LitPick Review
Natasha can no longer live in China because of the communist takeover. Her family decides to move to Australia where a family member is willing to sponsor them. There is one major problem with that: only Natasha's mother can speak English. Natasha, her father, Babushka, and sisters speak Russian. When they move to Australia they are treated harshly by the others. Even in school, Natasha is thought of as an outcast. While learning English and adjusting to their new surroundings, Natasha and her family become integrated with the people and liked by those who accept them. If only that were the end to their problems...
Opinion:
I enjoy learning languages and reading about different cultures. This book was a wonderful example to me of two-- if not three--different cultures. Natasha was Russian at home, Australian at school, and missed her Chinese home. The vocabulary was decent and portrayed the character's emotions well. The only slight problem that I found with the book is that Natasha is very young in the story, and she is very mature. Realistically speaking, I think that she was too mature for her age. With her experiences, however, Natasha would be more mature than most children. I recommend this book to people who enjoy cultures or stories of fitting in.
