My Name is Samim is a powerful, at times heartbreaking, debut novel by Fidan Meikle, an Azerbaijani-British writer, linguist and translator. Meikle tells the story of a thirteen year old boy from Afghanistan who is fleeing his home after the death of his parents in the hope of finding safety. This remarkable and deeply moving story conveys the reality of the experience of refugees and provides the reader with the opportunity to learn, to understand and to empathise.

When Samim was nine years old his parents and younger sister were killed in a bombing raid. Together with his best friend, Zayn, he left his home country and travelled through Iran and onward to Europe in the hope of reaching England and a safe haven with his uncle whom he had not seen for several years. The horror of his dangerous journey is vividly conveyed and the unimaginable becomes more real to the reader. On his arrival in England Samim is first placed in a detention centre, despite his youth, and subsequently with a foster family. Once there he is required to prove to the authorities that he qualifies for asylum status. Through a series of interviews Samim relates his family background, the reasons for needing to escape from Afghanistan and the events that took place during the years he spent travelling to the UK.

The narrative structure enables the reader to experience the events Samim has witnessed and been part of as he answers questions during the interview process. We learn that he left the Ghazni province in Afghanistan during 2015 following the bombing of his home. With Zayn and his Uncle he spent two years in a stone cutting factory in Iran before moving on to Turkey, Greece and eventually to Italy . The stories of people Samim meets and interacts with on his journey form an important part of the story. There is cruelty from some, but it is the kindness and the resilience of others that resonates powerfully throughout the book. The bereft young father with a love of astronomy who inspires Samim and Zayn and the kind grandmother who brings the young boys into her family and supports them are two who stand out. There are other youngsters whose bravery is inspiring and moving, including a young girl named Darya. The loss of Zayn weighs heavy on Samim who experiences both guilt and sorrow. Zayn’s voice is a constant presence in the book, his humour and spirited attitude boosting his friend even when he is no longer here.

My Name is Samim is an impressive debut. I was completely immersed in Samim’s story as I read and his determination, quiet courage and his loyalty to others ensures that this young boy is a character who stays with the reader long after you turn the last page. There are subjects covered within the storyline such as refugee trafficking, gender identity and bullying that require a degree of emotional maturity yet despite the subject matter and sometimes harrowing incidents there is hope and great kindness conveyed.

My Name is Samim will be published in March by Floris Books in their Kelpies range and is suitable for the upper middle grade audience of about 11 or 12 upwards. Update: since writing this review I have been told that publication will now be in May. This will tie in with National Refugee Week marked in June.

Update: Teacher Resouces

In readiness for Refugee Week, taking place from 16th – 22nd June Floris Books/Kelpies have created some excellent teacher resources suitable for upper KS2 and KS3 to use with My Name is Samim. This learning resource pack has been created by the author to help teachers lead insightful class discussions and activities based on the book. Activities are suitable for pupils aged 10+ and can be downloaded here.

You may also like to read this guest blog written by Fidan Meikle for Just Imagine about using refugee stories in the classroom.

I should like to thank the publishers and Kirstin Lamb for generously providing my early proof copy.