gregfielder 's review for:

Outcasts United: A Refugee Team, an American Town by Warren St. John

4.0

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Luma Mufleh grew up in a very priveleged family in Jordan, and then came to the US for college. After she finished, she decided – much to the displeasure of her father and family – to stay in the US and make it on her own. After bouncing around a little, she ended up in the Atlanta area, and began a youth soccer program for children of refugees (from Africa, Europe and the middle East) who had settled in the area. She not only helped the kids by coaching their soccer teams, but also by investing in their lives, including their parents. She developed a tutoring program to help the kids – often struggling with English – in their schoolwork, and help their parents in myriad ways with adjusting to a new culture. This is a fascinating and beautiful story about people from many cultures around the world coming together and making a difference in each others’ lives.