A frank, revealing and clear-eyed testament of the experiences faced by a young asylum-seeker in the contemporary world -- Diane Samuels, GuardianA moving and eye-opening account chronicles hardships no child should have to endure, mitigated by intermittent kindnesses, Sunday TimesA beautifully written and moving book, ChoiceThis little gem, beautifully and unobtrusively translated, will raise tears of sorrow and joy, IndependentThe threat of arrest and deportation is constant, with worse to fear at the hands of traffickers... A remarkable story, Financial Times

I read somewhere that the decision to emigrate comes from a need to breathe.

The hope of a better life is stronger than any other feeling. My mother decided it was better to know I was in danger far from her; but on the way to a different future, than to know I was in danger near her; but stuck in the same old fear.

At the age of ten, Enaiatollah Akbari was left alone to fend for himself. This is the heartbreaking, unforgettable story of his journey from Afghanistan to Italy in an attempt to find a safe place to live.

Born in Turin in 1972, Fabio Geda is an Italian novelist who works with children in difficulties. He writes for several Italian magazines and newspapers, and teaches creative writing at the Italian school of storytelling, Scuola Holden, in Turin. This is his first book to be translated into English.