by Vivian Salama (Author)
Hassan loves playing soccer, hanging out with his friends and eating his mother's home-cooked meatballs. But as calls for revolution begin to echo across Syria, his country is thrusted into an era of chaos. As trouble creeps closer to his hometown, Hassan's friends flee Syria, one-by-one, to seek a better life abroad. One day, when his family suddenly decides to leave as well, Hassan is forced to abandon everything he knows, including his remaining friends, his school, and the soccer field he so dearly loves. Little does he know that his journey is just beginning. In this tale of migration and acceptance, inspired by true stories, an innocent Syrian boy is upended from everything he knows after his family flees his war-torn homeland in search of a better life.
Author Biography
Vivian Salama covers the White House for the Wall Street Journal. She previously worked as a foreign correspondent for over a decade, reporting from more than sixty countries. Salama served as the AP's bureau chief in Iraq from 2014-2016.