Refuge Cove

Deborah Dowson is a Canadian children’s librarian living in Powell,
Ohio.

Greg’s father has recently died. Only four days have passed since the
young teen and his mother moved from Ontario to Deep Cove, a village on
the coast of Newfoundland. Greg is eager to test his Laser sailboat and
his award-winning sailing skills on the wild water of the North
Atlantic. His quest for speed and thrills leads him to an intimate
connection with a submerged iceberg. On his second ocean outing, Greg
finds a refugee family adrift in a lifeboat. Greg sees to it that the
family is safely ashore, and then convinces them to come home with him.
Greg’s mother reluctantly agrees to let them stay, and the community
offers food and support, but it isn’t a permanent solution. It is only
a matter of time before the immigration authorities are alerted and the
refugee family must face their fear of officials.

This book is refreshing for its unusual setting and storyline. It is a
reminder that life for some families is unbelievably hard, and that
caring for others is a good way to heal and soften our own pain. Greg is
able to identify with the refugee family, as he too has suffered a loss
and finds himself in a strange new place. As in other books in the Orca
Soundings series, this teen novel for reluctant readers presents
meaningful issues in an easy-to-read style that is thought-provoking,
dramatic, and suspenseful. Recommended.