The Illegal: A riveting tale that resonates with a refugee living in Sudbury

Morning North7:04Canada Reads - The Illegal by Lawrence Hill - local analysis

Canada Reads is coming soon. We asked 5 people from the Greater Sudbury Public Library to read one of the books in this year's competition. Anna Slusarczyk, the interlibrary loans technician, shared her thoughts on The Illegal by Lawrence Hill.

Canada Reads 2016 is all about starting over. All five books in this annual CBC book contest centre on themes of transformation and second chances; stories about people choosing — or being forced to choose — a dramatically different course in life.

Anna Slusarczyk, the interlibrary loans technician at the Greater Sudbury Public Library, reflects on The Illegal by Lawrence Hill:

"I really enjoyed the book, as well as other works by Lawrence Hill.  I also felt drawn to its themes due to my own past. I relate to the book as a person whose family came to Canada as refugees from Poland.

I think we can all relate to a time where we had to start over in our lives, and some are just more dramatic than others.

Beginning when my family fled Poland when I was a child, to moving to Sudbury with my husband three years ago, I seem to "start over" every few years — trying to find a place to live, a new job, new friends.  All these things make you change as a person and discover new things about yourself.

When I was seven years old, my family left Poland to go on a 'vacation' to Greece and we never went back.  We stayed in Greece for about two years waiting to be allowed into Canada as refugees.  We then moved to Thompson, Man. and started our lives in Canada.

As a child, I did not experience the hardships my parents went through to get us here.  I just remember not speaking any English and not fitting in when I first got here, changing schools and trying to make new friends."