Acknowledgement

Let me start by thanking everyone who has helped me publish my book. Publishing in a deadline is not easy but we still pulled through it.

I thank my dad who always goes that extra mile to bring a smile on my face. When I mentioned to him that I need money to publish my book, he wholeheartedly funded it.

I thank my mom for her constant support through this whole journey. She guided me through all the times that I was a bit confused and came up with a new project idea every other week.

I thank both my parents for making my dream of being a published author a reality.

I thank my sister, Azzah Asharaf, who is also a published author for giving me a sense of direction to what I should do for my project, which led to this book.

I thank my talented cousin, Thanvi Johar, for designing my book cover. Thank you for understanding the requirements and turning it into something I can relate to.

Chapter 1

The Escapade

It was the winter of 2015, Gloria, a 26-year-old single mother taking care of her four-year-old daughter, faced a stark choice.

Along with her daughter, Penelope, and her younger sister, Beatrix, Gloria had left home in Cuba the year before, seeking a better life. For about 18 months, she’d been living in Ecuador as an undocumented immigrant, with neither a job in hand nor promising prospects.

She could either stay put in Ecuador and hope for the best or could take her chances and leave.