{"product_id":"the-lightless-sky-a-twelveyearold-refugees-extraordinary-journey-across-half-the-world-isbn-9780062443892","title":"The Lightless Sky: A Twelve-Year-Old Refugee's Extraordinary Journey Across Half the World","description":"\u003cp\u003eA gripping, inspiring, and eye-opening memoir of fortitude and survival—of a twelve-year-old boy’s traumatic flight from Afghanistan to the West—that puts a face to one of the most shocking and devastating humanitarian crises of our time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“To risk my life had to mean something. Otherwise what was it all for?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 2006, after his father was killed, Gulwali Passarlay was caught between the Taliban who wanted to recruit him, and the Americans who wanted to use him. To protect her son, Gulwali’s mother sent him away. The search for safety would lead the twelve-year-old across eight countries, from the mountains of eastern Afghanistan through Iran and Europe to Britain. Over the course of twelve harrowing months, Gulwali endured imprisonment, hunger, cruelty, brutality, loneliness, and terror—and nearly drowned crossing the Mediterranean Sea. Eventually granted asylum in England, Gulwali was sent to a good school, learned English, won a place at a top university, and was chosen to help carry the Olympic Torch in the 2012 London Games.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn The Lightless Sky, Gulwali recalls his remarkable experience and offers a firsthand look at one of the most pressing issues of our time: the modern refugee crisis—the worst displacement of millions of men, women, and children in generations. Few, like Gulwali, make it to a country that offers the chance of freedom and opportunity. A celebration of courage and determination, The Lightless Sky is a poignant account of an exceptional human being who is today an ardent advocate of democracy—and a reminder of our responsibilities to those caught in terrifying and often deadly circumstances beyond their control.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis powerful true story is more than a memoir—it’s a journey through the heart of the modern refugee crisis.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA Perilous Escape:\u003c\/b\u003e Sent away by his mother to escape being caught between the Taliban and American forces, Gulwali Passarlay begins a life-altering trek across continents, completely alone.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eSurvival Against All Odds:\u003c\/b\u003e Follow a twelve-year-old boy's harrowing twelve-month ordeal across eight countries, facing imprisonment, starvation, and a near-drowning in the Mediterranean.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe Refugee Crisis, Up Close:\u003c\/b\u003e Gain a firsthand perspective on the worst displacement of people in generations, told through the eyes of a child who lived it.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eFrom Boy Refugee to Torchbearer:\u003c\/b\u003e Discover the inspiring conclusion to an unbelievable journey, as Gulwali is granted asylum in England and is eventually chosen to carry the Olympic Torch in the 2012 London Games.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e | \u003cp\u003eAfter his father and grandfather were killed by U.S. troops for allegedly cooperating with the Taliban, Gulwali Passarlay fled Afghanistan with his brother in the middle of the night, with only a hastily packed rucksack and little more than 200 dollars in his pocket. He was twelve years old, and this is his story. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe first book to tell the modern refugee crisis from a firsthand perspective, \u003cem\u003eThe Lightless Sky\u003c\/em\u003e is an unforgettable chronicle of Gulwali’s yearlong odyssey from Afghanistan to England, during which he traveled more than 12,000 miles, escaped internment in Turkey and Bulgaria, and negotiated passage with shadowy agents in the smuggling trade. Told in unflinching and memorable detail, \u003cem\u003eThe Lightless Sky\u003c\/em\u003e is at once an utterly absorbing personal history and a stunning testament to the power of the human spirit; the triumph of faith, courage, and determination; and the undeniable universal right to life, liberty, and security of person.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“A powerful account of a year-long journey …. [a] life that was almost snuffed out so prematurely is now bursting with promise.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Times (London)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Lightless Sky is a remarkably vivid memoir [that] leaves you fearing for Gulwali’s safety and admiring his utterly tenacious resolve against overwhelming odds; but at the same time it is also a fearsome reminder of the experiences being endured by numberless, anonymous migrants.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Herald (Scotland)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Lightless Sky\u003c\/i\u003e is a heart-rending read that illuminates the plight of unaccompanied minors forced to leave their homes and loved ones. [Passarlay’s] powerful account is a testament to the courage of all those fleeing conflict in search of safety.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Independent (UK)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A tale of gracious triumph over all sorts of adversity as the author describes his life as a refugee and his arduous journey from Afghanistan to England when he was only 12. This is a harrowing but necessary must-read about an exceptional young man, adding context to so much of what we read in the papers.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eStylist (UK)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A tale of gracious triumph over all sorts of adversity as the author describes his life as a refugee and his arduous journey... This is a harrowing but necessary must-read about an exceptional young man, adding context to so much of what we read in the papers.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eStylist (UK)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“At once deeply upsetting and entirely inspiring, this is the story of a young boy who faced tremendous misfortune and danger on his journey from Afghanistan to Britain…  this young man’s journey demands to be read, and his story and achievements celebrated.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWorld Travel Guide\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A tale of fortitude and friendship told through a child’s eyes, Gulwali’s story casts much needed light on the difficult decisions refugees are forced to take about who to trust and how to stay alive against a backdrop of political indifference.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Refugee Council (UK)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A remarkably vivid memoir . . . a fearsome reminder of the experiences being endured, even as you read this, by numberless, anonymous migrants. Not for nothing has it all been described as Europe’s biggest humanitarian crisis since the Second World War.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Herald (Scotland)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HarperOne","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44888399282405,"sku":"NP9780062443892","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780062443892.jpg?v=1730229009","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-lightless-sky-a-twelveyearold-refugees-extraordinary-journey-across-half-the-world-isbn-9780062443892","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}