A Boy Named Thomas: The Story of a Boy, a Donkey, and an Immigrant's Struggle for Survival - Paperback

by Daniel Washle (Author)

Thomas Smith and his family have traveled from their home in South Scalia to seek medical care for his sister. It's supposed to make everything better. What they discover is that their new home in North Scalia holds danger and the deepest kind of intolerance.

It starts when Thomas is only seven. His younger sister, Grace, gets a simple cough. In impoverished South Scalia, advanced medical care is scarce, and Grace's cough soon turns into a deadly infection. There is no help for her in South Scalia.

Grace's only hope lies across the desert in prosperous North Scalia. Thomas's parents know that they have to do everything they can for their daughter. Surely the inhabitants of North Scalia will not deny a four-year-old girl medical care.

With the help of their beloved donkey, Grandma Jan, the Smiths set off across the desert. Their church and community have given all they can to help the Smiths on their quest. Will it be enough?

The Smith family's experiences have eerie similarities to the current political climate in the United States. Daniel Washle's cautionary fable reveals the ugly underside of a society that claims to be free and just.

Author Biography

Daniel Washle has extensive experience working with immigrant populations. As an attorney, Washle represents asylum seekers and unaccompanied minors who have suffered abuse, abandonment, and neglect in their native countries. His work inspired him to write A Boy Named Thomas, which explores the thorny issues of immigration and bigotry through the eyes of one young boy.

Washle received his bachelor's degree in history at the University of Hawaii. He received his juris doctorate from California Western School of Law, where he served as an associate editor for the law review. Washle studied in Argentina and Bolivia. He now lives in California with his family. In his free time, he enjoys surfing, rock-climbing, and other outdoor activities.

Feel free to email the author at A.Boy.Named.Thomas.Book@gmail.com.