Scan barcode
A review by the_fabric_of_words
Freedom Swimmer by Wai Chim
5.0
This is a super moving story of one boy's swim to freedom from mainland China to the British colony of Hong Kong during Mao's regime.
The story is told in alternating POVs, between field orphan and outcast Ming, who loses both his parents and lives with the stigma of his father's shame for betraying Mao and trying to swim to freedom, and the scorn and arrogance of Li, a city-born-and-raised boy who comes to the fields as part of Mao's Down to the Countryside movement.
They strike up an unexpected friendship swimming in the nearby lagoon to escape the summer heat. Ming is impressed by Li's ability to read, if jealous of Li's gregarious, easy-nature with the girl who holds Ming's heart in her eyes. Li is later grateful for Ming's friendship when his parents are exposed as "capitalist conspirators" for mailing a letter and Li's beaten and left for dead.
When neither boy has anything left to live for, they swim.
I won't reveal what happens, just know, there's several twists I didn't see coming. The ending had me bawling.
Enjoy!
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog, The Fabric of Words, for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
The story is told in alternating POVs, between field orphan and outcast Ming, who loses both his parents and lives with the stigma of his father's shame for betraying Mao and trying to swim to freedom, and the scorn and arrogance of Li, a city-born-and-raised boy who comes to the fields as part of Mao's Down to the Countryside movement.
They strike up an unexpected friendship swimming in the nearby lagoon to escape the summer heat. Ming is impressed by Li's ability to read, if jealous of Li's gregarious, easy-nature with the girl who holds Ming's heart in her eyes. Li is later grateful for Ming's friendship when his parents are exposed as "capitalist conspirators" for mailing a letter and Li's beaten and left for dead.
When neither boy has anything left to live for, they swim.
I won't reveal what happens, just know, there's several twists I didn't see coming. The ending had me bawling.
Enjoy!
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog, The Fabric of Words, for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/