Finding Refuge

What We Left, What We Brought, What We Found

What do you bring with you when you leave everything behind?

Two teenage refugees, Leila from Ethiopia and Kofi from Ghana arrive in America as strangers in a strange land. Their stories collide in the unfamiliar hallways of a Memphis middle school, where survival means staying invisible, and speaking up often comes with a price.

But when Leila’s poetry and Kofi’s hidden gift for soccer are discovered, everything changes. Suddenly, they are no longer just “the new kids”—they are voices in a conversation they never chose to enter. Together, they must navigate cultural tension, peer pressure, family expectations, and the deep longing for home.

Finding Refuge: What We Left, What We Brought, What We Found is a poignant, timely novel for readers ages 10 and up. A classroom essential and book club favorite, Finding Refuge invites readers to reflect, empathize, and understand the power of voice, story, and belonging.