Across Mountains, Land and Sea

Arman is just a boy when he is forced to leave his home and embark on the most extraordinary journey.

Separated from family and friends, he travels across mountains, land and sea to find refuge. After encountering bandits, war and wolves, and surviving a hazardous boat crossing, he arrives at Dover, clinging to the underside of a lorry.

Little did he know, his journey had just begun.

Unable to speak English, Arman battles loneliness, despair and the reawakening of his traumas in this new strange place. Memories of his family haunt him. The dark clouds almost consume him. And still he persists, step-by-step.

What follows is a struggle for self-understanding, and the great strength it takes to overcome the trauma we carry. Running through is the long journey to find peace, and how education is the most powerful tool to seeing one's life through new eyes.

This is the unforgettable, heartfelt and transformative story, from a child who deserved to live in safety, not flee in fear. Arman's is a powerful new voice you won't forget and Across Mountains, Land and Sea the perfect book for fans of I Am Malala, Educated and Butterfly.

About the Author

Arman Azadi was born in Afghanistan and moved to the UK in 2001. He entered school for the first time that year at the age of fourteen and, a decade later, graduated with a master's degree in Political Theory from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Arman has dedicated himself to serving humanity and has worked with charities, local authorities, and the United Nations to help relieve the suffering of vulnerable people, particularly children and young people affected by wars and conflicts worldwide.

ARMAN AZADI means hope and freedom is a pseudonym used to ensure the safety of the author's family in Afghanistan.