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“Fishman honors Sullivan’s work in turning around a previously failing school and caring for students, and fosters understanding for the disparate yet shared trauma of student refugee experiences.”

— Booklist

“In Refugee High, Elly Fishman creates this wondrous tapestry of stories, of young people looking for a home. With deep, immersive reporting, Fishman pulls us off a triumph of empathy. Their tales and their school speak to the best of who we are as a nation -- and their struggles, their joys, their journeys will stay with you.”

— Alex Kotlowitz, author of "There Are No Children Here"

“Fishman delivers sharp individual portraits … the book is well researched and compassionate.”

— Kirkus Review

“An intimate and moving chronicle ... a powerful portrait of resilience in the face of long odds.”

— Publishers Weekly

“Fishman examines the concept of the American Dream in the context of the American education system with stunning clarity and insight”

— Lit Hub

“As the only refugee in a 1990s Oklahoma high school, I used to have fantasies like this: what if a school existed that represented the wider world, everyone displaced, everyone applying for the same papers, pockets of society not defined by ill-fitting American markers, but following the precise contours of my own continent, its many faiths and colors? Refugee High is the realization of that daydream. A deep dive into an experiment I’ve always wanted to witness, meticulously researched, lovingly written, and rich in revelation.”

— Dina Nayeri, author of "The Ungrateful Refugee"