Nujeen has cerebral palsy and can't walk, yet she made a long and dangerous journey across the Mediterranean to Greece and then Germany.

As a child, Nujeen coped with her disability. She had good support from family and friends and though she couldn't go to school, being effectively trapped in their fifth floor apartment, she would spend hours in front of the tv at home entertained by American soap operas. She became so immersed in 'Days of Our Lives' that she taught herself to speak English through watching it. And this proved a valuable skill when she eventually had to flee her country for a better life, seeking education and medical treatment in Europe.

When civil war broke out between Assad's forces and ISIS militants, Nujeen and her family fled first to her native Kobane, then Turkey, before they joined thousands of displaced persons in a journey to Europe. 

Nujeen is upbeat, determined and resilient throughout this account so, although she explains the fear and despair of experiencing war, being homeless, crossing the sea in an overcrowded small boat, and seeking asylum, she also maintains her humour and hopes for the future. She wanted to come to Europe, she said, to become an astronaut, to meet the Queen and to learn how to walk.

This is a powerful and poignant book which is an important reminder of the personal stories behind the statistics of refugees, asylum seekers and immigration we are hearing all the time. The book is aimed at readers aged 12 upwards, but I found it engrossing, instructive and informative.