Stay Silent: A Refugee's Escape from Colombia

by Natalie Hyde

Paola Gomez's childhood in an abusive home led her to dedicate her life to providing shelter for women and children in crisis. But when standing up against those responsible for the murder of a street child led to death threats against her and her family, she knew she was in trouble. After a brutal attack in the dark of night, she had only one flee or die. Within hours she had left behind everyone and everything she had ever known in Colombia to start a new life in North America, where she continues her advocacy work for children, women, and at-risk communities.

144 pages, Paperback

Published September 28, 2016

Reviews

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story takes us through the life of Paola Gomez, the daughter of a rich but abusive Colombian farmer. Since a school project in 7th grade she has been determined to use her mind and skills to create shelters and safe places for art and growth for both children and abused women. There's a short index as well as a brief set of resources for further information on Paola's endeavors, life in Colombia and how kids can help.

Anything you didn’t like about it? This biography is written like a story but jumps around a bit and glosses over very difficult moments; not leaving out dark events such as the beating she gets after daring to name names of important shady characters over the radio, but not going into details either. So if you wanted more information you'd need to research beyond this short book.

To whom would you recommend this book? (Read-alikes if you can think of them) It would be a good starting point for a research project or just for a middle-grade reader looking for an insight into why someone might want or even NEED to leave their home country.

FTC Disclosure: The Publisher provided me with a copy of this book to provide an honest review. No goody bags, sponsorship, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[JoAnne Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy the "Arrivals" series that Natalie Hyde has been writing. They open the door for younger students to understand what a refugee goes through to get to Canada. This story gives a great overview of what Paola went through without going into the horrible details. It would be a wonderful classroom read aloud to promote discussion and research into freedom of speech, women's rights and the safety and rights of kids living on the streets. How some countries do not recognize any of these things and how much we should appreciate living in Canada.