Lost Boys by Darcey Rosenblatt

Lost Boys

Darcey Rosenblatt

Square Fish · Paperback · August 21, 2018

Based on historical events, this unforgettable and inspiring tale for middle-grade readers is about a young boy torn from the only life he’s ever known and held captive as a prisoner of war.

Buy on Amazon

We earn from qualifying purchases.

Who it’s for
War history seen through a young life, with friendship and music offering human scale.
Themes
Wartime captivity, Friendship, Survival against the odds
Genres
Historical Middle East, Wars & Military History, Survival Stories

Nearest books

Matched by what the books are about, then ordered by what their readers also loved.

  1. Refugee: the Graphic NovelAlan Gratz52% match
  2. Tagging FreedomRhonda Roumani, Farrah Haidar55% match
  3. Lion of the SkyRitu Hemnani52% match
  4. Born Behind BarsPadma Venkatraman56% match
  5. Kareem BetweenShifa Saltagi Safadi55% match
  6. Clues to the UniverseChristina Li49% match
  7. Paper WishesLois Sepahban51% match
  8. The Blackbird GirlsAnne Blankman49% match

For older readers: A Land of Permanent Goodbyes, Disappearing Act, Balcony on the Moon

Start with three books, and this one can be the first.

Members get a new edition every morning: a route out from their books to essays, research and talks, with the reason for each.

Start with this book

About this book

Based on historical events, this unforgettable and inspiring tale for middle-grade readers is about a young boy torn from the only life he’s ever known and held captive as a prisoner of war. In 1982, twelve-year-old Reza has no interest in joining Iran’s war effort. But in the wake of a tragedy and at his mother’s urging, he decides to enlist, assured by the authorities that he will achieve paradise should he die in service to his country.

Continue reading

War does not bring the glory the boys of Iran have been promised, and Reza soon finds himself held in a prisoner-of-war camp in Iraq, where the guards not only threaten violence—they act upon it. Will Reza make it out alive? And if he does, will he even have a home to return to? In this unforgettable tale of friendship and survival against the odds, Reza finds solace through music and forges his own path, wherever that might take him. Lost Boys is a stunning debut from Darcey Rosenblatt. It is perfect for readers interested in current events, history, and the Middle East. Praise for Lost Boys: “In Rosenblatt’s ambitious debut novel, Reza, a 12-year-old Iranian boy, clings to friendship and his love of music as the Iran-Iraq War tears his world apart. . . . Reza’s story is compelling . . . .” —Kirkus Reviews “This hard-hitting first novel opens in Iran in 1982 during the Ayatollah Khomeini’s oppressive rule and that nation’s war with Iraq. . . . The larger political context becomes personal when a devastating public rejection of Reza and his fellow survivors by Iran leaves the boys without a country. . . . [T]he resilience of Rosenblatt’s protagonist strikes a strong chord.” —Publishers Weekly

History Made Personal

War history seen through a young life, with friendship and music offering human scale.

Come here for

  • A young perspective on the Iran-Iraq War
  • History made personal through friendship and music

Expect

  • The danger and uncertainty of wartime captivity
  • A survival story with music as solace

Where it sits

Historical Middle East76%
Survival Stories60%
Wars & Military History47%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Wars & Military History
  • Historical Middle East
  • Stories Set in the Middle East
Authors
Darcey Rosenblatt
Publisher
Square Fish
Published
August 21, 2018
Format
Paperback
Theme
Wartime captivity · Friendship · Survival against the odds
Reading lane
Wars & Military History