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Guidroz, Rukhsanna

Samira Surfs

416 pp. | Penguin/Kokila | June, 2021 | Trade ISBN 978-1-9848-1619-1 $17.99
(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Fahmida Azim. "Water can trick us," believes eleven-year-old Samira, recounting how the river had swallowed her grandparents as her family fled persecution in Burma. As unregistered Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, mired in poverty, resented by locals, and under constant fear of deportation, Samira's family lives in the shadows. Selling snacks on the beach to support her loved ones, Samira feels the acute loss of home, family, and c­ommunity. As she befriends other girls like her, and they learn to surf in secret, her relationship to water changes from ­trepidation to exhilaration. When she decides to take part in a surfing competition, Samira must navigate stringent gender norms; happily, the girls band together to uplift one another. Interspersed with black-and-white sketches, the spare verse contrasts Samira's carefree past and her present-day reality. Exploring fear and freedom in equal measure, the author presents a complex picture by relating the historical oppression and political exclusion of the Rohingya with Samira's trauma and the challenges of resettlement. Samira's ability to be both "grateful and angry" gives her a multifaceted personality that draws readers' empathy. Samira's story (one of few that highlight the plight of the Rohingya refugee community; see also the 2019 picture book The Unexpected Friend) is a testament to how inner courage and the spirit of sisterhood can help brave any storm.
Reviewer: Sadaf Siddique | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2021

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