WHICH WAY IS HOME?

Kiely bases her debut novel on the true story of her mother’s escape from Communist-era Czechoslovakia.

Eleven-year-old Anna, a Czech girl, lives happily with her family. They thought that once the Nazi occupation was over, everything would go back to normal, but now they worry about the new Communist government. People are being sent to prison camps, and no one knows whom to trust. One night in 1948, Anna is whisked away to Prague, where she, her mother, and her older sister begin a secret escape to Germany—and, they hope, Anna’s father. The plot is straightforward and fast-paced, and though the stakes are high, there’s never any doubt that things will turn out all right for Anna and her family. They know there are untrustworthy people in the world, but they learn to put their faith in the people they meet along their way. There are plenty of anecdotes that clearly come straight from Anna herself, adding a sense of familiarity and veracity to the story. Readers will easily imagine themselves there with Anna, playing cards with the boys at the refugee camp or eating the unappetizing food. A particularly fascinating detail is the secret code involving gloves and Wuthering Heights that Anna’s mother uses to identify herself to people who will help her escape. All characters appear to be white.

A warm story about trust during hardship.