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suvata's review against another edition
4.0
Read for 2018 Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide
https://modernmrsdarcy.com/summer-reading-guide-2018/
This book made my heart ache. It is a twist on immigration stories that I’ve read so far. Rather than Mexican Immigration in The United States, it deals with Sri Lankan Immigration in Canada. I many ways it’s the same story. It also addressed the history of Japanese Immigration in the 1930-40’s. I have so many mixed emotions about this subject because I can truly understand both sides of the story. The book says it best; “Do you ever wonder if it’s the process that’s flawed? she asked. Definitely the process is flawed, he said. You could change everything and it would still be flawed. Because fundamentally we’re making impossible decisions, she said.”
Mental note: Must read a light and happy book next!
https://modernmrsdarcy.com/summer-reading-guide-2018/
This book made my heart ache. It is a twist on immigration stories that I’ve read so far. Rather than Mexican Immigration in The United States, it deals with Sri Lankan Immigration in Canada. I many ways it’s the same story. It also addressed the history of Japanese Immigration in the 1930-40’s. I have so many mixed emotions about this subject because I can truly understand both sides of the story. The book says it best; “Do you ever wonder if it’s the process that’s flawed? she asked. Definitely the process is flawed, he said. You could change everything and it would still be flawed. Because fundamentally we’re making impossible decisions, she said.”
Mental note: Must read a light and happy book next!
stephxsu's review against another edition
3.0
An important tale to be told, but I struggled to get emotionally invested. The changes in narrative perspectives and even timelines across chapters was necessary to understand the conflict, the horrors that drove the Tamil refugees to attempt such a dangerous sea crossing to Canada, and the Canadian polite climate of the time, which mired these 500+ refugees in months of legal BS. I also appreciated how this book acknowledged the harm that other minorities, even those that have themselves been harmed by and/or ultimately benefited from Canada's immigration policy, can become complicit in the dehumanizing process of policing migrants. But none of the characters really grew much over the course of the book. The result was that the book felt a bit tedious and overly long.
sciencechick83's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
grayjay's review against another edition
4.0
Based on a real incident, The Boat People tells.the story of a group of people who escape Sri Lanka on a boat to Canada, but instead of being welcomed by a nation known for taking refugees, are faced with a legal battle and accused of being terrorists. It is a great examination of Canada's values around immigration and assylum seekers, and it's told in a humanizing way, from the perspective of refugees, a law student, and an adjudicator.
It is a wonderful book that did not deserve to be eliminated first on Canada Reads 2018.
It is a wonderful book that did not deserve to be eliminated first on Canada Reads 2018.
book_loser's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
juicygreenmom's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
sylviammartin's review against another edition
4.0
The characters in this book were amazing and I absolutely loved the way the story was told. One of the plot points was a little weak and seemed unimportant to me but I kept reading to find out what happened to the father/son duo. I don’t want to give anything away but the ending was very frustrating for me. I still enjoyed it though!