The girl who hugs the wind tells the story of Mersene, a little girl who had to be separated from part of her family to escape the sad conflict experienced in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As she adapts to her new life in Brazil, she creates a game to overcome nostalgia. Mersene's story was inspired by the real stories of several Congolese refugee girls in the city of Rio de Janeiro. It was while in contact with refugee families that the author Fernanda Paraguassu observed the touching ability of these children to overcome pain and longing.