Between Two Worlds — Joan Lingard

Continuing the story of the Latvian refugee family begun in Tug of War , this sequel opens with the Petersons' arrival in Canada, ready to make a new start after their country was lost to the Soviet Union in WW II. The twins, Astra and Hugo, quickly realize that their troubles are not over as they struggle to make ends meet and still try to get an education. Yet because the family survived together and escaped from the horror of wartime Europe, Toronto's hardships--including cruel bosses and landladies--seem minor. While less dramatic than the earlier novel, Lingard succeeds in describing the Petersons' continuing vicissitudes: Astra begins to date, Hugo falls in love again. Evidence of their recovery from the trauma of war will please devotees of Lingard and her fictional clan. Ages 12-up. (Sept.)