Josef
After being turned away from Cuba, Captain Shroeder’s plea to the United States was unsuccessful, so the Jewish passengers cannot seek refuge there. Where are they heading next, and why are the passengers fearful?
What is Europe? They're fearful because if they return to Germany, they'll get sent to concentration camps.
The boat begins to fall apart even more and rapidly starts to sink. How do they solve this problem and try to get to shore without a functioning boat?
What is - they kick off the motor so that it doesn't weigh it down more and begin to row.
What was the setting like when they reached Hungary?
What is - overrun with hundreds of Syrian refugees. It was an aggressive environment since Hungarian soldiers were shutting down their borders and trying to keep the refugees from crossing.
Adjective - Thought not to be completely true or not able to be trusted; suspicious
What is - Dubious
A person who identifies as non-binary is publicly shamed in a town that shuns gender non-conformity.
What is - Character v. Society
What do Pozner and another group of men plan to do in an act of desperation? Does Josef feel confident that it will work?
What is - take over the ship and run it ashore in the US. No.
Describe two emotions that Isabel feels when seeing Miami. Why does she feel like this?
What is - she's happy that they're so close to Miami but sad/guilty of feeling happy because Ivan did not get to see it.
What was the driver’s real purpose in offering to drive Mahmoud and his family to Serbia?
Verb - To come between, likely to prevent or alter a result or course of events
What is - Intervene
A farmer's land is plagued by locusts.
What is - Character v. Nature
Why does Josef agree to help Pozner and his men take over the ship?
What is - he's not confident that they'll be successful, but commits because he realizes it is someTHING that he can do to resist being sent back to Germany.
Aside from the pressing issue of avoiding the Coast Guard, what is another urgent matter that occurs on the raft at the start of the chapter?
What is - Mami is about to have her baby brother and they haven't reached the shore. It is nighttime, and they're trying to be quiet so that the Coast Guard does not pick them up.
Why did the Hungarian guards set off tear gas bombs at the end of the chapter?
What is - to prevent desperate Syrian refugees from crossing the border. They intend to detain them and transport them away.
Verb - To harass or annoy persistently; to pester someone
What is - Badger
A surgeon's hands fail him, becoming unsteady and threatening his career and his patients' lives.
What is - Character v. Self
When Pozner, Josef, and the other men attempt to take over the ship, Captain Shroeder intervenes. In what two ways does he convince the men to stand down?
1) He tells them that he will overlook their attempt so they do not get in trouble with the law.
2) He tells them he will make sure they land in England, not Germany.
How do Isabel and her family plan to evade the Coast Guard and make it to shore without being seen?
Why were Mahmoud and his father separated from his mother and Waleed?
What is - Youssef and Mahmoud were violently tied up and thrown into a van to be transported away from the border. Once they arrive, they eventually find Fatima and Waleed where they've been taken.
Noun - A state of uncertainty or nonresolution; in a forgotten or ignored place, state, or situation
What is - Limbo
A man chains himself to a tree in order to prevent it from being cut down by a new building development.
What is - Character v. Character
While dancing despite the recent tragedies, Josef’s mother says, “’You can live life as a ghost, waiting for death to come or you can dance’” (Gratz 239). What does she mean and how does this relate to her state of mind?
Varying Responses
In 1996, there was a legal policy called “Wet Foot, Dry Foot” which meant that any Cuban migrant who reached US soil by foot (“dry foot”) could stay and apply for legal residency. Alternatively, if the Cuban migrant was intercepted at sea (“wet foot”), they would be returned to Cuba or resettled in a third country (in this case, Guantanamo Bay). With this policy in mind, why is Isabel concerned when they are addressed by the US Coast Guard?
What is - They've made it all this way, and if they are picked up at sea by the Coast Guard, they'll be sent back to Cuba. They must make it to land before they're 'caught'.
“Mahmoud’s father didn’t speak again, not even to make a joke” (Gratz 269). How does this show a change in his father’s characterization? Why did he make jokes all of the time?
What is - Youssef has tried continually to be strong for his family and by making jokes, he tries to lighten the very heavy circumstances his family endures. This change implies that he's at a breaking point when he's beaten by the Hungarian soldiers.
Noun - Something that is huge or monstrous; often referencing a creature
What is - Behemoth
An evil wizard finds it difficult to make friends.
What is - Character v. Self