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“Drifting in the frigid waters of the Mediterranean, 14-year-old Rami is floating with other Middle Eastern refugees, clinging to a small dinghy with nothing but a violin case. When the others share their names and their meager food supplies, Rami says he is neither cold nor hungry, because he has nothing to share in return. Rami’s fellow passengers urge him to share his violin to distract them from their horrible plight and memories of war, loved ones dying, and their narrow escapes. Rami stories unfurl with the melodious offerings from his beloved violin as he weaves the music with tales of oppression, escape, and freedom…The story resonates with each passenger; Nor and Mustafa remember the story of how they met and their son’s birth, while others think of life before wartime, and each is reminded that freedom is within them and cannot be taken away, giving them strength to endure their current hardships.”

– School Library Journal

A Story Like the Wind

Written by Gill Lewis
Illustrated by Jo Weaver
Published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

A masterful story about the power of hope

Rami is in a small dinghy filled with strangers, all of them refugees seeking a safe harbor. But with no motor, no oars, and a rising tide, their situation looks bleak. So Rami pulls out the only thing he brought with him—a violin—and begins to tell his fellow refugees a story through his music. And his story, about an indomitable white stallion and its struggle for freedom, gives them all the strength to remember the past and hope for the future. 

A Story Like the Wind is a beautifully illustrated fable that shows how music and stories can bring people together. Readers of all ages will be entranced by this sweeping story that feels both new and timeless.

Primary ISBN: 9780802855145
Publication Date: October 2018
Available As: Hardcover
Picture Book, Age 09 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , , ,

Setting: Mediterranean Sea

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: On Journey, Refugee

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Educator’s Guide

Source: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers