Notes

Summary: Two boys meet at the culmination of separate compelling journeys. Omed is a boy from Afghanistan. After making an enemy of the Taliban on the day the Buddhas of Bamiyan are destroyed, he undertakes a perilous journey to seek asylum in Australia. Hector is a grieving Australian boy who has given up on school and retreated into silence. Their paths meet at a candle factory where they both find work. But secrets fester behind the monotonous routine of the assemby line, secrets with terrible consequences. Ultimately, it is up to Hector to determine how the story ends