Fourteen-year-old Ahmed is stuck in a city that wants nothing to do with him. Newly arrived in Brussels, Belgium, Ahmed fled a life of uncertainty and suffering in Aleppo, Syria, only to lose his father on the perilous journey to the shores of Europe. Now Ahmedâs struggling to get by on his own, but with no one left to trust and nowhere to go, heâs starting to lose hope.
Then he meets Max, a thirteen-year-old American boy from Washington, D.C. Lonely and homesick, Max is struggling at his new school and just canât seem to do anything right. But with one startling discovery, Max and Ahmedâs lives collide and a friendship begins to grow. Together, Max and Ahmed will defy the odds, learning from each other what it means to be brave and how hope can change your destiny.
People Magazine "Kid Pick"
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books of 2018
New York Times Book Review Notable Childrenâs Books of 2018
"A hopeful story about recovery, empathy, and the bravery of young people." âBooklist
"This well-crafted and suspenseful novel touches on the topics of refugees and immigrant integration, terrorism, Islam, Islamophobia, and the Syrian war with sensitivity and grace." âKirkus Reviews, starred review
"Elegantly structured, plausible in its improbable plot, and studded with moments of rapturous prose. The book ends on a single word that sums up its entire message: Hope." âThe New York Times Book Review
"Nowhere Boy has the authenticity of nonfiction, with all the heart and pulse of a great novel. As a journalist, who has reported on the refugee crisis for years, I was deeply impressed by how real and gripping Marsh's tale feltâfrom the very startâas a father and son clung to a life raft in rough seas. This should be required reading in middle schools across America." âJake Halpern, winner of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for his series, "Welcome to the New World," in the New York Times
Juvenile Fiction / Social Themes - Emigration & Immigration / Social Themes - Friendship / Family - Parents
368 pages | 5.30" x 7.69"
Ages 10-14