We walked off the ferry along the wide, sloping gangplank, and when my feet hit the firm wooden planks of the jetty I staggered, legs suddenly feeling like jelly . . . Taking Mum's hand, I whispered, 'Are we really safe, here?'After a perilous and terrifying escape from war-torn Afghanistan, Gulnessa and her family find themselves in Australia, a place they know nothing about. They are exhausted and traumatised, but so full of hope. At last, somewhere safe to call home.But their struggle isn't over yet. They are confined in a detention centre for asylum seekers, and forced to prove their refugee status. As days drag into weeks and months, Gulnessa is determined to stay strong. She must keep her family together, and fight for her friend Abdul – with whom she has secretly fallen in love. She cannot give up hope for a second chance at life, and the opportunity to build a future in a new land.