When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

 

At the beginning of Thanksgiving Break, I read When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed. This graphic memoir is about Omar Mohamed and his brother Hassan, who are living in a Kenyan refugee camp to escape the war in Somalia. Although they were separated from their mother when the war came to their hometown and their father was killed, Omar still has hope that they will find her. In the meantime, Omar and Hassan have to cope with the challenges of living in a refugee camp. They don't have enough food or access to the medical care that Hassan, who is nonverbal and has seizures, needs. One day, Omar has the opportunity to go to school even though it means leaving Hassan every day. Their foster mother, Fatuma, steps up in looking after Hassan for Omar while he goes to school, and Omar passes his exam to begin middle school months later. A few years later, Omar and Hassan are invited to be interviewed to be resettled in North America. When they don't receive a second interview right away, the two brothers continue waiting for their lives to change.

This book was riveting and I nearly read it in one sitting. At the beginning of the book, I was very excited when Omar could start going to school even though he was reluctant at first and loved how Hassan showed how capable he was by helping to take care of goats and playing with the younger children. I also thought the relationship between the two brothers was very sweet. Once in a while, Omar would get annoyed with Hassan, but at the end of the day it was clear that Hassan was the most important person in Omar's life. He showed so much concern for his brother when he would run away. One time, he even searched for Hassan at night. It definitely amazed me how resilient Omar and Hassan were. Despite the fact that they live in a refugee camp, they never lost hope for the future. I was also moved by how supportive the community was, especially Fatuma, Omar's best friend Jeri, and two of his classmates, Maryam and Nimo. When Stars Are Scattered is an unforgettable true story of hope and resilience that anyone should read.