Before George

Before George by Deborah Robertson is a really emotional book about a girl named Maryna who moves from South Africa to New Zealand with her mom and sister. They’re escaping something, but right at the start, we find out that Maryna is super mad at her mom for making her change her name. But before she can even figure out what’s going on, something terrible happens: the train they’re on crashes because of a landslide, and Maryna gets thrown into a freezing river. Miraculously, she survives, but her mom and sister don’t, and she’s left all alone. This event is based on the real Tangawai disaster in New Zealand, which makes the story even more powerful.

After everything happens, Maryna is placed in a new school and has to live in a boarding house. She has to try and fit in, but she’s also hiding the truth about why she’s in New Zealand. She’s stuck between telling people the truth or following the fake story her mom told her while they were on the train. This makes things super complicated, and she ends up learning a lot about herself and what she’s capable of, even when everything seems unfair and sad.

One of the best parts of the book is how it shows George (the new name she has to go by) trying to figure out who she really is. She’s dealing with a lot of tough stuff, like losing her family and learning how to be brave. The book also talks about some serious things like how people treated women in the past, how girls weren’t allowed to do things like ride horses, and how everything is changing for the better today. This made it interesting because we could compare the past to how things are now.

Overall, Before George is a great book about overcoming sadness, finding out who you really are, and understanding that even when life is hard, you can still grow and become a better person. It's a story that will make you think about your own life and how you deal with tough stuff. If you're looking for a story that’s emotional, real, and inspiring, this book is definitely for you!