Dance of the Banished

Gr 8 Up—Skrypuch continues to tell the stories of young refugees—as in The Hunger (2002), Nobody's Child (2003, both Dundrun), and Daughter of War (Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2008)—in her latest historical novel. Set between 1913 and 1917, it features two Alevi Kurd teenagers in Anatolia as World War I breaks out and Turkey begins the Armenian Genocide. Ali emigrates before the war begins and gives his girlfriend, Zeynep, a journal to write in for when they meet again. While in Canada, he is locked up in an internment camp because of his nationality, though he does not identify as Turkish. Meanwhile, Zeynep is witness to the genocide of her neighbors and is called to help. The author sheds light on an often overlooked piece of history. Unfortunately, she leans too heavily on clunky literary mechanisms: the diary format preys on the integrity of the story and some characters seem forced (though they bring up interesting historical contexts, such as the Cree teenager who attempts to free Ali). The characters are unyieldingly virtuous, and their rhetorical questions at times are wearing—there is no variance in writing style between the diary authors. However, the setting is fascinating, the research is thorough, and the story is made all the more interesting due to current events in the region. The author's note is full of source notes and historical details, though it lacks a bibliography. In a world that continues to be violent, readers may find solace in the novel's joyful ending.