Leila and Abel

Leila and Abel are fictional characters, however, their experiences as set out in this book, are based on the lives of a number of immigrants who entrusted me with their stories. The immigrants I met are the same age as, or in some cases younger than, me. But their stories are largely unknown. My hope is that my book will promote a greater awareness amongst my generation, as well as a greater empathy with, and social acceptance of, immigrants in Switzerland. Leila and Abel flee their homes in hope for a better future but for different reasons: Leila is running away from an arranged marriage in Afghanistan with a man who does not love her, and Abel is trying to escape a life long misery in a brutal Eritrean military camp. Their stories are both harrowing and inspiring in equal measure, particularly when you realize that these stories are true. After a year of conducting interviews, doing research, drafting and editing, I hope that I have done justice to the stories of these extraordinarily brave people and I hope it will allow readers to glimpse into the world that is largely unknown.