Amoving, beautifully illustrated story for children six to 10 years of age. Young Meg has recently immigrated to Canada from the Caribbean. Finding it painful to adjust to her new, utterly different way of life in a large city, she withdraws into herself and into her room in the apartment she shares with her little brother and parents. She refuses to play outdoors even when invited by Jenny, her neighbor from down the hall. Winter comes and with it snow and cold. One day, on her way back from school Meg finds a sick swallow. She brings it home and places the bird in a box in order to let it regain its strength. The box, like Meg's quiet room, is a place of safety, something Meg desperately wants for herself. But the permanent security of a box is not what the swallow needs in order to thrive. Eventually, Meg understands she must release the swallow, and that she too must have the courage to fly into her new surroundings. Wonderful watercolour illustrations complement this sensitively-rendered story which reminds us that young newcomers to Canada, as well as older ones, may have difficulty coping with the changes accompaying immigration.