I’m delighted to welcome author Alireza Hazareh to What Cathy Read Next today to talk about his novel She Is Just a Kid which was published on 10th September 2026. Described as ‘a story of childhood, survival and hope’, She Is Just a Kid is available to purchase in hardback, paperback or as an ebook from Amazon.
I hope you enjoy as much as I did reading his guest post about the inspiration for the novel. I’m pretty sure you’ll agree with his observation that fiction can connect us with experiences that may be very different from our own.
About the Book
Sara is just a child growing up in a poor and isolated village, surrounded by love, fear, tradition, and dreams she barely understands.
But when decisions are made for her, her life begins to change in ways she could never imagine.
She Is Just a Kid is an emotional fictional story about childhood, fear, survival, kindness and hope. Inspired by struggles that many girls and women have faced in real life, it follows a young girl trying to hold on to herself in a world that keeps changing around her.
A simple, heartbreaking, and hopeful story about how much a child can endure—and how powerful even a small amount of kindness can be.
Find She Is Just a Kid on Goodreads
She Is Just a Kid: Why I Wrote a Story About the Girls the World Often Forgets by Alireza Hazareh
What if you were still a child, but the most important decisions about your future were already being made by someone else? What if your dreams, education, freedom, and even your marriage were decided before you were old enough to understand what those decisions meant?
These questions were at the heart of my inspiration for writing She Is Just a Kid.
As an Afghanistan author now living in Australia, I have often thought about how differently children experience the world. While some grow up dreaming about their careers, travelling, and discovering who they want to become, others face responsibilities and hardships that no child should have to carry.
I wanted to explore that difference through fiction.
The Story Behind Sara
My novel follows Sara, a young girl growing up in a poor and isolated village. Like any child, she has dreams, fears, and hopes for her future. But her life begins to change when decisions are made for her without her understanding or consent.
Through Sara’s journey, I explore difficult subjects, including forced marriage, displacement, family separation, and the struggle for freedom.
Although the novel is fictional, its themes are inspired by real struggles that many girls and women have experienced.
I did not want Sara to be a perfect heroine who always knows what to do. I wanted her to be human: sometimes frightened, sometimes confused, sometimes hopeful, and sometimes simply wishing for an ordinary childhood.
Because before anything else, she is just a kid.
Why These Stories Matter
When we hear about forced marriage, conflict, or refugees, we often encounter numbers, reports, and statistics. But behind every number is a human being.
A girl who might love reading. A child who dreams of becoming a teacher or doctor. Someone who wants to laugh with friends, spend time with family, and feel safe.
I believe fiction can help readers connect with experiences that may be very different from their own. A story allows us to spend time with a character, understand her fears, and see the world through her eyes.
I don’t expect one novel to change the world. But if it encourages even one reader to think more deeply about the rights, choices, and futures of girls, then writing it has been worthwhile.
Finding Hope in Difficult Places
Despite its painful moments, She Is Just a Kid is not only a story about suffering. It is also about kindness, survival, resilience, and hope.
I believe even in the darkest circumstances, a small act of compassion can make an enormous difference.
Sometimes hope comes from an unexpected person. Sometimes it comes from finding the strength to continue when everything seems lost. That is something I wanted readers to remember long after finishing Sara’s story.
A Final Thought
Every child deserves the opportunity to dream, learn, grow, and make choices about their own future. No girl should lose her childhood simply because of where she was born or the expectations placed upon her.
I wrote She Is Just a Kid because I believe these stories deserve to be told, these voices deserve to be heard, and every child’s future deserves to matter.
About the Author
Alireza Hazareh is an Afghanistan writer living in Australia. His fiction explores human experiences, survival, fear, and hope. His novel She Is Just a Kid follows a young girl whose life is shaped by difficult choices, displacement, and the search for freedom.
He also writes horror and suspense stories. Discover more of his work on his website.
Connect with Alireza
Website | Instagram |
