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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

“My mom used to say that you have two hands: one to help yourself, and one to help others. So yes, I think it’s a good thing.” Then she sighed. “Though sometimes I wonder if the hand we use to help others moves a bit slower and with a little less purpose than the one we use to help ourselves.”

And with that, she closed the door.

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18

Operation Safe Haven

In the first few days of June, the refugees would start arriving in Point Nepean.

It was on the news every night. We’d all started watching a little more quietly, paying closer attention. Just like Luca had said, about four hundred of the refugees would be coming to the Quarantine Station in the national park, overlooking Ticonderoga Bay.

They’d be flown from the emergency camps outside of Kosovo, land at Melbourne Airport, and then be driven on dozens of buses down to Point Nepean.

“Guess the cat’s out of the bag then,” Luca said, and Anika reached for his hand.

The government had also come up with a name for their plans to bring the refugees here: Operation Safe Haven.

One morning in class, Keira asked Mr. Khouri what the word haven actually meant and what it would mean to have a safe one nearby.

Fifth grade had been practicing synonyms, and Mr. Khouri said that’s what haven, refuge, and sanctuary were—all synonyms for the same thing. A safe place.

Then Sam stuck his hand up to ask if refuge and refugee were connected.

Mr. Khouri nodded. “They both mean, in a roundabout sort of way, ‘to flee’—to seek safety elsewhere, because your life is in danger.”

Sam stuck his hand up again, and Mr. Khouri raised his eyebrows, telling him to go on.

“I know there’s a war on, and that’s why they’re coming here, but . . . what is the war about?”

We were supposed to be discussing fractions, but it felt like the whole school—even the entire town—just wanted to talk about Operation Safe Haven.

Mr. Khouri eventually sighed and put down the chalk he was using to draw pie charts on the blackboard. He grabbed his chair and dragged it to the front of the room, and then sat down before us. The words Not all those who wander are lost were still staring down on us, and I guess Mr. Khouri was going to let us do some wandering around the questions we had for him.

“I don’t really know what the war is about, Samuel—it’s very complicated, but it basically started when the state that used to be called Yugoslavia started to break up into different countries. . . .”