This week marks Refugee Week, the world’s largest arts & culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. Established in 1998 in the UK, this annual festival aligns with World Refugee Day, celebrated globally on June 20th.

Books do much to raise awareness, understanding and empathy and therefore I am pleased to have been asked to contribute to the blog tour arranged by Zephyr Books to coincide with this important event. In Seven Million Sunflowers Malcolm Duffy highlights the plight of ordinary people forced to flee their homes and seek refuge elsewhere.

I look back. Mama and Tato, both holding each other, sobbing. Never seen Tato cry before. But then there’s never been a day like this before. Thursday 24 February 2022. The day the Russians came.

Page 10 Seven Million Sunflowers

Inspired by Malcolm Duffy’s personal experience of sharing his home with a refugee family from Ukraine after the Russian invasion of February 2022 this engrossing, moving story brings home the true impact of war on families. The writing style highlighting the remarkable resilience shown by so many and the distinctive voice of the young narrator will also encourage understanding and prompt an empathetic response in its readers.

15-year-old Kateryno and her family live in Kharkiv. On February 24th 2022 their lives are shattered when the Russian army invades and their apartment block is struck by a missile. After weeks living in their basement, Kateryno, her mother, and her older brother Marco, decide to leave, joining seven million Ukrainian refugees. Kateryno’s father stays behind to fight. Kateryno, her mum and Marco come to England and meet their host family, the Hawkins. But their new beginning brings a whole new set of problems.

Beginning with the awful day that life changed for Kat and her family this story compels the reader to imagine the unimaginable. The story as told by Kat herself provides a relatable quality for teen readers. We accompany Kat and her family as two months after the invasion they arrive in England viewing through her eyes the differences and difficulties she experiences. As Kat copes with a new school, friendships and a tentative relationship with a local boy she also maintains contact with her web designer Dad who is now fighting in the battlefields of Ukraine and friends and relations who have remained in their home country too. The contrast between small domestic dramas and the horror of war on the screen of Kat’s mobile phone brings home the reality of the situation for families uprooted and now living across Europe.

As Kat makes friends with Georgia the daughter of their host family and starts a relationship with Felix tensions develop as her brother Marco struggles with the situation that gradually emerges. The growing complications are played out against the backdrop of devastating news from back home and the young people have to learn how to cope, particularly Kat who has bottled up her emotions for so long.

Published to coincide with the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine this moving story provides an insight into the experiences of the millions of refugees, particularly the young people. The author has worked with the charity Combat Stress when writing the book to inform his understanding of the effects of PTSD. It is impossible to read this book and not to experience in some small way a deeper awareness of the impact this war has had on so many. The contrast between the former life of Kat’s father as a web designer and his experience as a soldier is shocking and brings home the reality of the situation. In his author’s note Malcolm Duffy thanks the refugee family he hosted, in particular 18 year old Sofia, for their help in aiding his understanding of their experiences. This input no doubt helped to create the voice of young Kat who is at the heart of the story and feels so real.

The publishers Zephyr support the work of Empathy Lab and I would not be at all surprised to see Seven Million Sunflowers on Read for Empathy collection lists in the future. Highly recommended for readers of 12+ and a must buy for secondary school libraries.

I should like to thank Zephyr Publishing and Laura Smythe for my review copy and for inviting me to participate in this blog tour. Seven Million Sunflowers was published on 1st February. Please do follow the rest of the blog tour to find out more, details are shown below.