Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13279 in Books
• Published on: 2001-08-28
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Synopsis
Alem is on holiday with his father for a few days in London. He has never been out of Ethiopia before and is very excited. They have a great few days togther until one morning when Alem wakes up in the bed and breakfast they are staying at to find the unthinkable. His father has left him. It is only when the owner of the bed and breakfast hands him a letter that Alem is given an explanation. Alem's father admits that because of the political problems in Ethiopia both he and Alem's mother felt Alem would be safer in London - even though it is breaking their hearts to do this. Alem is now on his own, in the hands of the social services and the Refugee Council. He lives from letter to letter, waiting to hear from his father, and in particular about his mother, who has now gone missing...A powerful, gripping new novel from the popular Benjamin Zephaniah

From the Author
It's a hard life being labelled `political'. It seems that because I'm constantly ranting about the ills of the world I'm expected to have all the answers, but I don't, and I've never claimed to, besides I'm not a politician. What interests me is people. When I hear politicians saying that we are being `flooded' by refugees, I always remind myself that each `refugee' is a person, a person who for some reason has left everything they know and love to find safety in a strange, and sometimes hostile country. I wrote `Refugee Boy' because I realised that every day I was meeting refugees, and each one of them had a unique, and usually terrifying story to tell. I have seen refugee camps in Gaza, Montenegro and other places around the world but when I met Million and Dereje Hailemariam, two teenagers who were being denied asylum in Britain, I knew that I had to write a story that would illustrate the suffering and the struggles that many asylum seekers have to endure. Million and Dereje's parents feared for the lives of their boys, they did not want them to grow up in an environment where they would witness war on a daily basis. I have also met children whose parents were executed in front of them, or who themselves had been kidnapped and tortured. For `Refugee Boy' I borrowed from the many stories that I have heard and created a story that I believe many refugees would recognise. I would like to know that anyone who reads the book would think before they accuse refugees of looking for a free ride. We all want to live in peace, we all want the best for our families. The Celts, the Angles, the Saxons, the Jamaicans are all refugees of one sort or another. What kind of a refugee are you? And what are you scared of?

Excerpted from Refugee Boy by Benjamin Zephaniah. Copyright © 2001. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved
ETHIOPIA As the family lay sleeping soldiers kicked down the door of the house and entered waving their rifles around erratically and shouting at the top of their voices. Alem ran into a room where his parents were to find that they had been dragged out of bed dresses only in their nightclothes, and forced to stand facing the wall. The soldier who was in command went and stood so that his mouth was six inches away from Alem's father's ear and shouted, "What kind of man are you?"

Alem's father shuddered with fear; his voice trembled as he replied 'I am an African.'

Alem looked on terrified as the soldier shot a number of bullets into the floor around the feet of his father and mother.

His mother screamed with fear. 'Please leave us, we only want peace.'

The soldier continued shouting. 'Are you Ethiopian or Eritrean? Tell us, we want to know.'

'I am African.' Alem's father replied.

The soldier raised his rifle and pointed it at Alem's father. 'You are a traitor.' He turned and pointed the rifle at Alem's mother, 'And she is the enemy.' Then he turned and pointed the rifle at Alem's forehead, 'And he is a mongrel.'

Turning back to Alem's father he dropped his voice and said, 'Leave Ethiopia or die.' ERITEA As the family lay sleeping soldiers kicked down the door of the house and entered waving their rifles around and shouting at the top of their voices. Alem ran into a room where his parents were to find that they had been dragged out of bed dressed only in their nightclothes, and forced to stand facing the wall. The soldier who was in command went and stood so that his mouth was six inches away from Alem's mother's ear and shouted, "What kind of woman are you?" Alem's mother shuddered with fear; his voice trembled as he replied 'I am an African.' Alem looked on terrified as the soldier shot a number of bullets into the floor around the feet of his mother and father. His father screamed with fear. 'Please leave us, we only want peace.'

The soldier continued shouting. 'Are you Eritrea or Ethiopian? Tell us, we want to know.'

'I am African.' Alem's mother replied.

The soldier raised his rifle and pointed it at Alem's mother. 'You are a traitor.' He turned and pointed the rifle at Alem's father, 'And he is the enemy.' Then he turned and pointed the rifle at Alem's forehead, 'And he is a mongrel.'

Turning back to Alem's mother he dropped his voice and said, 'Leave Eritrea or die.' Copyright © Benjamin Zephaniah 2001

Customer Reviews

don't waste your money
As I was reading this book I got the impression it was written for children, but it would have been an insult to even a young child.
There was no depth to the characters for you to feel sympathy for them. It was also not at all related to the real world of refugee's and prejudices.
Sorry, It could have been a really good story,and did get my full attention in the opening chapter, but lost it's way in the telling.

AMAZING BOOK!
I dont read many books but i choose this because i thought it was going to b a good read, i was right. I couldn't put this book down. It is very touching to read. As the main character and myself were rufly the same age i found it easy to understand him but i would encourage any person of any age to read this book.

Very Touching
I'm no expert on the English language but I agree with the teachers views about the quality of literature, there are better books out there. However if anybody argues about the quality of the story, then they obviously are dead or have no heart! It is an amazing and very touching story, if you let yourself get into it. Ignore the flaws and this book will turn your emotions inside out, very good once again Mr Zephania.