Safiyyah's War

Winner of the Jhalak Children's & YA PrizeWinner of the Indie Book Awards for Children's FictionWinner of the Week Junior Book Award for Older FictionShortlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Writing'Safiyyah's War has the soul of a classic & the urgency of a story for our times. A tale of tolerance, unthinkable bravery, and heart-in-mouth true events. I loved this book' - Kiran Millwood Hargrave'All at once, Safiyyah's War broke my heart and filled me with immense hope. With its unforgettable characters and exquisite storytelling, this really is an extraordinary book' - A F Steadman'Safiyyah is a protagonist I was rooting for all throughout; a lovely, kind-hearted girl whose story filled me in turns with despair and joy. This book shines through with kindness and empathy at its very heart' - Nizrana Farook'Luminous prose . . . a riveting read for children and adults alike' - New York TimesWar comes to the streets of Paris and Safiyyah’s life changes for ever.Her best friend’s family have fled, and the bombing makes her afraid to leave the mosque where she lives. But when her father is arrested by the Nazis for his secret Resistance work, it falls to Safiyyah to run the dangerous errands around the city.It’s not long before hundreds of persecuted Jews seek sanctuary at the mosque. Can Safiyyah find the courage to enter the treacherous catacombs under Paris and lead the Jews to safety?

"Written with rich detail about Paris and Islam, [Safiyyah's War] is a vivid tale of people finding courage, connection and empathy for each other" The Sunday Times
"A heartfelt and tragically timely paean to religious tolerance" TLS, Best Children's Books of 2023
"This story of heroism, shared humanity and hope cherished against long odds is so beautifully written it will be hard for any reader of 9+ to forget" Guardian
"Luminous prose... a riveting read for children and adults alike" New York Times
"Perfect reading for fans of Katherine Rundell and Emma Carroll, Safiyyah's War is a riveting, deeply poignant period novel" -- Waterstones, July's Best Children's Books 2023
"A lyrical, spiritual book" Jewish Chronicle
"Safiyyah's War has the soul of a classic and the urgency of a story for our times. A tale of tolerance, unthinkable bravery, and heart-in-mouth true events. I loved this book." -- Kiran Millwood Hargrave
"All at once, Safiyyah's War broke my heart and filled me with immense hope. With its unforgettable characters and exquisite storytelling, this really is an extraordinary book" -- A F Steadman
"Safiyyah is a protagonist I was rooting for all throughout; a lovely, kind-hearted girl whose story filled me in turns with despair and joy. This book shines through with kindness and empathy at its very heart" -- Nizrana Farook
"This story of extraordinary bravery, based on little-known events, is both inspiring and uplifting" The Bookseller, Editor's Choice
"A must-read distinguished by its powerful plot and poignant writing" Kirkus, starred review

Hiba Noor Khan’s first novel Safiyyah’s War won the Indie Book Award and the Jhalak Children’s & YA Prize.Hiba is a physics teacher and a recent Global Diplomacy graduate. She has worked for The Children’s Society as a Refugee Advocate and for the United Nations IOM on international development projects. She’s also delivered humanitarian aid in Syrian refugee camps and worked on reforestation initiatives in Tanzania.

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