Everything begins in Belgium, where Max Howard, his parents, and his sister Claire have recently relocated. He finds it challenging to quickly adapt to his new surroundings. He had to redo sixth grade in a French school, which was the worst letdown.
In his home's basement, he one day found a wine cellar. Ahmed, a Syrian teenager of 14 years old who lacked identification and was running away from authorities, is lying there. He was alone himself and had no relatives with him. They gradually became good friends as they exchanged stories over the course of the days.
Ahmed was discovered by the police after Max and Ahmed had a terrible occurrence together. Will Ahmed continue to be secure in the world once the real journey begins?
The time in this novel, when Max began to get along with Ahmed, was my favorite portion. He showed incredible bravery by assisting a refugee that nobody knew about and was frightened for.