The Newcomers

Finding Refuge, Friendship, and Hope in an American Classroom

By: Helen Thorpe

Narrated by: Kate Handford

Offering a nuanced and transformative take on immigration, multiculturalism, and America's role on the global stage, The Newcomers follows and reflects on the lives of 22 immigrant teenagers throughout the course of their 2015-2016 school year at Denver's South High School.

Unfamiliar with American culture or the English language, the students range from the ages of 14 to 19 and come from nations struggling with drought, famine, or war. Many come directly from refugee camps, and some arrive alone, having left or lost every other member of their family. Their stories are poignant and remarkable, and at the center of their combined story is Mr. Williams: the dedicated and endlessly resourceful teacher of their English Language Acquisition class - a class which was created specifically for them and which will provide them with the foundation they need to face the enormous challenges of adapting to life in America.

©2017 Helen Thorpe (P)2017 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Every American Should Read This!

Truth about refugees and the difficulty of resettling in the U.S. Eye opening truth.

Loved it!!

Holding out for HOPE, in a time saturated in fear! Helen Thorpe does a wonderful job of humanizing people (refugees) that many in society do not see, who are condemned by stereotype, and thus feared and targeted. Ms. Thorpe brings these unknown fellow world citizens to life!

Excellent!

This gave language to my experience as a teacher and offered such helpful insight into the lives of my students. Thank you for writing it!

Excellent writing!

Very informative and taught me a lot! I work in education but this book can teach any person about things that most of us take for granted. The characters" struggles were unbelievable... something I thank God my children and I have never had to face.

Huge eye opener!!!!

Excellent book

An excellent and timely book that provides a close look at teenage refugees in a Denver Colorado high school. Goes behind and beyond the current headlines about refugees.

Best One Yet!

I liked this the best of Ms Thorpe's book. The character development in all her books is excellent and she does a nice job of reporting context without judgment. She reports on the consequences she witnesses. In this sense, she presents a journalist view. It is obviously difficult to see some of those consequences when she has been close to her subjects for a year... Some might mistake her lamentations as fake news, I understood it as just news. The reader also did a good job of balancing author's emotions and care without sounding preachy.

A timely book to challenge and expand my perspective

The flow, the vivid and diverse descriptions of the students’ struggles and triumphs were depicted throughout, Courage, tenacity, confusion, faith, persistence, focus, and caring were constantly exemplified by students, parents, teachers and social workers and volunteers. I welcomed the sharing of this story each time I continued listening. The reader’s voice definitely added to my appreciation.

Fantastic!!!

Sheds an incredible light on the plight and triumphs of refugees in America!! Wonderful book!

Great read!

What a wonderful intimate look to refugees in America. This books offers a window into the challenges and obstacles they face bit also their complex understanding of surviving.
It reaffirmed the experiences I’ve had working with Newcomers and gave me hope for their future!

A must read for these troubled times

When Helen Thorpe set out to write this story, she had no way of knowing that Trump’s election would change the trajectory of her narrative in such a dramatic and painful way. That makes it even more imperative that more people read this book. It is at once heart breaking and heart warming on a grand scale. Easily one of the best books I’ve read in recent years.