Historical fiction is a great way to help readers understand events of the past. The Cricket War by Thọ Phạm and Sandra McTavish is a story based on the true events of Thọ Phạm’s journey to Canada after escaping Vietnam in 1981.

Between 1975 and the mid-1990s hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese people boarded homemade boats and set off to escape the communists that were slowly taking over the country. They were escaping across the treacherous South China Sea and are often referred to as Boat People. Thọ Phạm and Sandra McTavish have crafted a story using the real events of Thọ’s escape from Vietnam to educated and entertain readers. It’s a story with a happy ending when there were many endings in the South China Sea that did not turn out so well.

This captivating story, rooted in true events, is packed with suspense and adventure. It’s a story that will immediately draw in the reader because from the first chapter we are thrust right into the problem as Thọ friend leaves, is sent away on a boat in search of a better life. As we get further into the story, we join Thọ first on a small wooden boat, constantly raided by pirates, then onto a pirate boat and a fishing boat before he is saved by a cargo ship and taken to a refugee camp.

It’s a story that is not readily available to middle grade readers. When newcomers arrive in cities, towns and classrooms all across the country, for their neighbours and classmates to have a frame of reference about the experiences they may have had on their journey is incredible. It helps build compassion and caring and makes for a more welcoming community. The Cricket War is a refugee story and a story of survival and also a story of hope and perseverance.

I appreciate how each chapter indicated where Thọ was in his journey and the month and year so that readers can appreciate the time as it passes and understand that coming to a new country is something that doesn’t happen overnight. It can take years to resettle in a new place. With the wars currently raging in places all over the world, a book like this is so important.