Land of No Regrets

Nominated for the Toronto Book Award

A heart-wrenching story of four students who find hope and kinship amidst the challenges of growing up at a harrowing madrasa in rural Ontario.

Nabil, freshly plucked from middle school in Scarborough, is struggling to find his place at Al Haque Islamic Academy. Between the intense religious studies and the new rules, he still longs for his past life of baseball, video games, comic books and girls. When he stumbles upon two students doing something they shouldn’t be doing, he quickly falls into their company and joins them in their misdeeds. Together with the new transfer student and unruly class clown, Farid, the group executes their rebellion.

One day, while exploring the madrasa at night, the boys discover the diary of a student who lived on the grounds when it was an all-girls’ Catholic school. Cynthia Lewis’s words connect them to a bygone era and inspire them to hatch a plot to escape. They form a pact, and together, their ultimate decision sends them hurtling down a path that changes their lives forever.

Strikingly original, and as poignant as it is humorous, Land of No Regrets is a vibrant, compassionate exploration of faith, friendship and the true value of freedom.