“Home of the Brave,” by Katherine Applegate

“Home of the Brave,” by Katherine Applegate is a realistic fiction novel about a young emigrant boy named Kek.

Book Cover Art for Home of the Brave by Katherine ApplegateKek emigrates to America to escape the brutal conditions and refuge camp life of his homeland. Kek arrives in the United States in winter, and to him this is a shocking surprise, for he is not used to either the cold, or the fact that all the trees have lost their leaves. In the cold of a Minnesota winter, Kek must get used to his new life in America.

Kek begins to make friends slowly but surely. First he meets Hannah, a girl who lives in foster care. Kek can connect with her, because his own father was killed, and no one has managed to find his mother yet. Kek is sure that she is still alive, though, and that someday she will come to America to be with him.

Then Kek meets an old woman named Lou. She lives on a rundown farm, and she has a cow. In Kek’s home country cows were very important, and Kek is saddened to see the old woman’s cow in poor condition because Lou can not take care of it. Soon Kek has a job taking care of Lou’s cow. He names the cow Gol, meaning “family” in his native tongue.

In the end Hannah, Lou, and Gol will help Kek adjust to his new life in America, and the pain and joy that he will experience along the way.

“Home of the Brave” is a brief book, written in a poetic style that reflects Kek’s simple sentences as he learns English. “Home of the Brave” is a sensitive story that covers many of the issues faced by new immigrants from third world countries, from misunderstandings of appliances, to the struggle to learn English, to racism.

Katherine Applegate’s “Home of the Brave” isn’t a particularly noteworthy book, but it is a reasonably decent read.

Inkweaver Book Rating:

★★★Plot

★★★Characters

★★Presentation

★★★Overall

Your Rating:
Inkweaver Review 2009-07-21T17:42:00-05:00

32 replies so far. What are your thoughts?

Anonymous said...

the book was good

Anonymous said...

This book was way better than what the review gave credit it for. Better than just a "decent" read.

chuck norris said...

yea, pretty good book

Anonymous said...

i did not like the book

Anonymous said...

ok book

Anonymous said...

I sort of got bored in the middle, but otherwise ok.

Anonymous said...

Hard to interpret the flow of the sentences in the poetry format

Anonymous said...

didn't understand why it was in poem form.

Anonymous said...

i hated this book

Anonymous said...

i have a huge test over this gay book

bob said...

i think it could of been better but then again it sucked

Anonymous said...

The reason you say it sucks, is because you are too immature to understand it. Obviously it was too complicated for all of you.

Anonymous said...

I think this book is beautifully written and conveys an important message that may be hard for some people to really get. But those who understand the characters and the situation might get a really good understanding of what it is like for people or children that have been in the refugee camps in Sudan. This is such a horror that has been going on in the world for many years and continues even today. If the book talked more about Kek's past maybe it would be easier for people to understand what the refugee camps are like. This could become the next Holocost.
Go to:
http://invisiblechildren.com
If you are more interested in this crisis.

Anonymous said...

This book is good, also are coco pebbles... this book SUCKED! -Your Favorite Student

Pickles said...

The book was awesome! But I don't know why it's written in poem form

Anonymous said...

What is the theme? Hope?

Anonymous said...

This book is bittersweet, very heartfelt. For the most part it was serius, but some parts were pretty funny. I feel so bad for Kek, I just wanted hug him and say everything's gonna be okay. And the theme is realistic fiction, maybe ppatience. I don't know why, but I REALLY like the cow. Guess I'm a big animal lover. I just want to read this book over and over again to infinity and beyond! I suggest everyone should read this, especially anyone who's hopeless.

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Anonymous said...

This book suck and boring so much

Anonymous said...

Fuck you. It was amazing;)

Tabitha said...

Is this a non-fiction book?

Anonymous said...

What is the theme?

Anonymous said...

this book is so boring i every time i read it i feel asleep this book sucks balls....................... jk it was a really good book

Anonymous said...

I liked this book a lot. Great book

Anonymous said...

suck my d*** home of the brave

Nazzi's journal said...

I love this book

Anonymous said...

i choose you!

Anonymous said...

I loved this book. It is a very bittersweet book.Im sure all of us can learn life lessons from this book

Unknown said...

Home of the brave isn't a particularly noteworthy book but it is a reasonably decent read.

Unknown said...

I love this BOOK

Unknown said...

The book is good and I like the book

Unknown said...

YES!!!!!!!.Is the is book is good!!!!!!.