to leave Germany: his father, a Jew, has been imprisoned and his mother, a Christian, is left behind, alone. Fourteen-yearold Priska has her family with her, and she’s determined to enjoy the voyage, looking forward to their new lives.
Based on the true story of the MS St. Louis, this historical young adult novel imagines two travelers and the lives they may have lived until events, and immigration laws, conspired to change their fates. Kim Ablon Whitney did meticulous research on the voyage of the St. Louis to craft her compelling and moving story about this little-known event in history.
