Dad and Diane, you believed in my dreams so completely that you were genuinely worried I was going to become too successful (before I even finished a book) and get bored of writing. Thank you for making me feel like I could do anything I set my mind to, I am utterly obnoxious because of you. Mum, thank you for my tiger heart, you’ll be in my memories forever. Dana, my sweet sister, thank you for our Kuwait adventures.

Alfie, how can I possibly thank you enough? There are not enough words in the English and Arabic language combined (which I think amounts to several million) to express my gratitude for what you have done for me. You have spent many patient hours drying my tears; cradling me when I’ve felt lost and, when I was finally ready, helping me to fix this book over and over and over again. You have lived this all with me; the sleepless nights, the deadline stress, the meltdowns. But the good things too – the exciting emails and meetings and seeing the cover and proof for the first time. And you do it all so selflessly, without question. You are the best person I know and I love you dearly.

About the Author

About the Author

AISHA BUSHBY was born in the Middle East and has lived in Kuwait, England and Canada. She was the breakout star of the Stripes anthology A Change Is Gonna Come, alongside writers such as Patrice Lawrence, Tanya Byrne and Nikesh Shukla. She now lives by the sea and writes children’s books, sometimes with a little bit of magic in them. She loves cats, gloomy days, and animated films. You can most likely find her on Twitter @aishabushby, where she spends most of her time avoiding deadlines.