Born and raised in poverty, Saleh Abbas struggled as a child shepherd through unimaginable hunger and hardships. He was raised in an isolated desert town in Iraq under the terrorizing reign of Saddam Hussein. Here, folks lived in a cycle of illiteracy that kept them poor. Thankfully, his father and other town leaders fought for a school where Saleh thrived. Saleh also had big dreams and wanted to become a surgeon.
This story tells of his challenges, including severe poverty, racism and personal loss, and his journey from Iraq to Australia and beyond. This memoir is unique, and I enjoyed it.
The author tells rather than shows his story, though, so I didn't connect emotionally with him. Also, the content was repetitive in places and could use an edit.

This book should be required reading – we really don’t know we are alive! No matter how ‘hard-up’ our own families may have felt, in the West we really have no conception of what life is like for many others in less privileged parts of the world. Ideally we would all become ‘glass half-full’ people, appreciating the many blessings we have taken for granted. (And hopefully, starting to share them...) How many of us truly value our opportunities for education – how much would we be prepared to endure for it?
It is a wonder that Saleh Abbas even survived his childhood, let alone went on to become the eminent professional he is today. My thanks to him for sharing his very readable story with us, it is an inspiration. Although I must say, as a New Zealander I am absolutely appalled by his experience of this country – I had no idea others were being treated like that & can only wish he had come to where I live. We have a lot of medical staff from overseas – it often seems like the majority - & having had a lot of contact with many of them, I would hope he would have had a much happier time here.
This book has great appeal for all ages, for the young to dare to dream & then never give up, no matter how long it takes, & for the not so young as to how we treat others, & to show consideration for what their back-story may be. We really don’t know we are alive...