The Lightless Sky

A gripping, inspiring, and eye-opening memoir of fortitude and survival—of a twelve-year-old boy’s traumatic flight from Afghanistan to the West—that puts a face to one of the most shocking and devastating humanitarian crises of our time.

“To risk my life had to mean something. Otherwise what was it all for?”

In 2006, after his father was killed, Gulwali Passarlay was caught between the Taliban who wanted to recruit him, and the Americans who wanted to use him. To protect her son, Gulwali’s mother sent him away. The search for safety would lead the twelve-year-old across eight countries, from the mountains of eastern Afghanistan through Iran and Europe to Britain. Over the course of twelve harrowing months, Gulwali endured imprisonment, hunger, cruelty, brutality, loneliness, and terror—and nearly drowned crossing the Mediterranean Sea. Eventually granted asylum in England, Gulwali was sent to a good school, learned English, won a place at a top university, and was chosen to help carry the Olympic Torch in the 2012 London Games.

In The Lightless Sky, Gulwali recalls his remarkable experience and offers a firsthand look at one of the most pressing issues of our time: the modern refugee crisis—the worst displacement of millions of men, women, and children in generations. Few, like Gulwali, make it to a country that offers the chance of freedom and opportunity. A celebration of courage and determination, The Lightless Sky is a poignant account of an exceptional human being who is today an ardent advocate of democracy—and a reminder of our responsibilities to those caught in terrifying and often deadly circumstances beyond their control.

How does a twelve-year-old boy survive a journey that would break most adults?

• An Unthinkable Choice: Caught between recruitment by the Taliban and exploitation by the Americans, twelve-year-old Gulwali is sent away from his home in Afghanistan by his mother.
• A Solo Journey: He travels alone across eight countries, from the mountains of Afghanistan to the shores of Europe, facing imprisonment, starvation, and unimaginable cruelty.
• Survival Against All Odds: A harrowing account of a modern refugee’s passage, including a terrifying near-drowning in the Mediterranean that tests the limits of his endurance.
• From Refugee to Role Model: The inspiring story of a boy who, after being granted asylum, learned English, earned a place at a top university, and was chosen to carry the Olympic Torch in London.
• A Firsthand Account: A powerful, eye-opening look at the modern refugee crisis, putting a human face on one of the greatest humanitarian challenges of our time.