Zeyna Lost and Found: An Interview with Author Shafaq Khan

Set in 1970, Zeyna Lost and Found follows twelve-year-old Zeyna, a British Pakistani girl caught between two worlds—and two continents. What begins as an awkward family trip to Pakistan quickly spirals into a high-stakes search when Zeyna’s parents mysteriously vanish, leaving only cryptic clues and whispers of a jewel heist behind. With her annoying little brother and a whip-smart cousin by her side, Zeyna embarks on a quest that’s as much about uncovering secrets as it is about discovering where she truly belongs.

In today’s blog post, we’re thrilled to welcome debut author Shafaq Khan to talk about her inspiration for the story, writing for middle grade readers, and what it means to grow up between cultures. Keep reading to download the free discussion guide.

What was your inspiration for the book?

The book is inspired by a real life road trip on the Hippie Trail that my mother-in-law had to take with her family. Her family traveled by road from Pakistan back to her home in London in the seventies and I tried to capture some of her observations and anecdotes about traveling through these cities.

In addition, I wanted to write a book that I would’ve wanted to read when I was twelve. Growing up, some books made me grapple with the complexities of relationships and the world, and others made me chuckle—sometimes out loud in public, much to my chagrin—but I often wondered, what if a book could do both? I was drawn to the idea that my protagonist, Zeyna, could be witty and brave even as she’s thrown into precarious situations in new surroundings.

I also wanted to add a layer of postcolonial themes to better understand a region that has seen many chapters of war but also chapters of peace. To me, the seventies was a particularly compelling era because of its dynamic civic societies and relatively stable economies, but also because of the signs of imminent change.

What is the most surprising thing you discovered while researching or writing the book?

This book involved researching everything from the geography of a city to the popular restaurants that travelers would frequent to modes of transportation to the actual language that my British-Pakistani character, Zeyna, would conceivably use, but I still found the firsthand accounts of Hippie Trail travelers to be the most fascinating part of the research. Some travelers slept on the side of the road in Kabul. Some got lost for long periods. Traveling parties might communicate through notes left at a café in Istanbul. My brain cannot comprehend these experiences, emblematic of a wildly different period when travel was far more immersive. Most of the Hippie Trail travelers experienced these cities for the first time, and perhaps some were also like Zeyna in that they felt like outsiders in their home countries and were used to being on the outside looking in.

What do you hope readers will learn or discover from reading your book?

I hope readers have a chance to learn more about the world as seen by a British-Pakistani girl navigating her British and Pakistani sides, both belonging and not belonging. I also hope they have a chance to experience some of the cities Zeyna travels through and that the story will spark their curiosity to learn more about the history and political dynamics of this region. Finally, it was a goal of mine to make it impossible to identify an antagonist, so perhaps readers can come away believing that people can’t be neatly packaged as the good guys versus the bad guys.

Which relationship is most important to your main character?

Even as Zeyna spends the entire book discussing her parents and centering their thought processes, it’s her relationship with her brother, Mahir, that is most central to her life. He is there when she needs him and also when she doesn’t. He supports her plans but not without incessant questions. He is the opposite of Zee: pragmatic and tentative, but that’s exactly what she needs in a partner-in-crime. Don’t we all want someone who loves us unconditionally but also provides healthy checks and balances to our most outlandish ideas and plans?

Praise for Zeyna Lost and Found

• 2025 Summer-Fall Indies Introduce Kids list

“Filled with art heists, cultural immersion, detective woes, and kids plunging into dangerous situations without any hesitation, Khan’s debut is a fun historical adventure with a plot that feels like it exists almost outside of reality, but it remains grounded through its firm roots in culture and family.”—Booklist

“An entertaining cross-border adventure, sure to thrill readers.”—Kirkus Reviews

Free Educator Resources

Download the free discussion guide to take readers on their own adventures. This guide may also be found on the Lerner website.

Connect with the Author

Shafaq Khan is a mom and lawyer. Born to Pakistani parents, she grew up in a small port city in Saudi Arabia, along the Persian Gulf, called Jubail Industrial City. Shafaq attended college in New York City, majoring in political science and Middle Eastern and Asian languages and cultures, before heading to law school. She worked for nearly a decade as a legal services attorney, representing low-income people with disabilities facing eviction and benefits issues. In this role, Shafaq became acquainted with people’s stories—the ones we tell and the ones we don’t—and learned to listen to the stories beneath the surface. Shafaq works at Stanford Law School and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and children.

Photo Credit: Christine Baker