Mariam has lost her home in all its senses, found herself in a foreign country, faced hostility generated by stereotypes, experienced a bitter loss, but acquired a most valuable gift of love and saved life.

This book deals with very significant things: when a war comes into a city, those people who manage to slip out of its tongues of flame, have nothing but memory, love and painful desire to protect the dearest people. However, it is from these seeds that a whole new world can grow — all that is necessary, is a bit of “favorable soil” and care of those who are nearby.

This small book deals with a life story of a little girl narrated by herself, probably, in her thoughts long nights, drawing oriental patterns on the checked fields of school drafts. It seems that we are peeping through a keyhole and see a small European flat where a big unknown world hides itself behind ghostly outlines. This world consists of a few dearest things brought from the previous life; it is impossible to leave them behind even when the night sky over the neighboring city is cut out by blazing lightnings. This world also contains Mariam’s memories which she wants to preserve for her younger brother who is about to be born.

The plot of the story tells how Mariam lost her home in all its senses, found herself in a foreign country, faced hostility generated by stereotypes, experienced a bitter loss, but acquired a most valuable gift of love and saved life. The story develops on the background of her daily observations intertwined with memories and feelings which reign in the girl’s tender heart.

None of the numerous fairy tales, which she was told in her dear family, gives an answer to the questions what are the reasons of wars and refugees.

On Christmas Eve and during Christmas holidays she discovers for herself a narrative of another family of refugees — a life story of a woman, her namesake Mariam, Mariam’s husband Josip and there small baby Isa, who are seeking safety in flight to Egypt from king-terrorist and his bloodthirsty soldiers. This book deals with very significant things: when a war comes into a city, those people who manage to slip out of its tongues of flame, have nothing but memory, love and painful desire to protect their dearest people. However, it is from these seeds that a whole new world can grow — all that is necessary, is a bit of “favorable soil” and care of those who are nearby. This book is for parents to read it together with their children and stop scaring “otherness” of those people who suddenly become the closest and the dearest. This book is also for children, so that they would never lose ability to love unconditionally and to accept hearts with hospitality.

Nadiyka Gerbish is a Ukrainian translator and a bestselling and award-winning author of children’s books, short-stories, and Christian non-fiction. She currently works as an Eastern European rights manager for Riggins International Rights Services. She shares her love of the outdoors, books, and traveling with her husband Igor and their young daughter Bogdana.

Mariya Foya is an illustrator who works with numerous Ukrainian publishers. Her pieces have been exhibited in many art shows. She graduated from the Publishing and Printing Institute of the National Technical University of Ukraine Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute Department of Graphics. She draws extensively and loves to experiment with techniques and styles.