Displaced, Dean Hughes
Displaced, Dean Hughes
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Displaced

Author: Dean Hughes

Narrator: Amin El Gamal

Unabridged: 5 hr 44 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Recorded Books

Published: 09/08/2020


Synopsis

Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year Selection Title In this gripping and eye-opening novel, two Syrian refugee teens trying to make a living on the street corners of Beirut must decide how far they’re willing to go to make a home for their family in an unwelcoming country. Thirteen-year-old Hadi Saleh and his family are displaced. At least that’s what the Lebanese government calls them and the thousands of other Syrian refugees that have flooded into Beirut. But as Hadi tries to earn money to feed his family by selling gum on the street corner, he learns that many people who travel the city don’t think they’re displaced—they think that they don’t belong in this country either. And as he faces the insults day after day, Hadi hardly dares to dream anymore that this might change. But then Hadi meets Malek, who has been instructed to work on the same corner. Malek, who talks about going to school and becoming an engineer. He makes Hadi wonder if more might be possible. But Malek is new to the streets, and soon Kamal, the man who “oversees” many of the local street vendors, tells Malek he must work the corner … alone. And people who don’t follow Kamal’s orders don’t last long. Now Hadi is forced to make a choice between engaging in illegal activities or letting his family starve. Can the boys find a way out of their impossible situation, or will the dream of something greater than their harsh realities remain stubbornly out of reach?

About Dean Hughes

Dean Hughes is a bestselling and prolific writer who published his hundredth book in 2014. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Weber State College and master’s degree and PhD from the University of Washington. He has attended post-doctoral seminars at Stanford and Yale Universities and taught English at Central Missouri State University and Brigham Young University.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Kathy on September 06, 2020

This is such a timely book. It shines a light on the challenges that Syrian refugees face while trying to survive in the countries that they have fled to. For this book, that means Lebanon. Lebanon which is a small country of around 6 million and has hosted up to 1 million refugees since the Syrian......more

Goodreads review by Matthew on July 31, 2021

Have you ever had a book that you went into almost completely blind? That was me with “Displaced” by Dean Hughes. I’d heard of the author, seen the cover for this book and read the synopsis, but that was all. “Displaced” follows two young refugees named Hadi and Malek who work on the same street cor......more

Goodreads review by Liyaa on February 21, 2024

The message I took away from this book is that it's important to not lose hope. That these often forgotten people (the refugees, displaced people), don't want charity. They just want to live rather then survive. Us (people) must stop generalizing, ignoring, or despising refugees because if it was th......more

Goodreads review by Lisa on March 21, 2025

This is a book of hopes and dreams of two refugee Syrian young men working the streets of Beruit, Lebanon. Terribly sad to know that stories like this unfold everyday in our world. This is totally different from anything I've ever read by Dean Hughes but written very well as all of Mr Hughes books.......more

Goodreads review by em! on January 31, 2024

i really enjoyed it however the ending felt a little lackluster tbh! someone else said that it didn’t end as powerfully and i completely agree. i think a time jump into what malek & hadi’s lives would be in 10-15 years (or something like that) would’ve really finished this nicely......more