Butterfly

The inspiring true story of Yusra Mardini, the Syrian refugee who became an Olympic swimmer, now a major Netflix film The Swimmers.

‘An extraordinary tale of bravery, survival, and winsome, never-give-up moxie. It is impossible not to be won over by Yusra.’ – Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner

In 2015, as war ravaged her native Syria, Yusra Mardini fled to the Turkish coast and boarded a small dinghy full of refugees bound for Greece. When the overcrowded boat's engine failed, Yusra and her sister instinctively took to the treacherous open water. They guided the boat for three and a half hours, helped by two other refugees, until they landed on Lesbos, saving the lives of all passengers aboard.

Butterfly is the remarkable story of Yusra's journey, from a war-torn Damascus suburb to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo. Named one of People magazine's twenty-five women changing the world, and one of TIME Magazine's most influential teens, Yusra Mardini is an athlete, refugee, and one of the youngest UNHCR Goodwill Ambassadors.

Now with an updated afterword, Butterfly is a testament to the power of perseverance and the importance of understanding the plight of refugees worldwide. Yusra and her sister Sara's story is the subject of a major Netflix film written by Jack Thorne, and they were part of TIME Magazine's 100 most influential people of 2023.

‘Yusra, we could not be prouder of you for your courage and your resilience and the great example that you're setting for children everywhere.’ – Barack Obama