Book excerpt: As a little boy grows up in Palestine, he has no idea that his mothers unconditional love is already paving the road for his success later in life. When he is thirteen, his hardworking mother suddenly dies, leaving Alghadanfar alone and with no other choice but to attend a military boarding school while his father and his new wife live mostly on charity. Four years later, Alghadanfars life forever changes when his country is occupied by Israel and he is left homeless, seemingly doomed to enter lifes wild arena whether he is ready or not. After the invasion, Alghadanfar escapes on foot with others to the River Jordan in a dangerous journey to reach the only place he knows, his boarding school on the eastern side of the river. As he is led to his first brush with death and onto a new path in life, he must rely on his survival instincts, his mothers shadow, and her prayers to become empowered to overcome the many obstacles that stand in his way.