A remarkable and gripping story about one refugee boy on a desperate journey from Afghanistan, and the Australian boy who befriends him.

Description

Each step becomes a heartbeat and I feel the distance between Omed and me closing. I remember when I first met him - when he had showed me what bravery meant. How he had stood up for what he believed. In the end that had been his undoing.
Omed is a boy from Afghanistan. After making an enemy of the Taliban on the day the Buddhas of Bamiyan are destroyed, he undertakes a perilous journey to seek asylum in Australia. Hector is a grieving Australian boy who has given up on school and retreated into silence.
Their paths meet at a candle factory where they both find work. But secrets fester behind the monotonous routine of assembling wax and wicks - secrets with terrible consequences. And, ultimately, it is up to Hector to see how the story ends.
Omed's and Hector's beautifully told and compelling journeys will grip hold of your heart and not let go.

Awards

Shortlisted, 2013 NSW Premier's Literary Awards - Ethel Turner Prize (Young People's Literature)
Winner, 2012 Queensland Literary Awards
Highly Commended, 2012 Fellowship of Australian Writers National Literary Awards - Christina Stead Award
Winner, 2012 Fellowship of Australian Writers National Literary Awards - Barbara Ramsden Award
Shortlisted, 2013 CBCA Awards - Older Readers Category