Independent Press Award
2024 winner
Good Morning, Hope: A True Story of Refugee Twin Sisters and Their Triumph over War, Poverty, and Heartbreak
Argita Zalli and Detina Zalli
The inspiring true story of the Zalli family, forced to rebuild their lives in a new, uncertain land.
Born in poverty-stricken Albania, twin sisters Argita and Detina Zalli always dreamed of becoming doctors. But when the government collapsed, plunging the country into anarchy and civil war, the twins’ dream unraveled along with their homeland.
Their parents were determined to find a way to leave and save their daughters’ futures—not to mention their very lives. After several dangerous attempts, they finally escaped, only to be thrust into a new nightmare as refugees.
With grit and determination, they fought their way forward. When tragedy struck yet again, threatening what they held most dear, the girls had to come to terms with the high price they had all paid to survive.
In Good Morning, Hope, Argita and Detina share their harrowing story of courage and resilience. It was the strength of their family, particularly the sisters' unbreakable bond as twins, that nurtured and sustained them throughout their perilous ordeal.