Listen to a sample
The Garbage King
- Author
- Elizabeth Laird
- Narrator
- Asan N'Jie
- Publisher
- Pan Macmillan
- Publish Date
- 1 October 2026
- Run Time
- 8 hours 53 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
From award-winning and beloved children's author Elizabeth Laird comes a poignant audiobook edition of The Garbage King. Inspired by the true story of an Ethiopian childhood lived on the edge of destitution, it takes you on an unforgettable emotional journey.
When Mamo's mother dies, he is abandoned in the shanties of Addis Ababa. Stolen by a child-trafficker and sold to a farmer, he is cruelly treated. Escaping back to the city, he meets another, very different runaway. Dani is rich, educated - and fleeing his tyrannical father. Together they join a gang of homeless street boys who survive only by mutual bonds of trust and total dependence on each other.
Critics Review
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This is an engrossing story of interweaving lives and the capacity of children to help each other when adults fail them
Books for Keeps
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Laird's novel is extremely moving
Primary Times
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This book is not just a compelling read but also an eye-opener, vividly describing the harsh reality of life on the streets
Mail on Sunday
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Elizabeth Laird
- Narrator
- Asan N'Jie
- Duration
- 8 hours 53 minutes
- Release Date
- 1 October 2026
- ISBN
- 9781037427718
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Pan Macmillan
- Genre
- Children’s / Teenage fiction: General, modern and contemporary fiction, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Abuse / exploitation
Synopsis
From award-winning and beloved children's author Elizabeth Laird comes a poignant audiobook edition of The Garbage King. Inspired by the true story of an Ethiopian childhood lived on the edge of destitution, it takes you on an unforgettable emotional journey.When Mamo's mother dies, he is abandoned in the shanties of Addis Ababa. Stolen by a child-trafficker and sold to a farmer, he is cruelly treated. Escaping back to the city, he meets another, very different runaway. Dani is rich, educated - and fleeing his tyrannical father. Together they join a gang of homeless street boys who survive only by mutual bonds of trust and total dependence on each other.
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