RECOGNITION AND REVIEWS

• A Junior Library Guild Selection

• A Kirkus Top 10 Middle-Grade Summer Read

★ “Debut author Lee paints this gripping and emotional midwinter escape with the eye of a wartime journalist and the determined  heart of a young girl.” 

-- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "Through her journey, Sora transforms from a precocious girl into a courageous and intelligent hero. Lee captures Sora's internal journey alongside the physical one, and in the process details the struggles of a refugee from the ground level. . . . An amazing debut and an important book that explores a part of history few younger readers are taught in school."

-- Booklist, starred review

-- Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "A moving, suspenseful refugee story, based loosely on the author's mother's experiences, the book is at heart a poignant exploration of a girl's struggle against traditional female roles and her determination to succeed on her own terms."

★ "With an artful and expressive narrative voice, and inspiration drawn from her mother's experiences in Korea as a young woman, debut novelist Lee enthralls and enlightens."

-- School Library Journal, starred review

"In its portrayal of hardship and survival, 'Brother's Keeper' joins a rich tradition of stories about children on wartime journeys"

-- The Wall Street Journal

"The narrative makes a painful reality of the deprivation that people faced when fleeing their homes . . . At its heart, Brother’s Keeper is about families and how they overcome hardship and loss. The Korean War and Korean culture act as a powerful setting for this work, and the strength and sorrow of Sora and Youngsoo are haunting."

-- Foreword  Reviews

"Lee's Brother's Keeper is a compelling #OwnVoices middle-grade novel that is both edifying and inspiring...Overlapping historical accuracy with personal testimony, Lee presents a nuanced story of strength, tenacity and everlasting family bonds."

-- Shelf Awareness

• A Kirkus Best Middle Grade Book of 2020

• A Booklist Top 10 First Novels for Youth 2020