In the Sea is the true account of Enaiatollah Akbari’s escape from Afghanistan to Italy. Enaiat was only around ten years old when his mother took him to the Pakistani border and then disappeared in the night, leaving him alone. In doing so, his mother had made an impossible decision. Either Enaiat could stay with the family, where as a young boy he would live in constant danger of being attacked, indoctrinated or made to work as a slave (this had happened to his father, who was eventually killed), or she could give him the opportunity to escape and make his own way to a better life. In the Sea follows Enaiat’s treacherous journey through Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and Greece, and documents the memorable acts of human cruelty and human kindness that he experienced along the way. Thankfully for Enaiat, he eventually found safety in Italy. Many other boys were not so fortunate.

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We here at DFB are very excited about a new book due out  this July. We’ve shared some proof copies with a few special readers, who have already sent us their thoughts, copied below. IN THE SEA THERE ARE CROCODILES: The story of Enaiatollah Akbari is coming out on 7th July, but you can pre-order a copy here.

READER REVIEWS FROM CENTRAL PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL, LONDON

 “The story took me around the world it’s certainly the best story EVER! I would recommend this book to everyone who wants the next ‘Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.’”

Hafsa Adel

“Describing this [Enaiatollah’s journey] in all great detail, is what I thought was fantastic about this adventure book. It really snatched my emotions and made me feel pity…It also got me thinking about what I would do if I was in that situation.”

Maansib Ahmed Choudhury

“It was very funny at times and it really makes you think about what we have that we take for granted, like a warm bed every night and good food every day. You also learn new words in different languages.”

Namitha Vinayan

“I love the bit where Enaiatollah and his friends run around the beach in their underwear looking for clothes to wear. I loved that bit because it made me laugh after all the sad things that Enaiatollah went through.”

Deva

“I think this book is great and could make a new film. This is because it has great punctuation and the story is great…I hope this story will be famous.”

Fahim

A big thank you to all our readers so far – we’re thrilled that you found Eniah’s story as fascinating and inspiring as we have.