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The Journey
The extraordinary story of the refugee boy who lost everything, but found peace and a new life in the UK, working with the Queen's horses.
At the age of 7, Abdul was rounding up animals with his 3-year-old brother, Yusuf, when their village in Darfur was bombed. He lost his entire family.
Abdul and Yusuf fled with his father's best friend Abud over the border to Chad, where they lived for two years in one of the world's most inhospitable refugee camps.
When Abdul was nine, Abud took him to Libya to start a new life, leaving his brother behind. But in 2011, civil war swept through Libya, and Abdul was arrested at the age of 15 for refusing to join the army: `I told them, "The army killed my family. I don't want to be in a war".'
But they jailed him, and the violence and abuse he suffered in prison led to hospitalisation, where a foreign doctor, horrified by his injuries, smuggled him onto a humanitarian ship that docked in a busy French port.
He slept on the streets in France for over a year before stowing away on a Swindon-bound lorry, where he was picked up by UK police.
Granted asylum in Britain and diagnosed with PTSD, Abdul was helped by Greatwood, a charity that uses ex-racehorses to help disadvantaged children.
This was a lifeline for Abdul. Working with horses made him feel close to the parents he lost. `When I touch a horse, I feel I am touching my father and my mother. I can speak to horses much better than I can speak to people.'
This is the remarkable story of one boy's journey around the globe in a desperate search for a safe place to live.
At the age of 7, Abdul was rounding up animals with his 3-year-old brother, Yusuf, when their village in Darfur was bombed. He lost his entire family.
Abdul and Yusuf fled with his father's best friend Abud over the border to Chad, where they lived for two years in one of the world's most inhospitable refugee camps.
When Abdul was nine, Abud took him to Libya to start a new life, leaving his brother behind. But in 2011, civil war swept through Libya, and Abdul was arrested at the age of 15 for refusing to join the army: `I told them, "The army killed my family. I don't want to be in a war".'
But they jailed him, and the violence and abuse he suffered in prison led to hospitalisation, where a foreign doctor, horrified by his injuries, smuggled him onto a humanitarian ship that docked in a busy French port.
He slept on the streets in France for over a year before stowing away on a Swindon-bound lorry, where he was picked up by UK police.
Granted asylum in Britain and diagnosed with PTSD, Abdul was helped by Greatwood, a charity that uses ex-racehorses to help disadvantaged children.
This was a lifeline for Abdul. Working with horses made him feel close to the parents he lost. `When I touch a horse, I feel I am touching my father and my mother. I can speak to horses much better than I can speak to people.'
This is the remarkable story of one boy's journey around the globe in a desperate search for a safe place to live.
- GenresAfricaNonfiction
288 pages, Paperback
First published April 9, 2020
3 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
December 9, 2020
The Journey: The Boy Who Lost Everything... And the Horses Who Saved Him is the extraordinary story of the refugee boy who lost everything, but found peace and a new life in the UK, working with the Queen's horses. At the age of 7, Abdul was rounding up animals with his 3-year-old brother, Yusuf, when their village in Darfur was bombed and burned to the ground by helicopter gunships during a brutal Sudanese ethnic cleansing campaign carried out by the government and aided by militia. He lost his entire family. Abdul and Yusuf fled with his father's best friend Abud over the border to Chad, where they lived for two years in one of the world's most inhospitable refugee camps. When Abdul was nine, Abud took him to Libya to start a new life, leaving his brother behind. But in 2011, civil war swept through Libya, and Abdul was arrested at the age of 15 for refusing to join the army: `I told them, "The army killed my family. I don't want to be in a war".' But they jailed him, and the violence and abuse he suffered in prison led to hospitalisation, where a foreign doctor, horrified by his injuries, smuggled him onto a humanitarian ship that docked in a busy French port.
He slept on the streets in France for over a year before stowing away on a Swindon-bound lorry, where he was picked up by UK police. Granted asylum in Britain and diagnosed with PTSD, Abdul was helped by Greatwood, a charity that uses ex-racehorses to help disadvantaged children. This was a lifeline for Abdul. Working with horses in the Wiltshire countryside made him feel close to the parents he lost. `When I touch a horse, I feel I am touching my father and my mother. I can speak to horses much better than I can speak to people.' This is the remarkable story of one boy's journey around the globe in a desperate search for a safe place to live. An incredible miracle of a story and one that reminds us about the redemptive qualities of both sport and love of nature, in this case—horses and equestrianism. His sad yet powerful and profoundly inspirational memoir illustrates that despite adversity at a young age, it is possible to flourish. Melancholy yet majestic, at once hopeless and hopeful, this is a story that makes you thankful and more appreciative of life. Highly recommended.
He slept on the streets in France for over a year before stowing away on a Swindon-bound lorry, where he was picked up by UK police. Granted asylum in Britain and diagnosed with PTSD, Abdul was helped by Greatwood, a charity that uses ex-racehorses to help disadvantaged children. This was a lifeline for Abdul. Working with horses in the Wiltshire countryside made him feel close to the parents he lost. `When I touch a horse, I feel I am touching my father and my mother. I can speak to horses much better than I can speak to people.' This is the remarkable story of one boy's journey around the globe in a desperate search for a safe place to live. An incredible miracle of a story and one that reminds us about the redemptive qualities of both sport and love of nature, in this case—horses and equestrianism. His sad yet powerful and profoundly inspirational memoir illustrates that despite adversity at a young age, it is possible to flourish. Melancholy yet majestic, at once hopeless and hopeful, this is a story that makes you thankful and more appreciative of life. Highly recommended.
September 15, 2020
I am in awe of this man. I'm in awe of his resilience, his grit, his determination.
I don't know what to write for this review. I'm completely speechless & am honestly so overcome with emotion because of what he has been through. I don't know what it feels like to walk in his shoes, go through what he has gone through & still be here. Half of me is happy that he is now safe but the other half is still so sad about the things he went though to be safe & the trauma he is still suffering from.
Although his story is now at a unique chapter, he is not alone in his journey to freedom & while we talk about educating ourselves, taking action, being aware of our privilege, I ask you (& your children) to look into the Darfur Conflict & the Libyan Crisis.
Thank you @netgalley for this arc.
I don't know what to write for this review. I'm completely speechless & am honestly so overcome with emotion because of what he has been through. I don't know what it feels like to walk in his shoes, go through what he has gone through & still be here. Half of me is happy that he is now safe but the other half is still so sad about the things he went though to be safe & the trauma he is still suffering from.
Although his story is now at a unique chapter, he is not alone in his journey to freedom & while we talk about educating ourselves, taking action, being aware of our privilege, I ask you (& your children) to look into the Darfur Conflict & the Libyan Crisis.
Thank you @netgalley for this arc.
March 6, 2025
Great read. Makes you wonder how many refugees risk their lives for a better life in Europe or another country. Abdul went through a lot in his young life but looking after horses saved his life and he is proud now to be an English citizen. He is still looking for his younger brother so I hope someday he finds him.
February 2, 2021
"This is how people’s lives live in parallel. Someone is making the most desperate journey of their life while another person is sunbathing.”
This book broke my heart, the literal journey that so many refugees face when searching for safety is horrific, not only for the inhuman treatment their forced to face along the way but also for the stigma and misunderstandings they face once reaching safety. Abdul has seen and survived more than any person should ever have to.
From Darfur to the UK, this is the true story of Abdul Musa Adam whose village was bombed and after losing everyone but his younger brother and two others from the village, they start the search for safety. They had no immediate plans to go to the UK, in fact, what might surprise some small, minded people, all they wanted was to go home. But the search for safety takes Abdul years and eventually finds him arriving England, alone, hoping one day to find his brother again. He eventually finds sanctuary and support with horses, leading to an amazing career in horseracing. However, it was so important how Abdul discusses the ups and downs that he faced as a refugee in the UK, at many times people couldn’t give him the support he needed, and some did, it made me even more determined to do as much as possible as a UK citizen.
His story is a testament to that but also to us, to our privilege and our power to do better for people like Abdul. To challenge prejudice and discrimination when we see it and to challenge our governments to do better in their refugee policies and their involvement in causing so many people to seek refuge through dangerous terrain, leaving the place they really want to be, home.
If you read one non-fiction book this year, let it be this one.
This book broke my heart, the literal journey that so many refugees face when searching for safety is horrific, not only for the inhuman treatment their forced to face along the way but also for the stigma and misunderstandings they face once reaching safety. Abdul has seen and survived more than any person should ever have to.
From Darfur to the UK, this is the true story of Abdul Musa Adam whose village was bombed and after losing everyone but his younger brother and two others from the village, they start the search for safety. They had no immediate plans to go to the UK, in fact, what might surprise some small, minded people, all they wanted was to go home. But the search for safety takes Abdul years and eventually finds him arriving England, alone, hoping one day to find his brother again. He eventually finds sanctuary and support with horses, leading to an amazing career in horseracing. However, it was so important how Abdul discusses the ups and downs that he faced as a refugee in the UK, at many times people couldn’t give him the support he needed, and some did, it made me even more determined to do as much as possible as a UK citizen.
His story is a testament to that but also to us, to our privilege and our power to do better for people like Abdul. To challenge prejudice and discrimination when we see it and to challenge our governments to do better in their refugee policies and their involvement in causing so many people to seek refuge through dangerous terrain, leaving the place they really want to be, home.
If you read one non-fiction book this year, let it be this one.
January 21, 2021
An incredible story, about a young boy of 7 who escaped from Darfur when his family was killed and his entire village destroyed. It took him 8 years to reach England, where he received help as a refugee. His journey was arduous (a lot of it on foot across the desert), dangerous (including traveling in the wheel well under a lorry), and horrific (including time in a Libyan prison). This story relates the perils that Abdul Adam faced, the traumas that continue to haunt him, and what it really is like to be a refugee searching for a safe place to live. The book is written in the first person, so you feel as though you are hearing directly from Abdul, but co-written by a journalist (Ros Wynne-Jones, who has reported in Sudan and Chad), who helped him piece together his memories. Once I started reading, I couldn't put the book down.
July 30, 2024
Very inspiring
September 9, 2020
Thanks to Abdul Musa Adam, Ross Wynn Jones, Mirror Books and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
"No two refugee stories are the same. But there are themes that are common to all of them, the most striking of which, counterintuitive as it may sound, is luck".
This is the true story of his 11 year journey as a 7 year-old refugee from his home in the Darfur region of Sudan to becoming a Rider Groom at the prestigious Park House Racing Stables in Hampshire. Abdul's journey starts from his home in Darfur when an horrific slaughter of almost all of his tribe happens and he went to a refugee camp with his 3-year-old brother Yusuf, and together they fled to Chad, Libya, which turned into another war zone then finally Britain via the underside of a Lorry from France. The only survivors of the Darfur massacre were Abdul, his younger brother Yusuf and 2 friends of his parents.
There they endured appalling conditions in one of the world's most impoverished refugee camps. Until one day Abdul was offered the chance of a better life. A chance fraught with danger that would force him to make the most heartbreaking decision of his life. Abdul's death-defying journey eventually led him to the UK, where his love of animals provided a lifeline, and he landed a job as a stable boy. But the choice he made that day in Chad would continue to haunt him
This is a shocking, moving, eye-opening and uplifting book, it's also a good insight into horrors many of those seeking asylum in other countries have experienced.
"The stories we heart of migrants often focus on sea crossings, but the journey across the Sahara is one of the most dangerous of all, perhaps because its victims are invisible".
Abdul is an amazing person, just as amazing are those who took rather a difficult person under their wing and encouraged and nurtured him until his life took an almost fairy-tale turn for the better and this book is testament to their selflessness and love for someone who many would have given up on.
The Journey is ‘narrated’ via an Arabic translator by Abdul and written by journalist Ross Wynne Jones through an Arabic interpreter. The story is written in such a way it goes straight into your heart.
This is a book everyone should read in order to understand all the traumatic events people like Abdul go through and to never judge people you don't know because you don't know their story, but also how important is to never give up on anybody.
"No two refugee stories are the same. But there are themes that are common to all of them, the most striking of which, counterintuitive as it may sound, is luck".
This is the true story of his 11 year journey as a 7 year-old refugee from his home in the Darfur region of Sudan to becoming a Rider Groom at the prestigious Park House Racing Stables in Hampshire. Abdul's journey starts from his home in Darfur when an horrific slaughter of almost all of his tribe happens and he went to a refugee camp with his 3-year-old brother Yusuf, and together they fled to Chad, Libya, which turned into another war zone then finally Britain via the underside of a Lorry from France. The only survivors of the Darfur massacre were Abdul, his younger brother Yusuf and 2 friends of his parents.
There they endured appalling conditions in one of the world's most impoverished refugee camps. Until one day Abdul was offered the chance of a better life. A chance fraught with danger that would force him to make the most heartbreaking decision of his life. Abdul's death-defying journey eventually led him to the UK, where his love of animals provided a lifeline, and he landed a job as a stable boy. But the choice he made that day in Chad would continue to haunt him
This is a shocking, moving, eye-opening and uplifting book, it's also a good insight into horrors many of those seeking asylum in other countries have experienced.
"The stories we heart of migrants often focus on sea crossings, but the journey across the Sahara is one of the most dangerous of all, perhaps because its victims are invisible".
Abdul is an amazing person, just as amazing are those who took rather a difficult person under their wing and encouraged and nurtured him until his life took an almost fairy-tale turn for the better and this book is testament to their selflessness and love for someone who many would have given up on.
The Journey is ‘narrated’ via an Arabic translator by Abdul and written by journalist Ross Wynne Jones through an Arabic interpreter. The story is written in such a way it goes straight into your heart.
This is a book everyone should read in order to understand all the traumatic events people like Abdul go through and to never judge people you don't know because you don't know their story, but also how important is to never give up on anybody.
April 25, 2020
Every now and then a book comes along which opens your eyes to a world you never knew existed, to a life and experience that is beyond your own comprehension and then comes along The Journey, by Abdul Musa Adam and Ros Wynne-Jones, the inspirational and unimaginable story of a young boy’s journey from the death and ruin of Darfur to Royal Ascot .
It’s not easy for us here, in the West, to comprehend what it’s like for people who live vastly different lives to ourselves, nor is it easy for us to understand the trauma and tragedy of those who’ve undergone such hardships in their lives to even get a glimpse of the comparative riches we enjoy in our own lives. This is why books, such as The Journey, are so important.
Living in Darfur at the age of 7 Abdul Musa Adam lost his entire family and home, apart from his younger brother, when his village was attacked and burned, from there his journey took him to the refugee camps in Chad and to the brutality of Gaddafi’s regime in Libya where he lost the guardian who had taken care of him since Darfur. Escaping the war in Libya Abdul escaped with the generosity and help of others fleeing the nightmare of Libya at that time, to escape to Europe and hopefully find safety. Living in a bin in France and with the help of a Tunisian man Abdul hid under a lorry and escaped to the UK to hopefully find safety, freedom and his brother.
The Journey is not just a testament to Abdul’s plight but also a testament to those who helped him survive here in the UK, after reading the book I can only imagine how difficult it would have been for a young boy, completely out of his own environment, amid strange people and customs, yet with the kindness and support of those people Abdul has since made a life for himself here as a rider groom at one of the most prestigious training schools in the UK.
An incredibly moving and inspiring story, The Journey, is ‘narrated’ via an Arabic translator by Abdul and written by Journalist Ros Wynne-Jones who treats the story with a great deal of sensitivity and expertise to not only put the story into a readable format but also relay the emotions of the story to the reader in such a way that we experience them with Abdul as he feels them himself.
It’s not easy for us here, in the West, to comprehend what it’s like for people who live vastly different lives to ourselves, nor is it easy for us to understand the trauma and tragedy of those who’ve undergone such hardships in their lives to even get a glimpse of the comparative riches we enjoy in our own lives. This is why books, such as The Journey, are so important.
Living in Darfur at the age of 7 Abdul Musa Adam lost his entire family and home, apart from his younger brother, when his village was attacked and burned, from there his journey took him to the refugee camps in Chad and to the brutality of Gaddafi’s regime in Libya where he lost the guardian who had taken care of him since Darfur. Escaping the war in Libya Abdul escaped with the generosity and help of others fleeing the nightmare of Libya at that time, to escape to Europe and hopefully find safety. Living in a bin in France and with the help of a Tunisian man Abdul hid under a lorry and escaped to the UK to hopefully find safety, freedom and his brother.
The Journey is not just a testament to Abdul’s plight but also a testament to those who helped him survive here in the UK, after reading the book I can only imagine how difficult it would have been for a young boy, completely out of his own environment, amid strange people and customs, yet with the kindness and support of those people Abdul has since made a life for himself here as a rider groom at one of the most prestigious training schools in the UK.
An incredibly moving and inspiring story, The Journey, is ‘narrated’ via an Arabic translator by Abdul and written by Journalist Ros Wynne-Jones who treats the story with a great deal of sensitivity and expertise to not only put the story into a readable format but also relay the emotions of the story to the reader in such a way that we experience them with Abdul as he feels them himself.
April 30, 2020
This is the fascinating story of a young boy’s journey from Sudan to the UK, via Chad, Libya and France. At the age of 7, Abdul Musa Adam lost his family, except for his brother, and home when his home and village were attacked and burned. Thus, began his journey that took him to refugee camps in Chad, to the brutality of Libya and Ghaddafi’s regime, to France and on to the UK where he met up with his brother. The story presents a young boy’s resolve and courage to overcome the unsurmountable, finding support, assistance and kindness from strangers along the way—who also deserve a solid thanks for helping this young boy. Abdul Musa Adam has since made a life for himself in the UK, and his need/desire to achieve a good life was awe inspiring as I read this book. Ros Wynne-Jones, obviously a talented journalist, presents his story in a way so that I felt I was there with Abdul, working through all the difficulties and experiences it took to get to his final destination. This book will provide the reader with a different life’s view as well as a wealth of unique experiences as n a better understanding of just what it meant to be a refugee and to work to finally achieve some measure of success. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.
October 6, 2020
Lord Dubs who escaped Nazi Germany as a child describes this book as "A lesson to us all in courage and hope". Abdul, a south Sudanese nomad of the Zaghawa tribe is just 7 when his parents and entire village are killed by the Janjaweed militia from northern Sudan. Together with his 3 year old brother they make a gruelling journey across the Sahara to the refugee camps in neighbouring Chad. There he is offered a chance to escape but it requires him to make the most heart breaking decision of his life; to leave his little brother behind. Abdul endured torture in Libya and a terrifying journey clinging to the chassis of a lorry for fifteen hours until he reached England as an illegal immigrant. His experiences leave him with deep emotional scars but his love of animals, in particular horses provides him a lifeline - a chance to work with elite racehorses in UK, including one owned by the Queen. I couldn't put this book down and once I had finished reading, Abdul's incredible story remained with me.
January 27, 2021
The Journey tells us the story of one remarkable boy who was born in Sudan, travelled through Chad, Libya, France and on to England before finding peace working with racehorses. But this young man is a refugee fleeing war and murder in his homeland that illegally came to Britain on the underside of a lorry that travelled from France.
This book is a must read so that we can understand the lengths people will go to to find a safe refuge and more importantly why they make that perilous journey. For years we have heard news reports of migrants stranded and rescued from boats between Libya and Europe but until I read this book I never truly understood. Even the refugee camps described in both Chad and Calais in France were eye opening.
I think this book has given me an appreciation of how lucky I am to have been born in a free country not blighted by war, even though Covid is rampaging through the world. I really hope Abdul finds his brother Yusuf.
This book is a must read so that we can understand the lengths people will go to to find a safe refuge and more importantly why they make that perilous journey. For years we have heard news reports of migrants stranded and rescued from boats between Libya and Europe but until I read this book I never truly understood. Even the refugee camps described in both Chad and Calais in France were eye opening.
I think this book has given me an appreciation of how lucky I am to have been born in a free country not blighted by war, even though Covid is rampaging through the world. I really hope Abdul finds his brother Yusuf.
March 25, 2021
This book was shocking in that while I had heard of Dafur and seen on tv, scenes of refugees plight in Africa and Europe....literally drowning to get to Europe, i was de-sensitised. To feel like I now know someone who has lived all of this. But what was really memorable about this book, is the display of human resilience. And also how animals really do have a connection with us....in an intuitive way, they seem to have known us forever.
Abdul Musa Adam lost his family.....except a brother names Yusaf....in a horrific act of terrorism and basically ethnic cleansing. So he was forced to journey far away from his home to save his life and have a future.
The story is told by a narration which makes the book easy to read but still keeps all the sensitivity and emotion.
Thanks to Abdul Musa Adam, Ross Wynn Jones, Mirror Books and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.
Abdul Musa Adam lost his family.....except a brother names Yusaf....in a horrific act of terrorism and basically ethnic cleansing. So he was forced to journey far away from his home to save his life and have a future.
The story is told by a narration which makes the book easy to read but still keeps all the sensitivity and emotion.
Thanks to Abdul Musa Adam, Ross Wynn Jones, Mirror Books and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.
September 14, 2023
A story of loss and starting over, and the healing power of human kindness, nature and animals.
Abdul was a member of a nomadic people who lived in Darfur and were targeted for genocide. He lost almost his entire family and his home when their camp was attacked and burned by a militant group.
He has to make the journey to safety across Sudan on foot, along with his younger brother and two members of his village, to Chad where he must live in a refugee camp in the desert. He is only a child, but he travels the dangerous route north to Libya in the hope of securing money and safety to help his brother. He finds himself in yet more danger, caught up in Libya's civil war and the overthrow of Colonel Gaddafi. He finally has to find refuge in Europe.
Abdul eventually has been travelling since he was 8 years old up until 15 years of age. The book is centred on the loss of childhood and the PTSD he suffers from is described in detail.
He has always bonded with horses, and his foster mother in the UK finds him equine therapy to help heal his trauma. The treatment of children in care and the difficulties of leaving the care system at 18 are also touched on, showing the varying degrees of support that is available and how inadequate or unsuitable environments can compound mental health issues, and vice versa.
His early treatment with horses has led him to start a career with horses, training to be a jockey and a Rider Groom. All Abdul wants to do is work with horses and the joy he expresses at working with them is wonderful to read. However, although he is now safe and working with the animals he loves, his brother is still missing, and he feels guilt that he has survived and is safe while so many thousands of others are not. There is an appeal at the end of the book to look for Yusuf and contact them if there is any information on him.
This book was a difficult read, knowing how Europe has been spared such conflict so far, yet is heavily involved, and how my own upbringing, in the years running parallel with his, has been sheltered and safe, while he was facing the world alone, lost and afraid.
A tale of hope, cruelty and the power that ordinary people and animals have to change the lives of others.
Abdul was a member of a nomadic people who lived in Darfur and were targeted for genocide. He lost almost his entire family and his home when their camp was attacked and burned by a militant group.
He has to make the journey to safety across Sudan on foot, along with his younger brother and two members of his village, to Chad where he must live in a refugee camp in the desert. He is only a child, but he travels the dangerous route north to Libya in the hope of securing money and safety to help his brother. He finds himself in yet more danger, caught up in Libya's civil war and the overthrow of Colonel Gaddafi. He finally has to find refuge in Europe.
Abdul eventually has been travelling since he was 8 years old up until 15 years of age. The book is centred on the loss of childhood and the PTSD he suffers from is described in detail.
He has always bonded with horses, and his foster mother in the UK finds him equine therapy to help heal his trauma. The treatment of children in care and the difficulties of leaving the care system at 18 are also touched on, showing the varying degrees of support that is available and how inadequate or unsuitable environments can compound mental health issues, and vice versa.
His early treatment with horses has led him to start a career with horses, training to be a jockey and a Rider Groom. All Abdul wants to do is work with horses and the joy he expresses at working with them is wonderful to read. However, although he is now safe and working with the animals he loves, his brother is still missing, and he feels guilt that he has survived and is safe while so many thousands of others are not. There is an appeal at the end of the book to look for Yusuf and contact them if there is any information on him.
This book was a difficult read, knowing how Europe has been spared such conflict so far, yet is heavily involved, and how my own upbringing, in the years running parallel with his, has been sheltered and safe, while he was facing the world alone, lost and afraid.
A tale of hope, cruelty and the power that ordinary people and animals have to change the lives of others.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2022
Another powerful memoir read for #ReadingAfrica22 - Abdul Musa Adam was only 6 years old when his entire family, except for a 3 year old brother is killed by insurgents in #Sudan. Only 2 adults survived the massacre and the 4 flee by foot to #Chad. In Chad Abdul becomes separated from his brother as he journeys to #Libya then France & eventually UK. This is an amazing book of courage, resilience and unspeakable experiences. Inspiring & emotional. Audio narration was fantastic. Heartwarming to see how so many strangers came to Abdul’s aid along the way. Super powerful to read a refugee’s story as the world is experiencing another humanitarian crisis. We need to remember how many innocent men, women and children are affected.
October 6, 2023
What a wonderful and emotional story. And it does not shy away from the pain and trauma of his journey, and the long PTSD afterwards which many probably don't understand. It was powerful, even more so because I live near Swindon and so it was ever more real for me. It was so painful to hear how he struggled in the UK for so long and then emotional to see how everything improved once he received equine therapy. It was an emotional and powerful book, and helps anyone relate to and understand some of the challenges of refugees.
February 28, 2022
Abdul's memoirs is of pure agony, but also of kindness & inspiration! No immigrant's or refugee's journey is the same as other, everyone has their own story that comes with joy and suffering, yet reading his memoirs made me appreciate life that we have been blessed with, empathise ever more with a journey that most of us cannot fathom, and wonder how life can be meaningful and reach it's best potential when we have the will-power, right support and guidance even when it comes late!
April 16, 2020
A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This is not my usual genre, I’m more into crime/thriller books and even psychological thrillers too so I am extremely pleased and grateful to them for opening up my mind to something totally different.
I enjoyed this very much. 4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟
This is not my usual genre, I’m more into crime/thriller books and even psychological thrillers too so I am extremely pleased and grateful to them for opening up my mind to something totally different.
I enjoyed this very much. 4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟
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May 14, 2025what a journey
A book everyone should read. Asylum is a prickly subject but how wonderful to be able to help and understand. Huge thanks must go to all those people who were able to play a part in Abdul's rehabilitation. What a story. A lesson for us all who are lucky enough to own a British passport.
A book everyone should read. Asylum is a prickly subject but how wonderful to be able to help and understand. Huge thanks must go to all those people who were able to play a part in Abdul's rehabilitation. What a story. A lesson for us all who are lucky enough to own a British passport.
April 25, 2020
This is an inspirational story of a young boy's flight from Sudan to the UK, via Chad, Libya and France. It is powerful, emotional and truly inspirational. An absolutely incredible and powerful read. My thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.
January 12, 2021
i can honestly say the most astonishing wonderful touching book i have ever read and certainly opened my eyes up wider to what some are suffering and subject to in the world, a real page turner,absolutely no regrets buying this book at all
July 2, 2020
Heartbreaking and hopeful all at the same time. Getting to know Abdul through this reading has been a privilege. I wish him all the best. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
December 4, 2021
Wow! What an intense story and amazing guy.
This made me cry 5 times!
Wish I could meet Abdul and tell him how much his story moved me and give him a big hug.
This made me cry 5 times!
Wish I could meet Abdul and tell him how much his story moved me and give him a big hug.
December 30, 2021
Beautifully written.
I hope Abdul finds Yusuf.
What humans do to each other. Never ending horror.
I hope Abdul finds Yusuf.
What humans do to each other. Never ending horror.
August 20, 2025
Inspiring story!✨
August 22, 2020
This is an exceptional book about Abdul leaving Sudan aged 7, after all his family were killed except him and his younger brother. A very interesting descriptive book about his struggle to get to England via France and losing his younger brother who he has still not found.
Abdul eventually has a happy ending and a job looking after and riding race horses.
Highly recommended, thanks to Netgalley for an A.R.C.
Abdul eventually has a happy ending and a job looking after and riding race horses.
Highly recommended, thanks to Netgalley for an A.R.C.
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