Faten (فَاتِن)

Lebanon. In the midst of the civil war, fifteen-year-old Faten is forced to leave her village in the south of the country, abandoning school and the world she knew to move to Beirut and work as a maid for a middle-aged couple. Things begin to change thanks to an encounter with a neighbor: Faten discovers friendship, resumes her studies, and, with the prospect of being able to follow her dreams, returns to life.

Author: Fatima Sharafeddine (فَاطِمَة شَرَف الدِّين). A writer, translator, and editor of children's books, lives between Beirut and Brussels. She has published over 120 books, many of which have been translated into various languages, from English to Hindi. Her numerous awards include the 2016 Bologna Ragazzi Award (New Horizons) and a three-time nomination for the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.