A middle-grade fiction book full of magical realism.

Gabrielle wants to fit in as much as she wants to make her parents proud. She is one of the lucky ones, kids who "fly away to America.” When she arrives she doesn’t feel lucky. The language is hard, she looks different, her food is different and all she wants is a place to belong.

Aunt Lydia a witch gives Gabrielle three wishes. After Gabrielle’s first wish, she understands the price she will
Pay and swears she won’t make any other wishes.

But as life becomes more difficult and it becomes clear Gabrielle will be sent home in shame, she realizes the only way to save her family from the evil Aunt Lydia is to sacrifice herself.

I enjoyed the fairytale nature of the book. This helped convey serious themes in a way that you readers will understand. Tones of The Little Mermaid and Reminiscent of Jerry Pinckney’s recent retelling of the tale.

There were a few places I felt the author's voice overcame the protagonist’s voice but it was an enjoyable and fast read.

Perfect for readers who love fairytales and also a conversation starter for young children on immigration and prejudice in America.

Thank you to Versify a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an advance reader copy through NetGalley.I was not paid for my review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing this arc in exchange for my honest opinion. 
Gabrielle is a 10 year old Haitian girl who immigrated to the US but without her parents. Living in New York isn’t what she dreamed of and the reality of life outside of all she knows is jarring. The fantasy elements and the deal with the witch were lost on me but overall I think 8-10 year olds would enjoy it.

The Year I Flew Away  by Marie Arnold

Versify, 2021

ISBN-13 : 978-0358272755

Available: Hardcover, Kindle edition, audiobook




Ten-year-old Gabrielle has left her home, family, and friends in Haiti to live in America with family she barely knows. Arriving in New York City in the winter, she is being bullied, having a hard time learning and understanding English and fitting in. She knows better than to trust a witch, but determined to be accepted, she accepts three slices of mango from the witch Lady Lydia. Each piece Gabrielle eats will grant a wish, but take something else away.

Gabrielle is a character who squeezes everything she can out of life. At the beginning of the book, she is mischievous and playful, active, curious, imaginative, loving, strong-minded, and brave. Marie Arnold sets her story to be descriptive of all the senses: flavors, textures, colors, and smells.  As much as Gabrielle loves her home, there is still poverty, hunger, and violence, and her parents, unable to get papers for themselves, decide to send her to America on her own, to stay with her uncle's family. The qualities that serve Gabrielle well in Haiti, though, aren't appreciated or apparent in New York City.

When she meets the witch, Lady Lydia, Gabrielle is wary, but after turning Lady Lydia away several times, Gabrielle finally decides she wants to belong enough to accept the consequences. Lady Lydia warns Gabrielle that if she eats all three pieces of the mango, she will have to give her essence to Lady Lydia. Gabrielle wishes for perfect English, and gains friends (Carmen and a talking rat named Rocky) but she also loses understanding of her home language, Haitian Creole, meaning she can no longer speak to or understand her family. What will the next wish take away? Gabrielle, along with help from her friends, must save herself and her family from Lady Lydia and figure out how to balance fitting in as an American with pride in her Haitian identity.

Arnold does a really wonderful job depicting the varying characters in the book, and addresses skillfully tough issues like racism and anti-immigrant sentiment. She presents a rounded picture of Gabrielle's aunt and uncle, Carmen's large family, and even the girl who bullies her. The tricky Lady Lydia is dramatically and vividly depicted, as is her nearly completed and disturbing spell. This is an entertaining, thoughtful, witchy, #OwnVoices book for middle grade students, and although the protagonist is a little young, could also be enjoyed by middle schoolers. Highly recommended for ages 8--12.




Reviewed by Kirsten Kowalewski

A bright, vibrant & authentic look at the Haitian community in Brooklyn & one young girls newly immigrated experience. The use of fantasy felt authentic to the story & the characters. I really appreciated an in-depth look at the new immigrant experience.

Gabrielle is a 10 year-old from Haiti who moves to America for an opportunity for a better life for her and her family. But the US isn’t the magical place she expected. 
This is a middle grade/early chapter book magic/fantasy novel/parable about being happy for who you are and the beauty of diversity. This is definitely a novel for lower-middle grade with simple, easily understood language and sentiment. Written in first-person from Gabrielle’s perspective, we see the challenges (and dangers) of trying to assimilate completely. Along the way, Gabrielle meets Carmen, whose family is from Mexico, who teaches Gabrielle about true friendship and acceptance. 
The premise was endearing and there were definitely some colorful, kooky characters (like Getz who seems pretty random when he’s introduced), and a talking rat/pet sidekick named Rocky. There are many cultures and customs represented and it’s always magical to see them represented positively! There were a couple plot points I wish would have been more developed and the ending fell a little flat. However, this would be a good addition for any 3rd/4th grade classroom to learn about cultural acceptance.

I really enjoyed this magical realism novel. It was wonderful to read about Haitian culture. I think this is a wonderful book for young readers that will help introduce them to the emotional side of immigration. Moving is scary and being treated differently is tough. Stories like this are important. Humans need to be more aware of how our behaviors affect others, especially children. We need more compassion and acceptance. I loved the messages in this book and I loved reading about Gabrielle's journey as she adjusts to her new life in America. I also loved that the "magical" component is reminiscent of The Little Mermaid (not sure if it was intentional, or if it was just a connection I made because of my Disney obsession). Overall, the writing is definitely geared more towards younger readers, but this is a special book that needs to be shared.

Thank you NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received this e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Ten-year-old Gabrielle Jean lived in a poor section of Haiti with her mother and father when they got great news – they were going to America! The bad news – only Gabrielle could go because something went wrong with her parents’ paperwork. So Gabby flew to New York to stay with her uncle she barely remembers and an aunt and cousins she never met. She soon learns that America is not the paradise the Haitian people thought. When Gabby starts school, she is teased for her accent and not knowing English or how to be American. But all is not lost! Gabby meets a witch who will grant her 3 wishes in exchange for some of her essence. She is reluctant to trust the witch at first but soon gives in to temptation. As Gabby makes her wishes, she starts to lose herself. Can Gabby, with the help of her new friends, make things right again?

This magical realism story from debut author Marie Arnold brings some Haitian culture to those who only know Haiti as a poor Caribbean island that suffered a devastating earthquake 11 years ago. This story takes place in 1985, so no internet or cell phones. It also profiles immigrant stories and the challenges they face adjusting to life in America. While I enjoyed the story, that magical part took up more of the story than I would have liked. I wasn’t too fond of the ending – seemed a bit much. Overall, I would recommend this book for grade 3 and up.

#TheYearIFlewAway #NetGalley

Gabrielle is a 10 year old girl who gets the opportunity to move from Haiti to the US. It's what many kids in her village dream of. And though she'll be far from her parents she's excited all the same. She's heard so many great things about America from the streets being lined with coins and everyone having so much no one needs to pick them up. When she arrives in New York she's shocked and not just by the coldest weather she's ever experienced. Life outside of Haiti isn't as magical as she thought. She can't speak the language and the kids make fun of her. She also finds out money isn't as free flowing in America as she thought. Her aunt and uncle both work three jobs to provide for the family and it seems like the phone never stops ringing with calls to send money back home. And there are people who don't like her family just because they're themselves. If only she could be the perfect American girl.

Just wanting to fit in Gabrielle makes a deal with a witch for 3 wishes in exchange for giving up part of herself each time she makes the wish. And soon Gabrielle finds out the parts of her she looses are the very essence of what makes her. 

I think children in 3rd and 4th grade will enjoy this as it's easy to read and Gabrielle's narrative voice flows as if she is telling a friend a story.  It's a fast paced and easy to read story for them and the magic elements will help keep them engaged. I did wish the author would've used Gabrielle's special gift a little more as it has a big presence in the beginning of the story but not throughout. There's plenty of immigrant representation in this story not only from Haiti but other parts of the world. Being set in 1985 makes for fun pop culture references but this story just as easily could've been set in present day and nothing would change. Reading this in some ways took me back to navigating childhood as the daughter of immigrants. 

I received an advance reader copy from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group in exchange for an honest review.




Originally posted at
https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot.com/2021/02/the-year-i-flew-away-by-marie-arnold.html

Gabrielle, who has immigrated from Haiti, is adjusting to life in America and learns the importance of self-acceptance. Sweet story with a twist of magic.

As a middle grade introduction to magical realism as told through a cultural lens, this is a great beginning. I think this would work well for young readers just learning about magical realism and its place in multicultural literature.

However, I do find the story on the whole to be a bit shallow. Gabrielle is a perfectly likable protagonist, but I do feel that she's missing the depth of emotion I would have expected in an immigrant story. Gabrielle is from Haiti, but as readers we don't get a lot of information about her culture. The novel is set in the 1980s, but other than a few passing mentions of big hair and LL Cool J, there isn't much going on to justify the vaguely historical setting. 

The basics of the magical realism elements are fine, but also shallow; it feels more like poorly executed fantasy than true magical realism, and the plot moves unrealistically quickly. 

Again, it's perfectly fine and might be a good beginning place for young readers, but overall the story feels superficial and only partially done.

The Year I Flew Away follows Gabrielle, who moves from Haiti to Brooklyn. Her parents aren't able to move at the same time as her, so Gabrielle goes to Brooklyn on her own and lives with her aunt, uncle, and cousins who already live there. We see Gabrielle struggle to fit in and feel like she belongs - in an attempt to fix her problems, she makes a deal with a witch and the story really starts from there. The Year I Flew Away addresses racism and anti-immigrant sentiment, what it feels like to be an immigrant, what it's like to want to fit in, and issues of identity. 

When I started this book, I was expecting to really like it, but I feel like it was stronger at the beginning than toward the middle and end. The way that magic worked in this story's world seemed like it was different in the second half than what the author had established in the first half, which kind of threw me off when I was reading. Especially because it felt like there was a lot that was thrown in toward the end.

There are some really great things about this novel that I enjoyed. Gabrielle makes a friend who is a really wonderful friend - someone who likes Gabrielle for who she is, who is comfortable in her own skin, and is not willing to help Gabrielle do something that she doesn't agree with (keeping it vague to not spoil anyone, but I thought it was a powerful message to young people that being a good friend sometimes means you don't agree or go along with your friend's choices). The families we see in this story are all very loving and caring, even when there are stresses.

Overall, I felt like this had a lot of potential and a strong start, but it struggled toward the end. I would pick up Marie Arnold's future works.

When it comes to using this in the classroom, a couple things to note: 1. There's the ableist use of "stupid" a few times throughout this book. 2. An adult makes a joke to another adult about a television actor being "sexy" and it's not necessarily inappropriate or anything, it's very much the sort of comment children might already hear around them, but I think it's worth knowing before deciding if you feel comfortable including this in a classroom library or reading it out loud.

Thank you to NetGalley and HMH Children's Book Group for providing me with an eARC for review.

With thanks to NetGalley for an early copy in return for an honest review.

Gabrielle and her family dream of moving to America from Haiti and finally that dream is going to come true. Except Gabrielle will be moving without her parents. She travels to America on her own to live in Brooklyn with her uncle, aunt, and cousins. America is not the perfect place she imagined it to be and she struggles with wanting to fit in to American culture. Gabrielle meets a witch (a very Haitian element to the story) and wishes to be the perfect American. But wishes do not come free. Gabrielle must decide if the cost is worth it to her.

I appreciated the rich Haitian culture that came through in the book and am looking forward to sharing the book with my Haitian nephews.

i received an electronic ARC from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group through NetGalley. 
So many readers will find themselves somewhere in this story. They are may be the new student who is completely overwhelmed in a different environment or the one who attacks and laughs at others to hide their own insecurities. Gabrielle's story begins in her village in Haiti. Readers see her life there and then see how much her family wants her to have this chance to move to New York. People aren't all kind and Arnold offers a sadly realistic view of the attitudes she faces. In order to fit in, she accepts a deal with a witch and obtains what she thinks she wants - to speak the language and to fit in as an American. Gabrielle is young and doesn't understand the cost involved as she loses her native language and her family in America. Her Haitian heritage is erased from her memory and her life. Through this, she realizes she does have a great friend, Carmen, who accepts her as she is, and that she has the inner strength to share her history and pride in her culture.
The fantasy elements intertwine with the real life situation that Gabrielle is in. Middle grade readers will appreciate the moments of fun and humor along with the deeper themes.

Thanks NetGalley for providing this ebook in exchange for my honest review and opinion. 

I thought this book had a lot of potential.  It starts off with a young girl that is moving to America to live with her Aunt and Uncle while her parents stay behind in Haiti getting their papers together. There was so much rich culture sprinkles throughout, but I would have loved more!!  As Gabrielle settles in, she finds she is picked on due to her looks and accent. She meets a witch who grants her wishes in exchange for her essence. There was more fantasy elements in this book than I expected. Some were extremely random and didn't fit into the storyline very well.

Overall the book was cute,  and I could see 3rd and 4th graders liking it, but any age beyond that would see the plot holes and the weirdness that the book took. Lots of potental, just didn't quite pull it off.

This was a heartfelt debut story of a first generation ten-year-old girl named Gabrielle who immigrates to America from Haiti all by herself. She faces not only a new language to get used to, but the looks, laughs, and not-so-kind words from kids at her school. She did not imagine that her dream place to live would make her doubt herself and get involved with an evil witch to fix it all. Twisted with a bit of magic, this story is one that many readers can easily relate to.

Reading this felt like reading two separate books. In the first half of the book, there was magic that followed a somewhat logical pattern. Gabrielle, having moved to the US from Haiti, longs to be accepted and makes a deal with a witch for three wishes. Each wish takes something from her. What I liked: there’s a clear analogy here for kids who try too hard to assimilate and want to forget their own culture. Gabrielle loses more of her Haitian identity with each wish. 

What I didn’t like: the second half of this book. Random magical rules and devices suddenly dropped in with every page, and it felt like reading one of my students’ writing. Everything was rushed and had convenient devices and was unbearable.

I really loved this book! This book was delightful, filled with many life lessons. I think that children and adults can learn a lot about how to treat others, take pride in your culture and how to be true to yourself from this book. 
It hurt my heart with some of the things Gabrielle had to endure.  Gabrielle is a Haitian native that comes to America to get an education.  Her beautiful story is told within these pages. Along her journey she meets people from different backgrounds and makes choices that turn her world upside down. 
I read this in one sitting. I was sucked in and I loved the culture and the people and everything I learned from this book. 
A much needed middle grade addition to any library. 

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This is a delightful,  action packed, full of life lessons book. Children and adults can learn a lot about how to treat others, take pride in your culture and being true to yourself. There are some hard truths brought forth that may make the book hard to read for some but pushing through the hard stuff can help you fly. Gabrielle is a Haitian native that comes to America to get an education.  Her story is told within these pages. Along her journey she meets people from different backgrounds and makes choices that turn her world upside down. 

Hopefully you'll impart the lessons learned to those around you and make the world, a better place.

Gabrielle leave Haiti to live with her Aunt and Uncle in New York in order to have more opportunities in her life. But leaving her home makes her feel like an outsider when she arrives in the US. She learns the hard way, with a little magic and a witch on the side how to be who she really is and not give up her identity just to fit in. 

This book was spunky and fun, with enough seriousness to make a point and enough silliness to keep it entertaining. Great for 8-10 year olds, especially if they moved from another country or speak another language. And even better for kids born in America to truly understand what immigrant children are going through.  Never preachy or  boring, Gabrielle's story is one that many kids can relate to and parents will understand. Would make a great read-aloud book in the classroom.

What is magical about Marie Arnold's book, In The Year I Felt Away, is the MAGIC! 
Ten-year old Gabrielle moves from Haiti to Brooklyn and struggles to adjust to her new life in America. It seems as though the other kids will never accept her and she will never fit in. That all changes when she meets Lady Lydia. The witch offers Gabrielle three wishes at a "small cost." Arnold's MG book is the perfect addition to classrooms and school libraries. The blend of magical realism with Haitian tradition in this adventure about immigration and cultural identity will spark imaginations while exploring the value of diversity. Definitely purchasing this one!