Book 1

Now or Never: A Dunkirk Story

by Bali Rai

Published 3 January 2019
A gripping adventure in an exciting new series reflecting
the authentic, unsung stories of our past!



Now or Never brings a young soldier, Private Fazal
Khan, from his home in India to the battlefields of the Second World
War.


Fazal's world is now focused on Company 32 and the animals he
cares for in the midst of one of the most frightening times in history.
And as he and his friends make their way to the beaches of
Dunkirk, Fazal must deal with even more than the terrors of a dangerous
trek to reach the evacuation zone.



The Company's captain defends his troops in the face of a terrible
betrayal at the point of rescue: not everyone has welcomed the
help brought by the Royal Indian Army Service Corps. Now Fazal
is forced to question why he is even there and why he is expected
to be loyal to a king whose people don't all see him as their equal.




VOICES: A thrilling new series showcasing some of the UK's
finest writers for young people. VOICES reflects the authentic,
unsung stories of our past. Each shows that, even in times of great
upheaval, a myriad of people have arrived on this island and made
a home for themselves - from Roman times to the present day.

In this fascinating true story based on the life of Hardit Singh
Malik, discover the adventures of WWI's first Indian pilot. Hardit,
who flew into battle high above the trenches of Passchendaele
on the hunt for the Red Baron, arrived in England at the age of 14
to attend school. Young Hardit was a devout Sikh and quick to defend
himself when anyone interfered with his turban. He went on
to study at Balliol College, Oxford, and played county cricket for
Sussex.

When he tried to join up to help in the war effort, he was only permitted
to drive ambulances at the front. Instead he planned to
join the French air force before a former teacher intervened and
the Royal Flying Corps gave Hardit an 'honorary' commission as a
2nd lieutenant flying Sopwith Camels.