Refuge: a collaboration
Refuge: a collaboration
In these times, the word refugee has become a shorthand for all the woes of the world. Refugees are seen as dangerous, but are also in danger; are omnipresent and yet invisible; legion and some-how, alone. This book introduces you to 23 refugees through their own stories as they leave their countries because they are afraid for their lives, and as they build new lives in America, as they become Americans.
The stories I’ve told in Refuge are not my stories; they are collaborations. Some of the chapters in this book explain the background to the immigrant experience; others are short, emotional responses to current affairs and/or current situations. Some of the stories reflect my view of the refugee experience; others the view of my major collaborator, Dianne Kimm, a former site manager for the Lutheran Social Services Resettlement Office in Pelican Rapids and a long time volunteer with refugees. Most importantly, the chapters are conversations with 23 immigrants to the United States of America, 23 authors who in the years from 2015 to 2020, tried to answer the question “Have you found refuge?” One hundred and twenty pages, with illustrations from among others, Robyn Dial’s art class at Pelican Rapids High School. Published in 2020 by Northcroft.