The first time our heroine sets eyes on Nicolás, a tall muscular boy,black as ebony, at the local swimming pool, she imagines he's a reallife hero. She's sure he's a swimming champ. But in the water he seems insecure, splashing about instead of swimming. He doesn't seem likethe great swimmer she imagined! It's not until later, when Nicolástells her about his life as a refugee from Sudan, and how the threatof being deported on his 18th birthday is the real reason he wants tolearn to swim, that she realizes that he's not just a hero but a realSuperhero. A superhero that doesn't want to drown on his inevitablereturn across the ocean. A moving but upsettingly common story, thatthe writer here treats with subtlety, a touch of humor and anoverwhelming respect, so that the youngest readers can understandreality whilst avoiding sensationalism.
