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by Hamed Farmand (Author), Elaheh Farmand (Translator)
Missing Mum walks the reader through a traumatic childhood experience, seen through the eyes of a six-year-old boy who loses his mother to imprisonment. Through the simple and honest voice of a child, the reader can feel the sadness, loneliness, anger, and confusion that follow her sudden disappearance. Surrounded by silence and untold words from the adults around him, the boy struggles to understand what has happened and what it means for his life.
The story follows a child who witnesses his mother being taken away and grows up with the fear of losing her forever. In that silence, he tries to make sense of the situation while facing other painful events in his family, including the arrest of his grandmother and the execution of his uncle.
Missing Mum sheds light on the lived experiences of children with incarcerated parents. Prison visits become part of his life: long journeys to prison, hours of waiting, and brief visits through glass or guarded rooms. The book shares these moments from a child's perspective, including the fear and nightmares that can come from living in a country at war while a parent is in prison.
At the same time, the book shows the resilience of a child growing up under these circumstances. Even while carrying the burden of his mother's imprisonment, childhood does not disappear completely. Like many other children, those with parents in prison may still celebrate birthdays and national holidays, or experience moments of joy during family trips.
When the boy's mother finally returns home after five years, he faces another difficult reality: living again with someone he barely remembers. Her return brings relief, but also confusion, as he sees his own mother as "a stranger at home."
Hamed Farmand draws on his lived experience to tell this story and to reflect on how the trauma of parental incarceration can continue into adulthood. Today he works to support other children who have experienced similar events. He is the founder of Children of Imprisoned Parents International (COIPI) and serves as co-chair of the International Coalition for Children with Incarcerated Parents (INCCIP).
