Beginning ~ on a moonless July night

"They had purposely waited for a cloudy, moonless July night.  It was less likely the smugglers had said, that the Greek Coast Guard would spot them."

Nowhere Boy ~ by Katherine Marsh, 2018, YA fiction (Belgium)

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 Ahmed’s struggling to get by on his own, but with no one left to trust and nowhere to go, he’s 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 can’t seem to do anything right.  But with one startling discovery, Max and Ahmed’s 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.  Set against the backdrop of the Syrian refugee crisis, this is a gripping, heartwarming story of resilience, friendship, and everyday heroes.

I learned about this novel on Helen's Book Blog, where she rated it 5 of 5 and wrote:   "Wow.  This is such a good book!"  I'm very much looking forward to this one, and I don't think I've read anything set in Belgium, at least not recently.

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