Why a Booktrail?
2000s: A Belgian family welcomes a Syrian refugee into their home
Misplaced Persons
What you need to know before your trail
The Yardley family is fracturing.
Eighteen years since their move to Brussels and the future is clouded with uncertainty for Neil, a Brit, American Marcy and their three Belgian-born children. Wrapped up in their own worries, Neil and Marcy fail to see how much their middle child, Alec, is struggling. When Marcy offers shelter to a young Syrian refugee, it triggers an explosive train of events that affects every member of the family.
Locations
Reset- Belgium - Brussels
- A: Molenbeek
- B: Saint-Gilles
- C: Ixelles
- D: Uccle
- E: Place de la Bourse
Travel Guide
Brussels as the focus of the state of the world
Against a backdrop of growing terror threats and Europe’s worst refugee crisis since the Second World War, Misplaced Persons astutely explores miscues and misunderstandings, the strength of family bonds and the meaning of home.
The setting of Brussels is interesting. The centre of the political world when you take the EU and NATO into the mix. A place for many displaced people since many people live here for only a few years before moving on to their next diplomatic post.
There are many real life events and stories in this novel which makes this very relevant and timely.
It also gives an interesting view of Brussels and Belgium:
“Belgians have no illusions of grandeur. I mean, look at then: they’ve been invaded and annexed by …’
Everytime, he said.
“They only exist because bigger, more powerful countries decided that they should.”
“They’re home to NATO and the EU,’ he said.”
“I’d say that’s not too bad.”
“They got NATO because France kicked the Americans out and the EU because their country came first in the alphabet.”
BookTrail Boarding Pass: Misplaced Persons
Destination/location: Brussels Author/guide: Susan Beale Departure Time: 2000s
Back to ResultsWhere Next?
