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Smiling for Strangers
During the war, fourteen-year-old Nina flees from her village in Yugoslavia, armed only with some letters and a photograph, to search for an old friend of her mother in England.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published June 3, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 11, 2021
This book was an interesting read about a young girl named Nina who has lost her home, family, and friends, her grandfathers final wish was for her to travel to England and find her parents old family friend. The writing pulls the reader in, and you won't want to put it down once you start reading it. I'm glad it had a happy ending. I rated it 3 out of 5 stars because it wasn't bad, but it wasn't my favorite. I still liked reading it and I would recommend it to others.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2021
Masterfully written. Appropriate for children and young teens except that behind what is said there is always the even bleaker and more horrifying reality...but you only see that when you know it's there. The complexities of love, loss, culture, war and re-homing but in such a brief book.
I'd like to read more from this author
I'd like to read more from this author
November 11, 2019
Great book, great characters, this book can really transport you to another world. It is a good mix between history and just a normal life, which makes it easy to relate to. Part of the book where a bit slow but for the most part it was a amazing book.
July 13, 2019
Not bad but not amazing either. Speed read the whole thing. Ending was good.
September 5, 2007
This weekend, I chatted with my sister-in-law’s sister (could I get more complicated?) about the latest Harry Potter movie. Although I’ve read all the books (only once), I would not consider myself a Harry Potter fanatic. As such, I only have vague memories of Order of the Phoenix.
I do remember being rather put off by Harry’s bad attitude. He was grumpy, moody, and often just plain rude. And I did not like it at all.
Some would argue he was just acting like a typical teenager. And that may be so. I’m sure teenage boys can be moody and rude. And that’s exactly why I do not hang out with teenage boys (oh, and because it would be rather odd and disturbing behavior from a grown woman).
When I read for pleasure, I want the experience to be, well, pleasurable. I do not want to be annoyed by moody teenagers in my free time. I take no enjoyment from that.
I had a similar experience with Smiling for Strangers by Gaye Hiçyilmaz. Granted, I did not read this book for pleasure, but I found Nina’s bad attitude irritating.
Nina has a difficult life, and she has plenty of reasons to be moody. Her family is killed in the Bosnian conflict. She escapes into Italy and then to England. Finally, she finds refuge with an old friend of her mother’s, Paul Fellows.
Nina has seen death, suffered deprivations, and traveled a thousand of miles for safety. She has every reason to be angry and upset.
Yet, her bad behavior doesn’t start until after she finds refuge with Paul. He gives her food, clothing, and a home. And she responds to him with anger, rudeness, and ingratitude.
Logically, I know a teenage girl moving in with a complete stranger in a foreign country could not be a smooth transition. But would it be completely unbearable?
Perhaps Hiçyilmaz’s account is realistic and accurate—in fact, it probably is. If nothing else, the book serves as a good reminder of why I decided not to teach high school (or junior high for that matter). College students have enough attitude as it is.
I do remember being rather put off by Harry’s bad attitude. He was grumpy, moody, and often just plain rude. And I did not like it at all.
Some would argue he was just acting like a typical teenager. And that may be so. I’m sure teenage boys can be moody and rude. And that’s exactly why I do not hang out with teenage boys (oh, and because it would be rather odd and disturbing behavior from a grown woman).
When I read for pleasure, I want the experience to be, well, pleasurable. I do not want to be annoyed by moody teenagers in my free time. I take no enjoyment from that.
I had a similar experience with Smiling for Strangers by Gaye Hiçyilmaz. Granted, I did not read this book for pleasure, but I found Nina’s bad attitude irritating.
Nina has a difficult life, and she has plenty of reasons to be moody. Her family is killed in the Bosnian conflict. She escapes into Italy and then to England. Finally, she finds refuge with an old friend of her mother’s, Paul Fellows.
Nina has seen death, suffered deprivations, and traveled a thousand of miles for safety. She has every reason to be angry and upset.
Yet, her bad behavior doesn’t start until after she finds refuge with Paul. He gives her food, clothing, and a home. And she responds to him with anger, rudeness, and ingratitude.
Logically, I know a teenage girl moving in with a complete stranger in a foreign country could not be a smooth transition. But would it be completely unbearable?
Perhaps Hiçyilmaz’s account is realistic and accurate—in fact, it probably is. If nothing else, the book serves as a good reminder of why I decided not to teach high school (or junior high for that matter). College students have enough attitude as it is.
April 17, 2009
This book is a tween's perspective of war-torn Yugoslavia. There were some very touching, profound moments, but I would've liked to know what was going on in the narrator's more clearly. To be more moving for young people, I wished it had more emotional connection. Still good for use of cultural awareness/perspectives.
May 16, 2015
a story about a young girl trying to escape the serbo-croatian war and make it safelt to England. She has to be smuggled out and finds herself in an unfamilar land where there is no fighting and possibly no one to save her.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews