Iqbal by Fancesco D'Adamo

Image taken from Merlin

This is probably one of the most influential books that has made an impact in my life, second only to Christobel Mattingley's No gun for Asmir. It is the ficitonalised account of Iqbal Masih, a child slave who escaped from his captors to become a crusader against child slavery, only to be murdered on Easter Sunday of 1995. He was about 13 years old.

I read the German translation of the original Italian text, but I do believe there is also an English translation out there somewhere; I just haven't found it yet. I've also seen a French translation somewhere online, so it has been translated into a number of languages, and is accessible in most parts of the world.

Francesco D'Adamo is a very good story-teller. Although he admits having never visited Pakistan or walked through the streets of Lahore, he describes the scenery as though he has been there before. His brilliant imagination allows us to think about what it would be like to live in child slavery, and what it would feel like to not know what freedom is. Often sad at times, the book stirs up our emotions, and leaves us questioning why child slavery still exists, and why so little has been done to stop it from continuing.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in politics and human rights.

No Gun for Asmir - Christobel Mattingley

"Because this book will touch people and come to the heart, if only a hundred people read it and are moved, it will be more important than any official peace plan".

This is what one of the true-life characters said upon reviewing this book before it was published. Having read this book for the first time when I was only 12 years old (just a year older than the main character of the book), and having the opportunity to read it again after searching EVERYWHERE for a copy of it, I agree whole-heartedly with this statement. The memories that come flooding back to me when I first read this book just over a decade ago, and having read it again now after going through different stages of my life, I can honestly say that the message of the book still touches me, and is a huge influence on my decisions in treating other people from different nationalities with decency and respect.

7 year old Asmir has had to flee his beloved home in Sarajevo with his mother, grandmother, and younger brother. His father has been taken by soldiers, and Asmir does not know whether he will ever see his father again. We follow the journeys of Asmir and his family through Belgrade, Serbia, into Vienna, Austria, where they attempt to make a new life for themselves as refugees.

This book is mainly written for younger children, but even adults can read this and gain much from this book.

There are several reasons why this book has had such an enormous impact in my life:

1) It is based on a true story. The characters in it are real. This is their story. Although the author herself was never there experiencing what Asmir and his family went through, she accuractely describes the events, and depicts the thoughts and feelings of the characters very well.

2) Asmir is only a year younger than me. Today, he would only be 22. He has gone through so many things in his short life that I couldn't imagine going through myself, especially not at 7 years old. When I think of this, I admire this man's courage and think about how grateful I am to live in a country that is not torn apart by war and prejudice.

3) The book gives us an understanding of what it would be like to be living as a political refugee, running for your life, afraid of having to be turned back to the country you had fled, back to the danger you had been trying to avoid. It gives the reader a greater appreciation for the things that he/she would normally take for granted.

4) While I have never been to war-torn Bosnia, I have been to other places in Europe, and have a fair idea of what the scenery described in the book would look like. Having read this book for the second time, after having lived in Europe for two years, the book became more real to me as I pictured the countryside, the cobble-stoned streets, the Viennese landscape, etc.

5) The book is not only about Asmir and his family - it is also about the author's own son, for it was he who had assisted in helping this family settle in Vienna. This is how the author came in contact with this family and was inspired to write their story.

I am so glad that I finally found and bought my own copy of this wonderful book. I strongly recommend anyone to seek this book out and read it for yourself. It might just change your views on life as it has done mine.

Guantanamo Boy Anna Perera

This is a brand new book just released this year. Although it is a piece of fiction, it is based on real events. Children have been detained in Guantanamo Bay and many other secret prisons around the world under the suspicion of being terrorists. They have been beaten and tortured until they have "confessed" to their crimes. Anna Perera raises awareness of this issue through this well-written book.

Khalid is just like any other ordinary British teenager, until his family decides to visit relatives in Pakistan. He is abducted and sent sent to Guantanamo Bay on trumped up charges of being involved with terrorism. The story follows how Khalid manages to survive this ordeal.

Very sad, emotionally-driven and andrenalin-packed, you will not want to put this book down until you know how the story ends.

The Sons of Encouragement Series #4: The Prophet Amos - Francine Rivers

I came across this book as I was searching for another book in the library. The front cover really intrigued me, and so I borrowed the book out to see what it was about.

The story is a fictional account of the real-life prophet Amos, from his early childhood years, to the time when he is called as prophet. The book teaches us of the importance of loving God and following his chosen messengers. God has always chosen prophets to teach the people of his plan for us. When we choose to follow the plan, we are blessed. When we choose not to follow the plan, we can read from this book, and from the actual biblical account, of the negative consequences of going down that path.

Francine Rivers writes in an engaging style, carefully detailing the landscape and the circumstances in which Amos would have lived, taking you back in time to the place where it all happened. Although she takes the liberty to add some of her own embellishments into the story, she encourages us to seek out the biblical account and read the actual story.

Altogether, I was surprised at how well-written this book was, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I hope to be able to find the other 4 books in the 5 part novella series.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne

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This is a tale of friendship and innocence. It is the story of a 9 year old boy named Bruno, whose father is a Commandent for "The Fury". Bruno's life is transformed when his father is transferred to work in "Out-with", and his family must move in with him. Life is pretty boring for Bruno, until he discovers a new friend named Shmuel, who lives on the other side of the fence with all the other boys and men wearing striped pyjamas.

Bruno and Shmuel are both oblivious of the harsh reality of their circumstances, and their innocence becomes shattered when they finally realize what really happens at "Out-with".

Very moving and beautifully written, this has become another one of my personal favourites.

A Stone in My Hand - Cathryn Clinton

This wonderfully-written, historical fiction novel, documents the lives of 11 year old Malaak and her family living in the late 1980's during the first intifada in Palestine. We see the warn-torn community through Malaak's eyes, as she deals with the tragedies that surround her. Her father has ben missing for over a month since he left Gaza city to look for work, and her older brother Hamid is planning on joining an extremist resistance group. It is up to Malaak to somehow bring the family closer together and stop her brother from doing anything stupid....

It is a beautiful story that addresses the themes of war and peace, family unity, and finding strength to rise above obstacles. A very moving and captivating read.