A displaced girl's hope takes wing in this verse novel.The year is 1972: Ten-year-old Viva opens the story by asserting that her name is not "refugee." Expelled from their Kampala, Uganda, home by President Idi Amin, Viva's family, who are of Goan Indian origin, end up in a resettlement camp in England. As Viva, Mummy, and her sister, Anna, try to understand their new lives, they wait impatiently for news of Daddy, who's the family's "hope holder" and meant to be joining them soon. They also dream of their eventual departure for Canada. The family's story is underscored by racism, alienation, and upheaval, even as Viva sometimes discovers "little cups of happiness." The refugee crisis of the Ugandan Asians is a tragic episode from history that's rarely explored in children's fiction. Athaide's book starts with a lot of promise and has an interesting format that includes photographs, correspondence, and definitions of vocabulary interspersed among the poems (Viva is a logophile; she also has a fondness for Diana Ross). The book is at its strongest when the text describes Viva's yearning for her family to be reunited and the hatred the refugees faced in a Britain where anti-immigrant feelings were on the rise; these segments are searing and honest. Unfortunately, the execution falters as the book progresses, and the writing in the later portions is not as strong.Friendship, family, and identity form the core of this heartfelt but uneven story. (author's note, photo credits) (Verse historical fiction. 10-14)

Gr 5–7— A novel in verse about a girl and her family trying to find their way after being forced to leave Uganda. In 1972, Viva, her mother, and her sister Ana are forced to go to a refugee camp in England while they anxiously await Viva's father's arrival from their home country. However, on the day he is supposed to arrive, he does not show. The family is upset, but Viva is determined to find out what happened. On one occasion, she and her sister sneak off to London in hopes of finding him. They get lost and experience firsthand the racism that Viva has only heard about. When they finally get in touch with Viva's father, it seems like everything will be okay. But she soon realizes there are still sacrifices to be made before her family can be whole again. Viva is a wonderful role model in her resilience with everything she is up against, especially the racism against Ugandan people. A brick is thrown through her family's apartment building window, newspapers declare "No More Asians," and people tell Viva to "go back home." Viva talks with adult characters about these events and questions why there is so much hatred. While the story is a bit slow, readers will be invested in Viva's quest to find her father and start her life in a new country. Viva is Indian. An author's note is included. VERDICT Purchase where novels in verse are popular.— Lisa Buffi