Hinterland is a shatteringnovel, essentially about two young boys fleeing Iran for England with the whole world against them. The oldest boy, Aryan, keeps watch on his eight-year-old brother, Kabir. They are theunwanted hidden refugees of our time, searching for a place of comfort and safety.The conditions of their journey are heartbreaking. These young people catch trains, trucks, walk, swim, hide and scurry across Europe in the hope of reaching London. Incidents of illness, starvation, thirst and child labour are described – and always, there is homelessness. There is one wonderful pasage where two American tourists in Italy take the children into their care for the day. They feed them, clothe them and put them on a train. The irony that the Americans are the kindest to these kids is implicit in the descriptions, but of course not to the children, who are only baffled.

There were occasions where I simply had to put this book down and hug my own child before continuing. To think that young people – any people – are treated with such disregard, violence andfear is sadly not astonishing. Hinterland puts the reader squarely in the reality of political refugees. It is demoralising.

Caroline Brothers is a journalist who has spent years researching and reporting on refugees. (Her work has been featured on the cover of the New York Times) Her knowledge of the plight of displaced people is evident in her descriptions of this journey. Hinterland is her first novel and clearly her intention is to highlight the appalling treatment of refugees by the rich Western community. While not based on true characters, the story is based on genuine narratives. To that end, I mention the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in West Melbourne, which needs your support. If you don’t think a centre like this matters, read this book.

Chris Gordon is the Events Coordinator at Readings