Leila has lived in London with her aunty and her cousin since fleeing Damascus with her mum. However, six years ago, Leila's mum left London and Leila, and moved to Norway to work as a meteorologist. Leila hasn't seen her since but, now she is journeying alone to Tromsø to spend the summer with her. Leila is nervous about both the journey and seeing her mum again after so long, and when she lands, she is upset to discover that her mum has sent a friend to collect her as she is too busy at work, securing funding for her research into an Arctic fox she has been tracking. Then, only a day or two later, Leila is taken on another journey, aboard The Floe, a boat that will help them find the Arctic fox and continue to track it on its journey.
Kiran Millwood Hargrave has always been a writer whose work I have adored and her collaborative work with Tom is just an amazing enhancement of that - two very talented people combining their work to create a real art form. Julia and the Shark was spellbinding so when I was given the opportunity to receive an early copy of their second book together, I already knew it was going to be something special... and I wasn't wrong.
Leila and the Blue Fox is a book to be savoured, to be read at a slower pace so that you can take in everything that is being shared. It's a book that you will think about between reading sessions and one that will undoubtedly stay with you after you have finished reading the final words. Based on a true story of an Arctic fox that walked over 2,000 miles in 76 days, that was tracked by scientists, Hargrave and de Freston have used this as the basis of the novel. They have then seamlessly woven in the story of Leila and her journey through her life, first as a migrant fleeing Syria with her mum, aunty and cousin, and then again, her journey to her mum as well as the journey they make together, tracking the fox whilst trying to rebuild their relationship.
Leila is a complex character, who has a settled life in England with her aunty and cousin. She has buried her journey out of Damascus but this new expedition opens up old memories for her. She clearly feels lonely and uncertain, after all, she and her mum haven't seen each other for six years and she is hurting on several levels - they are essentially strangers trying to navigate the rebuilding of a relationship, both tiptoeing around each other, not knowing what to say. There were so many times when I wanted to reach into the book to hug and comfort Leila. It's a powerful journey she makes with her mum, both in her rediscovery of memories of her pervious life, as well as the rebuilding of their relationship.
I cannot fail to mention Miso too, the Arctic fox who is at the centre of the scientists' work. Innocent and focussed only on finding where she truly needs to be, she is looking for nothing more than food and a home. The sections that focus on the story from Miso's point of view are incredibly effective and highlight the plight of these animals in the current climate.
The illustrations that are woven into the book are beautiful and perfectly compliment the story being told; they are worth pausing over and studying in their own right and I cannot wait to see them in their full glory in the final book.
There are so many powerful messages raised within the pages of this book: environmental issues and climate change; migration and people who to flee their homeland in order to seek a safer life; family relationships and the things we do for our families; the sense of belonging and love.
Leila and the Blue Fox is a beautifully told tale full of love and it will draw you in and tug at your heart in so many ways. It's a stunning book and one I know I will be reading again. Released on the 29th September, this is a book to pre-order.
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