by Tima Kurdi
Thank you to everyone who helped with my Group of Five—including Kitt Maitland, Claire Moriarty, and Mike Whittaker—for opening your hearts to my family and for your patience. To Kitt, in particular, thank you for the many months of work during the refugee application process. I could not have done it without you.
Thank you also to Roz Harrington and Rick Speer, Richard Rainy, and Annette Bittermann in Germany. Thank you to all my friends. You know what role each of you has had in my life, and I am so thankful for all of you.
To my editors, Nita Pronovost and Brendan May, thank you for your patience and time. Even though the book was a stressful journey, you always gave me hope and you always listened. I couldn’t ask for better editors.
To my agent, Martha Webb, thank you for all your help and hard work in making sure this story is told.
To my writer, Danielle, thank you for capturing my voice, for helping me share my story, and for being so patient at every stage.
Finally, I must thank every person in Canada and across the world who has had the courage to help Syrian refugees or who has raised their voice to demand change for refugees and for the world itself. I don’t have enough room here to thank you all by name, but each of you has changed our world for the better. Thank you, everyone.
About the Author
AUTHOR PHOTOGRAPH © MAXINE BULLOCH
TIMA KURDI is an internationally recognized spokesperson on the global refugee crisis. She, along with her brother Abdullah, is the co-founder of the Kurdi Foundation. Tima lives with her husband and son in Coquitlam, British Columbia.
Visit www.kurdifoundation.com to learn more about her family’s cause or follow her on Twitter @TimaKurdi.
MEET THE AUTHORS, WATCH VIDEOS AND MORE AT
SimonandSchuster.ca
Authors.SimonandSchuster.com/Tima-Kurdi
@SimonSchusterCA
Simon & Schuster Canada
A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
166 King Street East, Suite 300
Toronto, Ontario M5A 1J3
www.SimonandSchuster.ca
Copyright © 2018 by Tima Kurdi
Copyright for photo of Alan Kurdi (insert) © Dogan News Agency
Reasonable efforts have been made to contact copyright holders for permission and to give credit. If additional information is provided, changes may be made to future printings.
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address Simon & Schuster Canada Subsidiary Rights Department, 166 King Street East, Suite 300, Toronto, Ontario, M5A 1J3, Canada.
This Simon & Schuster Canada edition April 2018
SIMON & SCHUSTER CANADA and colophon are trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-800-268-3216 or [email protected].
Jacket design by David Gee
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Kurdi, Tima, author
The boy on the beach : my family’s escape from Syria and our hope for a new home / Tima Kurdi.
Issued in print and electronic formats
ISBN 978-1-5011-7523-7 (hardcover). —ISBN 978-1-5011-7525-1 (ebook)
1. Kurdi, Tima. 2. Syrian Canadians—Biography.
3. Immigrants—Canada—Biography. 4. Kurdi, Alan, 2012–2015—Family.
5. Syria—History—Civil War, 2011—Refugees. I. Title.
FC106.S98Z7 2017 971004'92756910092 C2017-904189-4
C2017-904190-8
ISBN 978-1-5011-7523-7
ISBN 978-1-5011-7525-1 (ebook)