No Safe Place (Groundwood Books)

Every year thousands upon thousands of people leave their homelands to seek better lives in the world’s rich, safe countries. Some of them are economic migrants; many others are fleeing abuse, wars and other dangers. They are rarely welcomed. A substantial number arrive in France and end up looking for a way to get across the English Channel and into a country that they believe, rightly or wrongly, will be more receptive to their arrival. And many of these people are young, alone and desperate. No Safe Place tells the story of four young adults in similar, desperate straits. On this special evening, author Deborah Ellis will speak on the topics raised in her book that are affecting young adults seeking safety around the world today.

Deborah Ellis has won multiple awards and achieved international acclaim with her courageous and dramatic books that give Western readers a glimpse into the plight of children in developing countries. A long-time feminist and anti-war activist, she is best known for The Breadwinner Trilogy, which has been published around the world in seventeen languages, with more than a million dollars in royalties donated to Street Kids International and to Women for Women, an organization that supports health and education projects in Afghanistan.