Overview

Twelve-year-old Elfina lives with her grandmother in Paraguay. When a distant relative offers to have Elfina come live with her in the city so she can attend school, Elfina's grandmother sends her off for a better life. But life with her relatives isn't what Elfina thought it would be, and soon Elfina finds herself far away from home, living in Canada, and kept as a domestic servant by the family. School and an education are now a distant dream. When Elfina's uncle makes inappropriate advances toward her, she knows she must somehow find the courage to escape and return home. But who will help her?

Full Product Details

9781459414198

Table of Contents

Reviews

The words and pictures interlace seamlessly: a variety of large and small panels highlight both the spatial limitations of Elfina's world and her fantasies of escape ... Christine Delezenne's two&#8212colour illustrations are filled with movement and information, as well as glimpses of Elfina's humour and cheeky resistance. --Joanne Findon Quill and Quire (11/02/2019)

The words and pictures interlace seamlessly: a variety of large and small panels highlight both the spatial limitations of Elfina's world and her fantasies of escape ... Christine Delezenne's two&#8212colour illustrations are filled with movement and information, as well as glimpses of Elfina's humour and cheeky resistance. --Joanne Findon Quill and Quire (11/02/2019) Knowledge and awareness are critical components when trying to solve any problem, and this small but powerful novel arms its readers with information which they may use to confront the issues of forced domestic labour.--Ann Ketcheson, retired teacher CM: Canadian Review of Materials A deceptively short read that casts needed light on a dark and dehumanizing practice.--Kirkus The Courage of Elfina packs a big punch for a small book. I would recommend it for school and public libraries.--Resource Links

""A deceptively short read that casts needed light on a dark and dehumanizing practice.""--Kirkus Reviews -- (8/27/2019 12:00:00 AM)

Jacob (Le Journal de guerre d'Emilio, 2012, etc.) and Delezenne (The Little Yellow Bottle, 2010, etc.) team up for this fictionalized first-person account of human trafficking and forced labor. Elfina lives on the margins in Paraguay. After her mother's death, Elfina lives with her grandmother and younger brother in a small village while their father works on as a migrant farm worker in Brazil. An opportunity to continue her education in the capital of Asuncion while living in the household of her Aunt Evoala sends Elfina away from home. Soon she is moving even farther away from her roots as Aunt Evoala's family relocates to Montreal. The promise of an education is soon revealed to be a lie as Elfina stays home and is forced to work as a housekeeper and errand girl for the household while her cousins continue to go to school. Elfina summons the courage to escape the house and report what has been happening. Elfina's courage, curiosity, and work ethic make her an admirable heroine; through her story, the statistics on human trafficking and forced child labor are given urgency and vibrancy that are difficult to ignore. Backmatter includes more information on the plight of children in similar situations, including further reading, though one wishes opportunities to help were also presented. A deceptively short read that casts needed light on a dark and dehumanizing practice. --Kirkus Reviews --Journal

The words and pictures interlace seamlessly: a variety of large and small panels highlight both the spatial limitations of Elfina's world and her fantasies of escape ... Christine Delezenne's two&#8212colour illustrations are filled with movement and information, as well as glimpses of Elfina's humour and cheeky resistance. --Joanne Findon Quill and Quire (11/02/2019) Knowledge and awareness are critical components when trying to solve any problem, and this small but powerful novel arms its readers with information which they may use to confront the issues of forced domestic labour.--Ann Ketcheson, retired teacher CM: Canadian Review of Materials

Author Information

ANDRÉ JACOB's career has been oriented towards social practices in the face of racism and discrimination. He is a former professor at the School of Social Work at Université du Québec à Montréal and has been a guest lecturer on immigration, racism, and international development around the world. He is the recipient of the Rights and Freedoms Award from the Quebec Human Rights Commission and a Heritage Excellence Award from Canadian Heritage. He is also a professional visual artist and vice-chairman of the Artists for Peace. André lives in Mascouche, Québec. CHRISTINE DELEZENNE is a graphic designer and an illustrator. She integrates various elements in her art -- drawings, textures, collages and photos. She received the prestigious Elizabeth Cleaver Award, offered by IBBY Canada for the illustrations in La Clé. She is also the illustrator of The Little Yellow Bottle. Christine lives presently in the region of Zurich in Switzerland. SUSAN OURIOU is an award-winning literary translator of more than 40 works. She has been shortlisted or awarded the Governor General's Award for Literary Translation, the John Glassco Translation Prize, and France's Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for her work as a translator, interpreter and writer. Several of her translations for children have been on IBBY's annual Honour Lists. In addition, Susan helped found the Banff International Literary Translation Centre (BILTC) and was the founding editor of the bi-annual translation review TransLit. She lives in Calgary, Alberta.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available