A boy awakens in the Afterlife, with a pocketful of vague memories, a key, a raven, and a mysterious atlas to guide him as he sets out to piece together what happened, and try to find his way home ...

Twig is alone as a newly-made street kid after his dad goes missing. But when he meets Flea, a cheerful pickpocket, the pair become fast friends. Together, Twig and Flea raise themselves on the crime-ridden streets, taking what they need and giving the rest to the even-poorer. Life is good, as long as they have each other.

But then Twig wakes up in the Afterlife with just a handful of memories from Earth and one big question ... how did he get there?

Loyalty will be tested, and a cruel twist of fate will lead to an act of ultimate betrayal in this epic story that spans a city, a decade, and the divide of life and death itself. From the award-winning author of The Bone Sparrow.

About the Author
Zana Fraillon was born in Naarm (Melbourne) Australia but spent her early childhood in San Francisco. As a child Zana always had her head in a book. This could have been because she was 8 years-old before anyone realized that she was incredibly near-sighted and probably couldn't see anything further away than the words in a book. But regardless of its origins, her love of reading has remained central to her life and work. 'I grew up in a house that had a whole room full of books and comfy chairs and this was my favourite place to be.' Zana studied history at university before training to be a primary school teacher and both these passions influence her approach to writing. Through meticulous research she has also discovered that it is essential to eat copious amounts of chocolate in order to write anything at all. Zana has written two picture books for young children, a series for middle readers and a fictitious book for older readers based on research and recounts of survivors of the Forgotten Generation. She lives in Naarm with her three children, partner and two dogs and still always has her head in a book, despite now using glasses to see anything further away. When Zana isn't reading or writing, she likes to explore the museums and hidden passageways scattered across Naarm. They provide the same excitement as that moment before opening a new book - preparing to step into the unknown where a whole world of possibilities awaits.

Reviews
A wise and profound fable, beautifully told and deeply affecting. -- Anthony McGowan, winner of the 2020 CILIP Carnegie Medal
[this book uses] a richness of language that both exhilarates and makes you cry. It is both timeless and ageless having a wide appeal. A powerful read I would highly recommend. -- Tricia Adams * LoveReading4Schools *
Every night as I finish 50 pages and close the book, I say to myself this is the book I want to be reading when I die. Like the Egyptians, I want to wake up in another life holding The Atlas of Lost Souls to remember the amazingly talented, erudite, imaginative writer Zana Fraillon - Juvenile fiction it is not. YA fiction it is not. This is a book for each one of us. * Eltham Bookshop *



Book Information
ISBN 9781510106826
Author Zana Fraillon
Format Paperback
Page Count 320
Imprint Orion Children's Books
Publisher Hachette Children's Group
Weight(grams) 313g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 128mm * 34mm