The climax of a story is defined as the point of highest tension or drama within a plot, when the most memorable and dramatic part of the action takes place.

The climax for Mahmoud, Waleed, Hana, and their parents, Youssef and Fatima, arrives when they are finally able to leave Turkey and get on a boat bound for Greece. The word "boat" is generous, because the vessel that was to take them to safety and a new life turned out to be nothing more than a rubber raft. The Bishara family's troubles are far from over, because the climax really gets going when the raft capsizes. The water is freezing, and they soon realize that the life jackets they have don't work. The family work as a team to keep everybody afloat, and when a crowded boat comes along and there is a chance for only Hana to get on this boat, the family bids an emotional farewell—which they hope to be temporary—to the youngest member of the family.

The falling action, which is the part of the story that comes after the climax, begins when the rest of the family is rescued by the Greek Coast Guard. The wind up on the island of Lesbos, where a kind woman, who also reveals herself to be a refugee, offers to put a roof over their heads and help them find Hana.