In North Africa in the 1940s, two men – Bill, an Australian and Rolf, a German – confront each other in a one-to-one fight in the vicious battles around Tobruk. Both are forever scared physically and mentally. Later, when Rolf is fighting in Italy, he learns of the Dresden fire bombing, deserts and returns home to find his family dead or dying. Rolf flees Germany and takes the identity of a dead companion, winding up in a displaced persons camp in France, from where he eventually migrates to Australia. The Australians meanwhile are withdrawn from North Africa and fight in the Pacific. In Papua-New Guinea, Bill is exposed to the horrors of jungle warfare and is invalided out of the army.

Five years after the War, Bill and Rolf meet each other by chance in Australia without knowing who the other is, and strike up a working relationship. Some of the locals resent the arrival of German migrants and Rolf is the subject of abuse and violence. When Rolf and Bill’s sister Elaine fall in love, family resistance is strengthened. Rolf eventually realises that it was Bill who wounded him in North Africa and must decide whether to forgive and forget or whether to seek revenge.

Refugee is a moving, stunning piece of literature that enthralled, entertained and enchanted me from the very first page! Everything about this contemporary piece of fiction was exciting; the characters, as well as the beautiful setting of settings the reader gets to experience and the incredible literature courtesy of the wonderful Reece Pocock, made me fall madly in love with this book. Refugee is a piece of fiction that will captivate readers from all genres thanks to the many themes that are interwoven between the pages. This book can only be described as a read that should not be missed! If you are looking to read a book that will grasp your attention from the first page and hold it throughout then already I would implore you lovely readers to read this book because it is utterly brilliant!

Refugee is a novel about two families who are brought together at the backdrop of war. It is a poignant, incredible family saga that will take readers on a journey across years so that we can see the characters develop and grow. It makes for a beautiful story that should not be missed.

The story of Refugee is an incredibly dynamic, unique piece of work that took my breath away on more than one occasion, the pacing of this story was wonderfully written and plotted so that I did not get bored at any given time. Never once did I find myself referring to the page number and that is a sure sign that this incredible book is a compelling piece of work that draws the reader in and captivates them to read it quickly and to reach the end of the book very fast!

The excellent author of this novel, Reece Pocock effortlessly takes the reader on a thrilling journey; Pocock’s words managed to keep me intrigued as well as entertained as I raced through this book. It is the kind of book that is impossible to put down, and when I had to I longed for it! I wanted to be reunited with the story I had grown to love and the characters I had become invested in.

Reece Pocock is a talented and a well-accomplished author who has written an unforgettable novel that features heavily on its characters and themes. Pocock’s characters are superb, and I think every reader will be able to find an attribute they like in them.  They are believable, and their narratives jump right off the page and into the reader’s minds. This is another thing… Pocock has managed to create a vivid picture in my mind of this setting he has established. His sometimes long, descriptive sentences, captured my imagination and made me turn the pages like a mad woman! He is a pure talent, and for that, he deserves all the praise in the world.

To summarize my thoughts on the charismatic novel that is Refugee; I would say if you are a reader who Is tired of reading the same old books that are lackluster and forgettable then take a chance with this one because I promise you now that you will not be disappointed! This incredible book gets Five Stars from me!