My Name Was Hussein (Hardcover)

Young Hussein lives with his Roma family in a small village in Bulgaria. Some call them gypsies, but they are Roma people, whose ancestors migrated many years ago from India. Hussein and his family are Muslims. The boy loves to celebrate the many religious holidays, when his house fills with the delicious smells of his mother's cooking. He also loves his name: Hussein. In Arabic, Hussein means handsome. The name has been handed down in his family for generations. Even so, everyone in his family calls him Hughsy. Life is good in Hussein's village--until the soldiers come with guns, and tanks, and dogs. Soon the mosques are closed. No one is allowed to enter and pray. Then Hussein and his family are forced to give up their names and are ordered to choose Christian names. Hussein is now called Harry. This powerful story puts a human face on the victims of racial and religious prejudice.