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lizlikesfrogs's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.5
serendipitysbooks's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Last year I read volume 1 of Hakim’s Odyssey, a graphic memoir which traced the journey of one refugee from Syria to Turkey. I’ve now been able to read volumes 2 and 3, which trace his journey across the Mediterranean to Greece and then through numerous European countries to France where his family settled. So many things struck me about his journey - the difficult decisions that had to be made, the stress of making potentially life altering decisions under time pressure and with little information, not knowing who to trust but having to trust someone regardless, the physical, mental and emotional toll of the journey, and the number of times his journey could have had a very different outcome. Xenophobia and being financially ripped off were sadly common experiences but there were small kindnesses from strangers and camaraderie from other refugees which helped sustain him. The differences in the way refugees were treated in Austria compared to Hungary was startling. After such an arduous journey with many setbacks I can only imagine the relief Hakim must have felt when he and his young son finally arrived in France and were reunited with his wife and in-laws. And yet the hardships were not over. Building a life from scratch in a foreign country isn’t easy and Hakim still lives with the reality of being separated from much of his family, many of whom remain in Syria.
We’ve all seen the media images about recent refugee experiences in Europe. The value of books like these is in focussing on one person and showing their journey, which began as a happy, normal life not so far removed from one many of us in the west live. It enables readers to identify with a refugee as an individual, and makes it harder to demonise and “other” them. It leads readers to wonder “what if” and think about what they would do if faced with similar circumstances and impossible decisions. I hope Hakim’s story gets the readership it deserves, that it helps develop understanding and empathy which translates to better treatment of refugees. I’m so grateful that Hakim was willing to share his story with the author, and have him share it with them world.
We’ve all seen the media images about recent refugee experiences in Europe. The value of books like these is in focussing on one person and showing their journey, which began as a happy, normal life not so far removed from one many of us in the west live. It enables readers to identify with a refugee as an individual, and makes it harder to demonise and “other” them. It leads readers to wonder “what if” and think about what they would do if faced with similar circumstances and impossible decisions. I hope Hakim’s story gets the readership it deserves, that it helps develop understanding and empathy which translates to better treatment of refugees. I’m so grateful that Hakim was willing to share his story with the author, and have him share it with them world.
juliettee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.5
ljrinaldi's review
4.0
have not read the first book, but we are given a quick runover of what was in it. It is a French translation, based on a series of interviews that the author did with Hakim, a Syrian refugee that made his way to France, to escape the death and destruction of the civil war.
The author says that his point, in telling his story, is to show that refugees are human, and have wants and needs, the same way people who are not refugees are. By getting to know the story of one person, we can learn to know the story of all peoples.
Hakim makes his way to Turkey, with the help of his in-laws. But, he remains stuck there, because he doesn’t have the proper paperwork, and it is hard to get it, since he can’t return to Syria, and it isn’t like Syria can send him the files.
This story contains the story of him paying smugglers to get him into Greece, which is the first step to getting to France, and the rest of Europe. It is hard, not just for him, but his infant child.
Harroying story. Told as straight forward as possible, as he tries his best, and his child cries for milk, when they have to be quiet or they will be found out.
Highly recommend this book, and now I will have to look for the others, the parts one and two. We know he survives, because he is telling the story. But we don’t know how hard he had to work to get there.
THe English version, of book two, will be out in April of 2022.
Thanks to Edelweiss for making this book available for an honest review.
The author says that his point, in telling his story, is to show that refugees are human, and have wants and needs, the same way people who are not refugees are. By getting to know the story of one person, we can learn to know the story of all peoples.
Hakim makes his way to Turkey, with the help of his in-laws. But, he remains stuck there, because he doesn’t have the proper paperwork, and it is hard to get it, since he can’t return to Syria, and it isn’t like Syria can send him the files.
This story contains the story of him paying smugglers to get him into Greece, which is the first step to getting to France, and the rest of Europe. It is hard, not just for him, but his infant child.
Harroying story. Told as straight forward as possible, as he tries his best, and his child cries for milk, when they have to be quiet or they will be found out.
Highly recommend this book, and now I will have to look for the others, the parts one and two. We know he survives, because he is telling the story. But we don’t know how hard he had to work to get there.
THe English version, of book two, will be out in April of 2022.
Thanks to Edelweiss for making this book available for an honest review.