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Back The Year the Maps Changed Save as PDF
Chapters (75)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. Map
  6. Prologue
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. Acknowledgments
  74. About the Author
  75. About the Publisher

“That’s why you don’t want to go back there anymore?” Pop asked, and Luca nodded.

“How can you do that?” I whispered.

Luca rubbed a hand over his face. “I gave my time there and now it’s all wrapping up, there’s nothing to be done.”

“It’s meant to be a haven!” I said. “That’s a port in the storm, a place to stay that’s safe—and they’re making them go away.”

“Those who have a reason to stay, will,” Luca said, and then he raised his hand before I could speak again. “I am sorry that you feel that way, Winifred—but there’s nothing we can do. Trust me, we tried.”

I shook my head.

“Anika,” I said, and she looked at me with sad eyes. “You said that we have two hands—one to help ourselves and one to help others. So why can’t we—”

“Stop!” Luca snapped, louder than I think he meant to. He rubbed his face again.

“In case you haven’t noticed, we can barely help ourselves right now.”

My eyes began to water, and Sam fidgeted nervously in his seat next to me.

“There is just too much tragedy and awfulness in this world, Winifred—and some of it is just too big to bear if we don’t have to.”

He came to me then, cupped the back of my head with one of his big hands, and bent down to kiss my forehead. When his hand fell away, he said, “We’re done here.”

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48

Changing the Landscape

Keira stopped hanging out with us by October and around the time that I discovered Nora hadn’t been sent home yet, and Mr. Khouri appeared in the local paper.

We were sitting at our usual spot on the rocks. Ever since Sam and I told our friends what Luca had said about the announcements, we’d been scouring the paper for news of the haven.

That day, the paper said NATO had dropped a bunch of cluster bombs months ago, and that thousands of the tiny bombs were lying undetonated. They could go off and kill people if they were disturbed. At the safe haven, refugees were being taught how to detect and avoid the bombs for when they eventually went home.

“Little kids are learning how to find bombs?” Aidan asked, horrified.

Jed nodded. “My dad says it’s wrong that they’re teaching them to avoid bombs instead of keeping them here, where it’s safe, until the bombs are all gone.”

Jed turned the page and his eyes widened. There was a photo of Mr. Khouri standing at the gated entrance to the haven; he was staring at the camera, his arms crossed and a serious expression on his face.