Just Holding On

New York Times bestselling author Aisha Saeed’s suspenseful novel in verse showcases the resilience of four kids left dangling by a wire when their makeshift gondola breaks down.

Just over a year ago, a devastating earthquake hit Tariq’s home in the mountains of Pakistan, destroying most of the town, including Tariq’s school. Now the nearest town with a school is a two-hour hike away, up and down the mountains. That is until their town gets Dolly, a makeshift gondola, cobbled together so the trip to the next town is just a five-minute ride zipping high over the valley below.

On the last day of school, Tariq nervously climbs aboard Dolly. He’s worried about the final exam he has to pass, and the fact that he has to sneak off to take it, as his mom wanted him to stay home to care for his sick brother. But all those worries are forgotten when halfway through the trip one of Dolly’s cables snaps. Tariq and the other students are stuck, hanging by a wire in midair. The kids struggle to keep each other’s spirits up as they wait for hours to be rescued. As daylight fades and the winds pick up, hope wanes for Tariq and his friend Aya—the last two kids stranded. In the dark of night, they open their hearts to each other about the past year and all they lost, and about their hopes for the future—if they live long enough to see it. As morning dawns, and a new kind of help approaches, Tariq realizes for the first time how proud he is of their town’s resilience—a resilience that will need to assert itself again in a daring rescue.