When I began the audiobook version of this story on a whim, I got the impression it was designed for younger readers. The reading level is easy, and the three voices of the story (Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud) are in the middle-school age range. I anticipated a story I would sail right through – something to have in the background while driving or doing chores. What I did NOT anticipate was having to pause to wipe tears welling up in my eyes as I stood over dishes in the kitchen sink.

As the author notes at the end of the book, the characters themselves are fictional, but the struggles they face are all based on true events. Though each of the three harrowing stories of escape take place generations apart, they are beautifully connected to create an even bigger story.

While it may have been written for a school-aged audience, I think this story is also just as (if not more so) gripping and appropriate for adults.