An immigrant family find themselves in a culture of hate… There's one chance of redemption

A mother and her two sons walk-through war-torn countries, cross borders and oceans witnessing the worst of humanity… all for the chance of a better life. Any life.

Their home in Somalia is in the midst of a civil war. Their most likely fate is a six-foot hole in the ground. London promises a safe haven. But as a single mother in a new country with a strange culture and impossible language, Hooyo does not find the welcome she hoped for.

Her eldest son, Abdi, is haunted by his father’s lasts words, ‘You’re the man of the house now.’ In the country that is supposed to be safe, he sees his mother brutally attacked. Only six years old, he now knows his father’s true meaning: step up and protect your family, by whatever means necessary.

In Somalia, death is fast and painless. In the United Kingdom, suffering is prolonged, on repeat, never ending. The only way to end the cycle is by act of force. Abdi knows he can’t keep his head down any longer. It’s time to give back what his family has suffered.

One thing is inevitable: Every action has a reaction… it was an interesting read and not my usual choice of book but enjoyable nonetheless. Learnt a lot about Somalian history and culture.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy. Boys growing up in tough neighborhoods would like this book. The themes of sticking together and family shine through, but fighting for survival overcomes those. The book has a lot of graphic fight scenes and profanity, so I cannot recommend it for our school library or book club usage. I hated the ending, both for what happened and how it didn’t tie up loose ends. The reader still doesn’t definitively know what happened to the father. While the characters are Muslims they don’t really practice, but there is some to learn about Somali and Yemeni culture.