In Nazi-occupied France, Safiyyah and her family (Algerian French) live in an apartment in the Grand Mosque of Paris, where her father, Baba, and uncle, Ammo Kader, work. The presence of German soldiers in the city streets has everyone on edge, but Baba is particularly tense. His efforts with the Resistance—hiding injured Allied soldiers and making fake identity papers for Jews, saying they’re Muslim—puts his family at great risk. When Baba comes under Nazi scrutiny, Safiyyah steps up; guided by her Muslim faith and values, she delivers papers to Jews around the city in Baba’s place. When Jewish neighbors begin to disappear, though, the papers are no longer enough. Baba, Ammo Kader, and other members of the Resistance hide groups of Jews in the mosque until they can escape via underground tunnel to the river, where they are clandestinely transported out of France on barges. When Safiyyah’s friend, Hana, is rescued from hiding after her parents are arrested, she recovers in Safiyyah’s apartment. The two develop a sisterly bond before it is Hana’s turn to make the dangerous journey through the Souterrain with a large group of fellow escapees—and when Nazis raid the mosque, hindering Baba, it falls to Safiyyah to guide them out. The courageous actions of a compassionate, daring fictional heroine bring to light the little-known true history of the Parisian Muslim community’s role in saving hundreds of Jews in this fresh World War II novel. (Ages 9-12)

Winner of the Jhalak Children's & YA Prize
Winner of the Indie Book Awards for Children's Fiction
Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Writing

'Safiyyah's War has the soul of a classic & the urgency of a story for our times. A tale of tolerance, unthinkable bravery, and heart-in-mouth true events. I loved this book' - Kiran Millwood Hargrave

'All at once, Safiyyah's War broke my heart and filled me with immense hope. With its unforgettable characters and exquisite storytelling, this really is an extraordinary book' - A F Steadman

'Safiyyah is a protagonist I was rooting for all throughout; a lovely, kind-hearted girl whose story filled me in turns with despair and joy. This book shines through with kindness and empathy at its very heart' - Nizrana Farook

'Luminous prose . . . a riveting read for children and adults alike' - New York Times

War comes to the streets of Paris and Safiyyah’s life changes for ever.
Her best friend’s family have fled, and the bombing makes her afraid to leave the mosque where she lives. But when her father is arrested by the Nazis for his secret Resistance work, it falls to Safiyyah to run the dangerous errands around the city.
It’s not long before hundreds of persecuted Jews seek sanctuary at the mosque. Can Safiyyah find the courage to enter the treacherous catacombs under Paris and lead the Jews to safety?