This book explores the refugee experience of people from El Salvador, Iran, Vietnam, Cuba, Czechoslovakia and Poland. The scope is local (St. John's), national (Canada), and international, thus providing a broad context in which to comprehend the process of becoming a refugee, seeking asylum, waiting for resettlement and the aftermath of the arrival in Canada. Gilad examines the roles of institutions and individuals who share everyday responsibility for the refugee who has reached Canada with the prospect of opportunity in a safe haven.

Lisa Gilad's profile page

"Dr. Gilad combines a command of the law in Canada, a knowledge of the ways and means by which refugees reach North America from a variety of countries, and a compassion for her subjects which makes this a significant work."

Stephen Keller, author of Uprooting and Social Change

"Gilad provides a model for narratives on rapid change. That she can have pulled together a vast range of clues and bits drawn from this rapidly changing social universe, and fashioned a coherent overall argument, is a first- rate piece of work."

Nancy Donnelly, American Anthropologist