<p>To escape the military under Saddam&rsquo;s harsh regime Amel flees Baghdad after the Gulf War just before his eighteenth birthday. Smart choice! He illegally immigrates into Athens where he meets his first adversities&mdash;one of which is a boss captivated by women and trees the other a roommate who switches price stickers on grocery products to charge Amel more money. Amel&rsquo;s world changes when Dunia his American cousin and the love of his life comes to Greece for a semester. His struggles to win her love and his attempts to make it to America lead Amel to his true fate and his adulthood.</p>