Secret Gardens

Aazim is fifteen. His family is about to be deported. When Immigration come for him he decides to hide in a city allotment. But nowhere is safe for long. Aazim meets Nadimah. People are after her too. Soon they have to go on the run and find work to survive. Their new country is full of secret gardens. Few of them are safe places. Will they find a way to stay? A small novel with a big reputation. A well written and thought-provoking story which raises serious questions about asylum seekers and their children. David Belbin gets right to the heart of the issue. Bali Rai
The style is simple and direct, as befits a story someone is supposed to be telling in his second language. This is in no way patronising; on the contrary it makes the story a great page-turner; but the simple language and short sentences will make the story more accessible for reluctant readers. Southwell Folio

David Belbin is the author of forty novels, including China Girl and Stray. His other titles include Festival. The Beat series and Love Lessons. His work has a reputation for dealing responsibly with controversial aspects of teen life.