Luis Leante

Joaquín and Mario are two inseparable friends who live in Barcelona. One rainy morning as Mario's father is driving them to school, they run over a man. His name is Ahmed, and he is an illegal immigrant who refuses to go to the hospital even though he has a serious head wound. Joaquín takes him home so at least his mother, who is a nurse, can treat him. Ahmed recognizes Fatma, the wife of his best friend when he lived in the Sahara, in a photograph in Joaquín's room. That is how Joaquín finds out who his real mother is. And in that moment the boy begins a search that will lead him to discover his roots and experience his first love.

The first novel for young adults by Luis Leante, winner of the 2007 Alfaguara Prize, is a fascinating story about African immigration, cultural coexistence, and the challenges of adolescence.