Middle-Grade Review: Behind the Mountains

I searched for another audiobook for Black History Month and finished my mid-level audio recording because I only had a week to listen to it in February. I chose " Beyond the Mountains" by Edge Dandikat and enjoyed the story of a girl's journey from the Haitian mountains to the concrete jungles of New York.

Celian lives with her mother and older brother in a small village in the mountains of Haiti. They had a small farm, but due to limited resources in Haiti, Celiana's father moved to New York five years ago to raise money to send home to his family. Other family members are waiting for their visas to be approved so they can join. Celian is the best student in her class, but her parents want to give her the best possible education. His brother Mai is studying for a semester, although he wants to become an artist. Celiana and her mother came down the hill to meet Aunt Celiana in Port-au-Prince. As the election draws near and supporters on both sides resort to violence, the city is in danger. One day, Selian and her mother were seriously injured when a bus exploded while they were getting on a bus. Now there are more reasons to leave Haiti and their visas are approved immediately. Three members of the family go to New York to reunite with Celia's father, but Brooklyn is a whole different world than before! Each of them is trying to adjust to their strange new life.

Seliana's teacher gave her a notebook to use as a diary, so the novel was written from Seliana's point of view as she recorded her family experiences in the diary. This first-person story allows readers to experience everything new in New York, like Haiti and Celian. Ella Toure's beautiful voice and the narrator's emphasis on the audio add to this exciting experience. I liked the strange landscape, because I had never read a novel in Haiti before, and the author perfectly described the mountain village and the vibrant and picturesque city. The novel also beautifully depicts how immigrants, even smart students like Selena, feel out of place among many students who struggle with foreign languages ​​and are different from her. New York was a difficult adaptation for everyone. In the author's note, Dandikat explains that the novel is based on his family's childhood experiences and that reality shines through him. It is a great pleasure to accompany Selena on her new life journey.

192 pages, Gramedia

school audio

Note: This novel will be reprinted on April 5, 2022 in print and audio.

This book corresponds to the following 2022 reading problem :

The problem of diversity

Discover the world in the book - Haiti

Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest opinion. My opinions are not affected by my own opinions or my relationship with the publisher or author.

 

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Listen to the sample audiobook here and/or download it from Audible. Please note that the audio sample will be available on April 5, 2022.

 

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