With all of the static across our country and in Washington about immigration, refugees, and the place of “newcomers” in our society, there is no more relevant nor more timely book right now than this. Thorpe spent a year at South High School in Denver in a class designated for “newcomers” – children who have arrived in the United States as refugees, usually from conflict or war zones, often having had serious lapses in schooling, and with virtually no resources. Her year-long immersion in the lives of the students, their families, and the teachers and school administrators produced a rich chronicle of how children work to adapt to a new place, culture, and system. As with her two previous books about people in transition, Thorpe tells this story with insight, compassion, and urgency. A must read as the immigration debate rages on in our country.