The Pomegranate Tree by Vanessa Altin

The Pomegranate Tree

Vanessa Altin

A moving young adult novel (with wider appeal) which explains straightforwardly the current plight of Kurdish people in Syria and how war affects families in ways we can only imagine. Written in a simple manner, the story shows the resilience of humans and how they can stay so strong under tremendous life changes. A sad but hopeful story where you really believe that life will one day be happy and normal again for Dilvan and her family.

Extract
It was so true - an exact description of the miserable, hateful plague of ratmen that were swarming across Syria. How hadn't I seen it before? They even looked like Dementors with their black uniform, grey skin and angry faces. We were being attacked by Dementors - and without magic to fight back.
"I've been practising my Patronus Charm," Diyar said with another flourish of his stick. "It's the only thing that will stop them you know."
I smiled down at him nodding - wishing there was a spell that could magic away the advancing Demetors from our village.
"How have you practised?" I asked - half-hoping that he did have some magical powers.
"You have to fight back with happiness and love," Diyar asserted. "You have to think of your happiest memory until the joy oozes out of you - they can't bear that."
Parallels
  • The Unwanted by Don Brown
  • Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird