A People Magazine "Kid Pick"
A New York Times Book Review Notable Children’s Book
A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books
"An important and riveting story, masterfully told. Move this one to the top of your to-be-read pile immediately." -Barbara O'Connor, author of WISH and WONDERLAND
"Beautifully done." -- People Magazine
"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." - Elizabeth Wein, The New York Times Book Review
A "perilous journey, tempered by the striking realism of obstacles refugees face daily." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Starred Review
"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. A captivating book situated in present-day discourse around the refugee crisis." - Kirkus, Starred Review
"Marsh skillfully weaves the historical parallels with a touching story of friendship. She ratchets up the tension and suspense, until it becomes unbearable; readers will fly through the last hundred pages...Thoughtfully touching on immigration, Islamophobia, and terrorism, this novel is a first-purchase. Hands to fans of Alan Gratz’s Refugee." - School Library Journal, Starred Review
"Through the boys’ deepening friendship, [Katherine Marsh] offers a timely and entertaining tale of suspense and intrigue while eloquently conveying the courage necessary to trust another person in a climate rife with fear, suspicion, and ethical dilemmas." - Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
Nowhere Boy is a timely, poignant tale of family, sacrifice and the friendship between a young Syrian refugee and an American boy living in Brussels.
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 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. 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, award-winning author Katherine Marsh delivers a gripping, heartwarming story of resilience, friendship and everyday heroes.
Katherine Marsh is the Edgar Award-winning author of THE NIGHT TOURIST; THE TWILIGHT PRISONER; JEPP, WHO DEFIED THE STARS; and THE DOOR BY THE STAIRCASE. Katherine grew up in New York and now lives in Brussels, Belgium, with her husband and two children.
