Katherine Paterson,
The Day of the Pelican
Clarion Books, 2010.

Ages 9-12

The Day of the Pelican recounts the persecution and flight of an Albanian Kosovar family, the Lleshis during the tumultuous years of conflict between the Albanian Kosovars and the Serbs in Kosovo in the late 1990s.  The story is told from the point-of-view of the oldest daughter, Meli, who is eleven years old at the start of the narrative.  Meli is living comfortably in an apartment in the city of Kosovo with her parents, Baba and Mama, her older brother Mehmet, and her two younger brothers Isuf and Adil when the hostilities break out between the two groups.  The Serbs, led by Slobodan Milisovec, are on the verge of ethnically cleansing the territory from its majority Albanian population.  Already, the atmosphere is charged with fear and suspicion when one day – the notorious Day of the Pelican as it is henceforth referred to by Meli – Mehmet disappears after not returning home from school. After the eventual return of Mehmet several days later, the Lleshis are forced to abandon their home in Kosovo, heading first into the mountains and eventually to a refugee camp.  From there, the family leaves for the United States. 

The Lleshi family’s mettle, loyalty and honor is tested at every turn by their circumstances. Author Paterson has maintained through the character of Meli, an even-handed account of both the events of this particular family’s narrative and, more broadly, of this complex conflict between ethnic groups. Meli is a thoughtful, observant girl and is aware that she must, above all, not be poisoned by the hatred and resentment she witnesses all around her.  She is particularly concerned about Mehmet who has become unwittingly embroiled in the conflict as a young male, abruptly initiated into manhood by circumstances that single him out as a potential recruit for the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA.).  That the family escapes intact is in itself a minor miracle, but when they come to the United States, they must also face the specter of racial discrimination against them, as Muslims in a post 9/11 world. 

The Day of the Pelican is an engaging read about the Albanian-Serb conflict in Kosovo, told in an astute and nuanced manner by seasoned children’s book author, Katherine Paterson.

Sally Ito
August 2010