Cold White Sun

Cold White Sun is a fictionalized account of a real refugee and his harrowing journey to Canada. To protect his identity and that of his family who remain in Ethiopia, Sue Farrell Holler uses the pseudonym Tesfaye. She deftly obscures true facts with fictionalized elements to further secure the identity of the heroic boy at the centre of the story. The friendship developed between Holler and “Tesfaye” is apparent as she treats his story with care and compassion. The book begins in 1991 with the revolution that overthrew Dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam. When Tesfaye’s father is arrested, the boy flees for his life, first to his mother’s village, then Kenya, and finally on to Canada, arriving in Toronto in the middle of a Canadian winter. He has no family, no friends, and no money, and yet he finds a way to survive and make Canada his home.

The novel compellingly deals with tough subjects, such as war and refugees, while not shying away from the racism Tesfaye experiences in Canada; at one point he describes feeling like an exhibit in a museum. The writing, descriptive and beautiful, is well-suited to a narrative that asks young adult readers to examine their prejudices, focus on empathy, and develop acceptance and understanding. You never know the depth of someone else’s story.

For reasons of subject matter, I recommend this book to high school students. An excellent addition to a school library, Cold White Sun is a lovingly crafted narrative that is stranger-than-fiction.