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-year old 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.
- ISBN: 9780375852190
- Author: Whitney, Kim Ablon
- Published: 2009 , Knopf Books for Young Readers
- Themes: freedom, Holocaust, immigration and emigration, Jews, Nazi, oppression, refugee, voyage, War, World War II
- Descriptors: Caribbean, Cuba, Germany, Historical Fiction, Young Adult (ages 14-18)
- No. of pages: 256