One-way ticket by Iona McNaughton. Meg is Canadian, she was born and raised there. Her father is from New Zealand and when Meg's mother dies his homesickness worsens. He wants to go back to the place of his childhood memories, where his family lives. However Meg does not want to leave, her friends and everything she knows is there. Her grand parents offer to pay for an one-way ticket for the two. Meg refuses at first but later agrees to move to New Zealand but in the condition that it is only until september when year 10 starts, and if by that period if she still doesn't like it they will go back to Canada. While in New Zealand she makes a friend who betrays her and her father starts falling in love.
She tries everything to take her Dad away from this relationship and to go back as early as possible. However by the end she starts to realise that everything is not about her, she accepts that it is her father's turn to be happy and so they stay in New Zealand. She does have plans to go back to Canada and study French in an university there.
This novel had some agonising parts while others that were just boring. Although the story and book is not that good I would recommend it more to reflect on what it means. Nowadays that catching a plane is so easy many people are moving away from their home countries. This novel depicts a typical story of what happens. It is something that will be relatable to many and to those who haven't experienced it will learn something from it. It is hard for someone not to miss the country, where all their memories, childhood experiences and customs are from. There will always be positives and negatives and it is a matter of the person deciding what they want to let go off for them to adapt. I think this book really shows it as both her and her father had to go through this, each came out with a different solution but both of them had to make compromises and respect each others feelings.
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