Forced by circumstances, Mira and Tahliil experience the shock of having to live in a completely different culture. Slowly getting more independent, they meet and find comfort in each other. I found this story very moving and full of optimism. The way the characters immerse themselves in their new surroundings shows courage and a maturity I could only admire. The subtle details of the struggle to survive demonstrate an empathy that I felt deeply.
Following her run-in with Tahliil’s mother, her dislike for Somalis had slowly given way to something unexpected – a steely determination to be accepted. By his family. His people. Wherever she and Tahliil ended up, Mira wanted to feel part of a larger community, to have friends, people they could rely on. She had taken it for granted, living in Leicester, how surrounded she was by those she recognised and who recognised her. If they went too far out, they wouldn’t have anybody aside from themselves, and as idyllic as the idea seemed at first, there was an inherent danger to it that she recognised.
