Between Two Worlds: A Novel

by LeAnne Hardy

In a town where being different can be dangerous, Cristina Larson and her Korean friend struggle to accept God's plan for them . . . and survive the attacks of the insiders.

160 pages, Paperback

First published May 14, 2003

About the author

Although I grew up in the Midwest of the United States, I have lived in six countries on four continents. I have sipped cream tea in Oxfordshire, eaten stewed goat at a Mozambican wedding, slid down rocks in a Mato Grosso river and shopped at Mall of America. My books for children and young people come out of my cross-cultural experiences and my passion to use story to convey spiritual truths in a form that will permeate the lives of children and young people. I recently returned to the Northwoods of Wisconsin after three years in Johannesburg, South Africa, where I focused on writing for children affected by HIV/AIDS, teaching writing workshops and reading stories in after-school programs in Tembisa Township.

Reviews

[Karyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great story about the struggles of fitting in with the people like us. In this story, the main character is American, but she lives in Brazil. And when her family moves back to the States, she feels like a foreigner.

[Liralen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much better than I expected, honestly, and kind of fascinating to read in the context of some of the missionary memoirs I've read lately. In Between Two Worlds, Cristina is back in the US for a time: her parents are missionaries on furlough. To Cristina, Brazil is home, and Minnesota is a cold and unforgiving culture.

Without objecting to this (after all, I've never been a missionary), I will say that it's really interesting to me to hear about how well integrated Cristina and her family are in Brazil, when in the memoirs I've read the default is for missionaries to struggle and struggle and struggle (or sometimes not really try in the first place) to integrate: living separately from the people they're trying to convert, yearning for home (which is to say, the US), adapting poorly to customs and ways of life. The way Cristina tells it, her story is the opposite: the best friend she talks about is Brazilian, she speaks Portuguese, she expects to have a traditional quince años celebration.

In many ways I'm happier to see this, because, realistic or not (again, please note my lack of missionary anything. It feels romanticised to me, but I wouldn't really know what's likely), I'd rather see people embrace other cultures than hold them at arm's length. I do rather wish that some of the story had taken place in Brazil, as 'white semi-outsider going to football games somewhere in the US' is not exactly unique in YA fiction, but there are some decent messages wrapped up in it all...and the religion only gets beat-you-over-the-head-with-a-cross once, which feels pretty darn restrained for a book about missionaries.

[Ali Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite its somewhat cheesy title, this is a really enjoyable and relatable read. It even shows how different TCKs from the same family can react to moving and goodbyes differently. The story is a little older so social media and cell phones aren't part of the teenage world in "Between Two Worlds" but the dynamics of US American public school are still relevant. I would definitely recommend this to middle school and early high school MKs.

[LeAnne]

Being part of two worlds and two cultures isn't easy. America and Brazil don't look alike, feel alike or act alike. My daughters were born in Brazil, grew up in Mozambique, went to boarding school in Kenya, and even attended school in America for a couple years. They know all about what it's like to move between worlds--confusing and sometimes uncomfortable. The characters in this book are a combination of them and myself as we seek to discover our true identities.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A missionary family moves back to the states. The teenage girl has an especially difficult time adjusting and accepting the loss of her "real" home in Brazil. I may want to share this book with Elizabeth when she is a teenager.