Basic HTML Version
Page Turners
FireFlyz ~ 29
Nujeen:OneGirl’s Incredible Journey
fromWar-tornSyria inaWheelchair
NujeenMustafaandChristinaLamb
Publisher:HarperCollins,UK
An inspiring tale ofmodernmigration,
overcoming adversity andescaping thehell of
war, froma girl struggling towalk for the very
first time inher life.
NujeenMustafahas cerebral palsy and
cannotwalk. This didnot stopher braving
inconceivable odds to travel inherwheelchair
fromSyria in searchof anew life. Sharingher
full story for thefirst time,Nujeen recounts
thedetails of her childhoodanddisability, as
well as the specifics of her harrowing journey
across theMediterranean toGreece and
finally toGermany to seek an educationand
themedical treatment sheneeds.
Trapped inafifth floor apartment inAleppo
andunable togo to school, she taught herself
to speak Englishbywatching television. As
civil war betweenAssad’s forces and ISIS
militants broke out around them,Nujeen
andher family fledfirst toher nativeKobane,
thenTurkey before they joined thousands of
displacedpersons ina journey toEurope and
asylum.
Inher strong, positive voice,Nujeen tells
the story ofwhat it is really like tobe a refugee,
tohave grownup inadictatorshiponly for
your life tobe blightedbywar; tohave left a
belovedhomeland tobecome dependent on
others. It is the story of our times told through
the incredible bravery of one remarkable girl
determined to keep smiling.
Lyrebird
CeceliaAhern
Publisher:HarperCollins,UK
Life is in twoparts: who youwere before youmet her, and
who youare after.Down in the southwest of Ireland,
ruggedmountainsmeet bright blue lakes and thick
forests.Deep in thewoods, surroundedby farmland, a
youngwoman lives alone ina small stone cottage.
Then, intoher peaceful landscape comes a
documentary crew. Solomon’s skill is sound.He
records, he listens, hehears. Andwhenhemeets
Laura, hediscovers that shehas an extraordinary
talent: anability tomimic sounds. It’s a gift that earns her the
nickname Lyrebird.
When thedocumentary crewoffers her away forward, abridge to another kindof life,
she takes it. Butwhile Solomonknows theworldwill love Laura,will it freeher to spreadher
wings–orwill it trapher ina gilded cage?
LYREBIRD is a thoughtful, deeplymoving love story; a story of thewildheart inus all and
the quiet that lies underneath theworld’s noise.
TheWhistler
JohnGrisham
Publisher:RandomHouse
We expect our judges tobehonest and
wise. Their integrity and impartiality are the
bedrock of the entire judicial system.We trust
themto ensure fair trials, toprotect the rights
of all litigants, topunish thosewhodowrong,
and tooversee the orderly and efficient flow
of justice.
Butwhat happenswhena judge bends the
lawor takes abribe? It’s rare, but it happens.
Lacy Stoltz is an investigator for the Florida
Boardon Judicial Conduct. She is a lawyer,
not a cop, and it is her job to respond to
complaints dealingwith judicialmisconduct.
After nine yearswith theBoard, she knows
thatmost problems are causedby incompe-
tence, not corruption.
But a corruption case eventually crosses her
desk.Apreviously disbarred lawyer is back in
businesswithanew identity.Henowgoes by
the nameGregMyers and claims to knowof
a Florida judgewhohas stolenmoremoney
thanall other crooked judges combined.And
not just crooked judges in Florida.All judges,
fromall states, and throughout U.S. history.
What’s the source of the ill-gottengains? It
seems the judgewas secretly involvedwith
the constructionof a large casinoonNative
American land. TheCoastMafiafinanced the
casino and is nowhelping itself to a sizable
skimof eachmonth’s cash. The judge is get-
ting a cut and looking the otherway. Everyone
ismakingmoney.
Myerswants toput a stop to it.His only
client is apersonwho knows the truthand
wants toblowthewhistle and collectmillions
under Florida law.
Hefiles a complaintwith theBoardon
Judicial Conduct, and the case is assigned to
Lacy Stoltz,who immediately suspects that
this one couldbe dangerous.
Dangerous is one thing.Deadly is some-
thing else.