Imagine feeling fear … always. Imagine feeling discriminated against … always. Imagine being persecuted … always. These are just some of the powerful feelings that are present when reading Hasina. Unimaginable for many, but a reality for some.

Hasina is a 14-year-old Rohingya girl, living with her extended family in Rahkine state in Myanmar. Things are changing in Myanmar and sometimes that means danger. Hasina is no longer allowed to go to the local school or play soccer.

One morning while being homeschooled by her aunt, an unfamiliar sound sends the students out to see far-off helicopters fly in and swoop across their land. While Araf, Hasina’s young brother, is excited about the ‘woops’ flying over, her aunt and cousin are gripped with fear from past experience. Hasina’s people are already the most oppressed community in her town, but this will signify a greater danger for them, in an area where their descendants have lived for centuries.

When the unthinkable happens, Hasina flees the town to the High Forest with her brother and cousin. She must grow up very quickly, having to find food, shelter and water for herself and two dependents. She prays her father will come for her, as he promised.

Michelle Aung Thin weaves a tale of deep discrimination in Hasina. Her book is beautifully written. It gives an insight into the experiences that migrants in our own country may have endured and asks us to accept all people on an equal footing no matter their religious background. A must read from the ‘Through My Eyes’ series.

Reviewed by Cathy d’Apice
Age Guide 12+