Linda Crew has been praised for her interest and research into Cambodian refugees for her novel Children of the River. Critics applaud Crew's through research and for her efforts to help kids understand the struggle of refugees after they come to the U.S. The book features a teenager named Sundara who escapes Cambodia with her uncle's family when she's twelve-years-old. In America, she leads a relatively normal high school life, but she is forced to adapt to a culture which she doesn't completely understand. She starts dating this guy named Jonathan, despite her aunt's warning to avoid white boys. Jonathan is kind of a jerk since he already has a girlfriend when he starts talking to Sundara. He quits the football team because of her. When his father leaves for an extended trip, he withdraws from Sundara once more. She starts spending her time with a Cambodian friend named Moni instead. Eventually her bond with family is strengthened once more when her grandma calls all the women together to pray for her, believing she's been possessed by her aunt's dead baby.
The ending of the novel is so bizarre that it demands comment. Grandma is a superstitious old woman who has lived a long life steeped in her native Cambodian culture. Through her character, Sundara is able to reconnect with her homeland and consequently to reintegrate her native culture with her social life. As a result of her grandma's attention because of the alleged possession, she remembers how dear her family is to her. Whether or not Grandma's intention is to help Sundara make amends with her cultural heritage, she does give Sundara an opportunity to redefine herself through the prayer session.
Although Crew is hailed as a social hero for addressing the struggle of refugees in America, she seems to fall sway to some common cultural traps. She is applauded for celebrating foreign cultures, but she may just as easily be a subject of white guilt. More than likely she is working through these questions for herself in the character of Jonathan. Undeniably Jonathan is being motivated by white guilt in his relationship with Sundara. He becomes interested in her because of her immigration story and all the intriguing customs which she upholds. As the guilt builds up, however, he starts to lash out at other people. He quits the football team because he wants to devote more time to charity. After a particularly heated fight, his dad leaves to go on a mission trip because of Jonathan's accusations about white guilt. Jonathan misses his father in his absence and soon regrets having the fight. He starts to blame Sundara for driving his dad away, which of course spells doom for their relationship.
