Refugee Boy for a new generation - a debut novel for 9+ about a young refugee from Afghanistan and his search to find his grandfather's precious musical instrument.
Alyssa is American and this is her debut novel. Her sister worked for an NGO in Afghanistan and Alyssa travelled to Afghanistan to spend time with her sister and the Afghan people she works with. Alyssa wrote an award-winning essay about that experience and continues to work with refugees in the USA, helping them to adjust to their new lives.
Alyssa says ""Sami's tale was inspired by the Afghans I met in Afghanistan, my older sister's nine years of NGO work in-country, and by the attack at the American charity Roots of Peace in March 2014. Unlike Sami's parents, my sister made it out alive. But I can never forget what it felt like to see a picture of the bombed-out house, printed in Time magazine. The Eleventh Trade is an attempt to give voice to the victims of war who continue to struggle with hope and healing even after they are 'safe'.""