Alem is on holiday with his father for a few days in London. He has never been
out of Ethiopia before and is very excited. They have a great few days togther
until one morning when Alem wakes up in the bed and breakfast they are staying
at to find the unthinkable. His father has left him. It is only when the owner
of the bed and breakfast hands him a letter that Alem is given an explanation.
Alems father admits that because of the political problems in Ethiopia both he
and Alems mother felt Alem would be safer in London even though it is
breaking their hearts to do this. Alem is now on his own, in the hands of the
social services and the Refugee Council. He lives from letter to letter,
waiting to hear from his father, and in particular about his mother, who has
now gone missingA powerful, gripping new novel from the popular Benjamin
Zephaniah