Reema is a 12 year old Syrian refugee who has moved to Glasgow in Scotland. She takes up running because it helps her to remember her home in Syria.

Caylin is also a runner - but for very different reasons. Caylin is lonely, but would not admit it.

The two girls are nothing alike, yet when they discover a fox that is injured - one that has a family of cubs to take of - the two girls conspire to keep the knowledge of the fox's existence a secret,

It is that shared secret that ultimately leads to a friendship between these two unlikely allies.

The fact that the author works with displaced persons is evident in the writing of this book. They say to write about what you know, and in this book - it works out beautifully.

With the current refugee crisis, this is the perfect time to pick up this book.

Definitely deserving of the highest rating 5 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is the story of a fox, who unites two girls that feel they have nothing in common.

One is a Syrian refugee who has lost everything and the other is a girl who has lost her grandparents, and her mother has spiraled into such a depression that she does nothing but drink all day.

But, both girls discover a fox who has had kits (baby foxes), and they each, independently feel that they must save both the mother fox, who is injured, as well as her offspring.

And no, this isn't hokey. Caylin is bad, she steals, and she threatens little kids, and she is unpleasant. And poor Reema is her neighbor, and she doesn't understand what is going on with her, because Caylin won't let her.

Very natural and heartbreaking story. Each of their names translates to the name in the title. Caylin Todd translates to Fox Girl, and Reema's name means a White Gazelle.

Told in two voices, so we can see how Reema is viewing Glasgow, and her new world, and how Caylin is viewing it as well.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

I apologize, but I was unable to read this book from Netgalley. For some reason it downloaded sideways and I was not able to fix it to be able to read it. I hope to get a printed copy to review some day. I am only giving it a star rating because the site will not let me leave it blank.

Reema and her family have just arrived in Scotland after fleeing from Syria. But, Jamal, Reema's older brother got separated from them and is missing and her father suffered from a chemical attack and has seizures. Can their family ever mend?
Caylin's mom is a mess after the death of her grandfather. Caylin is a mess too - she pretends to be tough, steals things, hides her lisp, and puts up a wall. Can they ever get back to the way they were?
A mother fox injured with 5 babies. Both Reema and Caylin find them and start to take care of them. Can the foxes bring Reema and Caylin together?
A really nice story of friendship, belonging, freedom, and hope. Very well done.

<i>The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle</i> is one of those books that really makes you think. Victoria Williamson has done an absolutely fantastic job capturing the lives and the stories of these two young girls; Reema, a refugee from Syria, and Caylin, the daughter of an impoverished alcoholic who responds to her struggles by stealing and bullying. Bound by the responsibility of caring for an injured fox and her newborn cubs, these two girls from very different worlds slowly befriend and understand each other, building a truly life changing friendship together. And as the two take care of the fox, they end up taking care of each other.

This is one of those stories that truly builds on your emotions, taking them in entirely different directions throughout the course of the novel. You find yourself hurting as the characters hurt, crying with and for them with each new piece of themselves that you learn. I was immensely impressed with Williamson’s novel, with the level of depth and development that the two main girls in her book had. Even the secondary characters have some of the most exceptional development I’ve ever seen.

Not only does this novel have amazing characters, but it has truly exceptional backstories for each of them. Readers get to see the friendship between these two young women build slowly and evolve for each of them in their time of need. The diversity in the story is something that I think many people need to be exposed to and this story is an excellent way of opening ones eyes to the experiences of other people. I was really impressed with this novel and taken on quite an emotional ride throughout the course of it. <i>The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle</i> is a story of friendship and of the healing that it can bring and it is definitely one worth reading.

<i>I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle
by Victoria Williamson
Myrick Marketing & Media, LLC

Kelpies
Children's Fiction , Middle Grade
Pub Date 14 Sep 2018


I am reviewing The Fox Girl and White Gazelle through Kelpies and Nethalley:





Reema remembers her life in Syria by running. Caylin runs to see if she can find what she has lost.


Reema is a refugee trying to find her place in Glasgow, she finds herself having to learn a new language and she is without her brother.


Caylin is Reema’s Glasgweian neighbor. Lonely, Caylin lashes out, but one day the girls find an injured fox and her cubs hiding on their estate, causing the girls to form a wary friendship. Soon the girls start to realize they are more a like than they could have imagined, both girls love to run. As the girls begin to believe in themselves and others again they realize home is the people you love.


I give The Fox and the White Gazelle five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

This is such alheartwarming coming-of-age story of redemption, friendship, and hope. The character development made me fall in love with both main characters and kept me longing for a happy ending! I like how this story also speaks to immigration and poverty.

File errors forced me to find an alternative ARC for this work, but it was worth the trouble. Young readers will enjoy this story about friendship, loss, and the sense of displacement. It's also one of the few works about refugees that I've come across that targets this subset of young readers.

This is my new favorite book. It's a beautifully written book in three voices. One voice belongs to Caylin, a girl who is trying to cope with her alcoholic and mostly absent mother. One voice belongs to Reema, a girl who's family has fled from Syria, after suffering terribly. The third voice belongs to a female fox who has been badly injured and subsequently gives birth to a little of pups that she can't feed. All three of these voices blend together to make a story that is moving and wonderful. This is a story that everyone should read.