The Wall and the Wind

by Veselina Tomova

Overview

In the middle of the twentieth century in Eastern Europe, a young girl dreams of adventures near and far. One day, a huge wall appears that separates East from West, and dreamer from dreams. No ladder is high enough, no tunnel deep enough to get past that wall. But then a crack appears in the wall, and the girl (now a woman) knows she has the chance to follow her dreams again.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781927917329
Publisher:	Running the Goat
Publication date:	01/26/2021
Pages:	38
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.25(d)
Age Range:	6 - 8 Years

About the Author

Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, Veselina Tomova graduated from Leipzig's School of Graphic Art and Book Design before moving to Newfoundland. She has illustrated books in Germany, Bulgaria and Canada, including the children's books Star's Island, Maggie & Hero, An Old Man's Winter Night: Ghostly tales and Spirited Away: Fairy stories of old Newfoundland. She lives in St. John's, Newfoundland, in a small house overlooking the harbour.

Editorial Reviews

2020-10-13
A young girl seems to lead an idyllic life somewhere in post–World War II Eastern Europe.

Happy in her rural home and safe in the care of a loving family, the girl longs to extend her reach and uses her art to create an imagined world that she can visit in her dreams. The narrative shifts suddenly, and the girl is now in East Berlin in the shadow of the Berlin Wall, her dreams unfulfilled, her person trapped and unable to leave. How many years have passed and what happened in the interim are never explained. The narrative jumps ahead 30 more years, and the protagonist is a mother with a young son when the Berlin Wall finally crumbles. She and her little boy take a brave leap and end up in Newfoundland, where they can build a new life in the crisp, wild wind of a rugged land with beauty of its own. The author’s note reveals it’s her own story, narrated in descriptive, emotional language. Illustrations employ rich tones and deep textures conveying both her beloved homeland and her beautiful adopted home while the dreariness and despair of East Berlin are seen in dull grays, khakis, and browns. It is a powerful tale, but there are significant stumbles in its telling. As well as wondering at huge chunks of missing time and events, young readers might believe that Canada is next door to Berlin. The note provides some clarifying information.

In spite of flaws, the poignant longing for freedom shines through. (Picture book/memoir. 5-10)

Kirkus Reviews