Oranges in No Man's Land

"This is narrated by an older person looking back so you have a sense of the voice of someone who survived and we have the author’s preface telling us how, as a young mother, she lived in Beirut during the civil war, giving us a little background. There is brutality – the brutality of war. All war is brutal. But it is acts of kindness that make a difference. “For me, the book’s brilliance is in its apparent simplicity” This book is also about the courage that the young Ayesha displays. And it is about imagination – it tells us that we mustn’t lose that imagination. Ayesha dares to imagine that survival is possible and you have to do that if you’re in such a desperate situation. If you allow yourself to be brought down by the desperation, you’re finished. Fortunately, the kindness prevails. There’s also an element of luck and it does work out for Ayesha in the end. For me, the book’s brilliance is in its apparent simplicity. Elizabeth Laird cuts through the complexities of the political and social reality and filters a story that allows readers, whether young or old, to understand what the war means through the eyes of a child. It’s courage, and the courage to imagine that you can survive. That is so important."