Megan Kingsbury

Paper Aeroplanes

The Plot

Two childhood friends having been seperated as a cause of the Iraq war, a Scottish girl and Iraqi boy send letters in secret to each other as they journey through war and family trauma. Can the two lovers escape together when their juxtoposing lives continue to stand in the way?

Set during the Iraq war Fiona and Amar, childhood friends, are seperated when Amar's family have to move away from Scotland back to Iraq as his father's leather business is required for the war efforts. Even worlds apart and with every force possible trying to keep them away from each other, Fiona and Amar send letters to each other that detail their lives and their thoughts. Amar who is living through the war feels privilaged as his wealthy family live under the safety of their title and the comfort of their home and he struggles with the affects that the war is having on his people and so ventures down the path of politics, whilst Fiona, a bidding young artist, bottles up her family trauma of an abusive dad and a drunken racist mum feeling that her issues can't match those of Amar's. With their letters being the only source of comfort and reassurance during these difficult times, it becomes increasingly challenging to seperate emotions as the two worlds crumble down on their plans to escape.