The Boy with Two Lives

Gr 8 Up—Kazerooni recounts his experience as a 10-year-old Iranian refugee beginning a new life at a British boarding school. Readers follow along as he adapts to being a new student: learning the English language, adjusting to British culture, and making friends. Unfortunately, he has a neglectful and abusive guardian who offers little support. During the holidays, Kazerooni is forced to work making sandwiches and live on his own in a small building. He finds relief only through infrequent calls to his mother and the kindness of his guardian's in-laws, who take him in during the holidays and provide him treats and money. When it is time to go to high school, Kazerooni wins a scholarship, but his guardian's neglect eventually leads to Kazerooni's homelessness at night even as he attends an elite school by day, forcing him to take care of himself, alone. Readers not familiar with Kazerooni's previous work may be lost at the beginning of the book, as there is no previous history presented. However, the narrative becomes more compelling as it details the highs and lows of the author's boarding school life and his eventual homelessness. He tells his story with candor, and his resourcefulness and resolve in a terrible situation are inspiring.