Fourteen-year-old Hasina is forced to flee everything she knows in
this gripping account of the refugee crisis in Myanmar.
For Hasina and her younger brother Araf, the constant threat of Sit Tat,
the Myanmar Army, is a way of life in Rakhine province--just uttering
the name is enough to send chills down their spines. As Rohingyas, they
know that when they hear the wop wop wop of their helicopters there is
one thing to do--run, and don't stop. So when soldiers invade their
village one night, and Hasina awakes to her aunt's fearful voice,
followed by smoke, and then a scream, run is what they do.
Hasina races deep into the Rakhine forest to hide with her cousin
Ghadiya and Araf. When they emerge some days later, it is to a
smouldering village. Their house is standing but where is the rest of
her family? With so many Rohingyas driven out, Hasina must figure out
who she can trust for help and summon the courage to fight for her
family amid the escalating conflict that threatens her world and her
identity.
Fast-paced and accessibly written, Hasina tackles an important topic
frequently in the news but little explored in fiction. It is a poignant
and thought-provoking introduction for young readers to the miliatry
crackdown and ongoing persecution of Rohingya people, from the
perspective of a brave and resilient protagonist.