Sarah Darer Littman's "Life, After" is a wonderful read for middle grades, upper elementary, and high school readers, touching on universal themes of resilience, adaptation, courage, and friendship while specifically tackling the aftermath of terrorism through the lens of a teenage girl whose childhood was upended by a terrorist attack.
The challenges facing Dani's family after her aunt is killed in a terrorist attack, coupled with the collapse of the economy in Argentina, are skillfully and subtly interwoven with the story of a two teenagers in the U.S. adapting to the loss of their father in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on 9/11. Littman effectively arouses the reader's curiosity about unique situations only briefly touched upon: the plight of the Jewish population in Argentina, resettlement of Argentine Jews in Israel, and anti-Jewish terrorism in Argentina. Dani's circumstances are unusual, yet Littman successfully creates a character who teenagers can easily relate to, whose struggles with communicating with her parents and maintaining a relationship with her boyfriend will be familiar to most teens.
The greatest strength of the book is its ability to enjoyably help to develop a reader's empathy toward recent immigrants to the U.S., those learning English, people whose circumstances are reduced by large-scale economic downturns, and people living with autism. Littman vividly depicts scenes of teenage bullying and shows the courage of a bystander without seeming preachy or didactic. The teenage romances in the novel are believable and enjoyable, and the development of friendships is heartwarming and inspiring. Highly recommended.
The challenges facing Dani's family after her aunt is killed in a terrorist attack, coupled with the collapse of the economy in Argentina, are skillfully and subtly interwoven with the story of a two teenagers in the U.S. adapting to the loss of their father in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on 9/11. Littman effectively arouses the reader's curiosity about unique situations only briefly touched upon: the plight of the Jewish population in Argentina, resettlement of Argentine Jews in Israel, and anti-Jewish terrorism in Argentina. Dani's circumstances are unusual, yet Littman successfully creates a character who teenagers can easily relate to, whose struggles with communicating with her parents and maintaining a relationship with her boyfriend will be familiar to most teens.
The greatest strength of the book is its ability to enjoyably help to develop a reader's empathy toward recent immigrants to the U.S., those learning English, people whose circumstances are reduced by large-scale economic downturns, and people living with autism. Littman vividly depicts scenes of teenage bullying and shows the courage of a bystander without seeming preachy or didactic. The teenage romances in the novel are believable and enjoyable, and the development of friendships is heartwarming and inspiring. Highly recommended.
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