eaval, it is increasingly hard to believe we are in charge of our own fates. If disaster can strike at any moment, are we really able to craft our destinies?

The incredible story of Alieza Mogadam's young life affirms that yes, we can. Escaped at Thirteen tells the incredible tale of Mogadam's childhood fleeing war-torn Iran, finding his footing as a youth in Switzerland then the South of France, ultimately making a life for himself in the telecom business of the nineties before emigrating to Canada.

Punctuated by meaningful friendships and the highs and lows of young love, Mogadam's story is both extraordinary and perfectly ordinary, documenting what it's like to come of age with no permanent place to call home and ultimately establish your roots in new soil. It is a story of strength through adversity, not letting the cards you're dealt be an excuse not to pursue your dreams. Like Mogadam, with will and determination, we can all craft our own destinies.