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Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
David Fickling Books (PB) (2012), 224 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Thriller. HTML:When ten-year-old Enaiatollah Akbari�s small village in Afghanistan falls prey to Taliban rule in early 2000, his mother shepherds the boy across the border into Pakistan but has to leave him there all alone to fend for himself. Thus begins Enaiat�s remarkable and often punish�ing five-year ordeal, which takes him through Iran, Turkey, and Greece before he seeks political asylum in Italy at the age of fifteen. Along the way, Enaiat endures the crippling physical and emotional agony of dangerous border crossings, trekking across bitterly cold mountain pathways for days on end or being stuffed into the false bottom of a truck. But not every�one is as resourceful, resilient, or lucky as Enaiat, and there are many heart-wrenching casualties along the way. Based on Enaiat�s close collaboration with Italian novelist Fabio Geda and expertly rendered in English by an award- winning translator, this novel reconstructs the young boy�s memories,...… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Limelite
While instructing readers to believe the book is a work of fiction, the author insists this tale is based on the true life experiences of Enaiatollah Akbari. He is an Afghan boy whose mother took him from his native village to Pakistan where she abandoned him to make his own way, spiriting him out
It is a thin “and then” story, replete with harrowing escapes from authorities, captures, more escapes, perilous treks across mountains, dangerous open water crossings aboard inflatable rafts, and expensive and dangerous transport arranged by human traffickers hidden in secret compartments of lorries or clinging to the undercarriages of heavy vehicles.
Regarding the literary merit of the book: There is no authorial reflection, no looking backward by the main character to gain understanding of how his experiences impacted him, much less consideration of what might have been. Akbari makes it plain that he felt no human involvement with others. Beyond making a phone call to his mother 8 years after she abandoned him and committing to send her money along with a vague plan to return to Afghanistan once it is democratic, the book is devoid of human feeling.
The story is a mild page-turner, but it is not compelling, nor is it memorable. It is but another of the endless such tales of desperate emigration to lands of hope and promise but nothing distinguishes it from the ordinary. It is not uplifting, nor particularly unique, and absent an angle of perspective, it reads like a list of events that don’t particularly impact the reader because there is no emotional content at all. Consequently, the reader has no reason to empathize.
Further, the egregious insertion of the "translator’s" (Geda) questions put to "Akbari" also annoys. Nothing is added to the reading experience by them, and the content of the various prodding questions could have been simply stated in a prologue, “Enaiatollah records what happened to him but offers no meaning, interpretation, or assessment of those events on the man he is today.”
Sadly, this book could have been much better had the author done his job of fictionalizing the story adequately. Instead, he instructs the reader to take on the task of suspension of disbelief with no help from him.
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of his Taliban-dominated homeland where violence and oppression ruled. On his own and attaching no importance or significance to those who helped him in his journey, the narrator – Akbari – delivers his travelogue.It is a thin “and then” story, replete with harrowing escapes from authorities, captures, more escapes, perilous treks across mountains, dangerous open water crossings aboard inflatable rafts, and expensive and dangerous transport arranged by human traffickers hidden in secret compartments of lorries or clinging to the undercarriages of heavy vehicles.
Regarding the literary merit of the book: There is no authorial reflection, no looking backward by the main character to gain understanding of how his experiences impacted him, much less consideration of what might have been. Akbari makes it plain that he felt no human involvement with others. Beyond making a phone call to his mother 8 years after she abandoned him and committing to send her money along with a vague plan to return to Afghanistan once it is democratic, the book is devoid of human feeling.
The story is a mild page-turner, but it is not compelling, nor is it memorable. It is but another of the endless such tales of desperate emigration to lands of hope and promise but nothing distinguishes it from the ordinary. It is not uplifting, nor particularly unique, and absent an angle of perspective, it reads like a list of events that don’t particularly impact the reader because there is no emotional content at all. Consequently, the reader has no reason to empathize.
Further, the egregious insertion of the "translator’s" (Geda) questions put to "Akbari" also annoys. Nothing is added to the reading experience by them, and the content of the various prodding questions could have been simply stated in a prologue, “Enaiatollah records what happened to him but offers no meaning, interpretation, or assessment of those events on the man he is today.”
Sadly, this book could have been much better had the author done his job of fictionalizing the story adequately. Instead, he instructs the reader to take on the task of suspension of disbelief with no help from him.
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LibraryThing member TooBusyReading
Before his mother abandons him in Pakistan after taking him there to avoid the Taliban in Afghanistan, she gives Enaiatollah Akbari three rules:
1. Never use drugs
2. Never use weapons
3. Don't cheat or steal
That doesn't give a ten-year old (more or less) boy much of a start to find his own way in the
The voice of the boy is charming. He takes some horrible situations in stride, as though they should be expected, as though all little boys should find themselves in a rubber raft at sea in the middle of the night.
The child told his story to the author, the book was written in Italian, and translated into English. This journey of words leads to some quirks in style. There is a considerable lack of quotation marks, which often bothers me, but didn't here, once I got used to the style. The author italicizes bits where he is talking directly to Enaiatollah rather than letting him just tell his story. Sometimes this works, sometimes it seems a bit jarring.
This is a lovely little book, well worth the short time it takes to read it. Thank you to the publisher for giving me an advance bound galley.
1. Never use drugs
2. Never use weapons
3. Don't cheat or steal
That doesn't give a ten-year old (more or less) boy much of a start to find his own way in the
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world. This book, “based on the true story” is short, simple, and reads like fiction. Don't expect a big high-level view of politics, of the Taliban, of what is right and what is wrong in the Middle East. It is about how all that huge, important, complex stuff affects one small boy who just needs to figure out how to survive.The voice of the boy is charming. He takes some horrible situations in stride, as though they should be expected, as though all little boys should find themselves in a rubber raft at sea in the middle of the night.
The child told his story to the author, the book was written in Italian, and translated into English. This journey of words leads to some quirks in style. There is a considerable lack of quotation marks, which often bothers me, but didn't here, once I got used to the style. The author italicizes bits where he is talking directly to Enaiatollah rather than letting him just tell his story. Sometimes this works, sometimes it seems a bit jarring.
This is a lovely little book, well worth the short time it takes to read it. Thank you to the publisher for giving me an advance bound galley.
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LibraryThing member sangreal
In 2000, when Enaiatollah Akbari was ten years old, his mother took him from their home in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, over the border into Pakistan, and ultimately left him there. This seeming act of abandonment was in fact a desperate attempt to hopefully save the life of her second child.
Enaiat had to learn to fend for himself over the next five years, traveling from Pakistan to Iran, Turkey, Greece and finally Italy where he was finally given political asylum. In Italy, he told his story to the book’s author, Fabio Geda, in hopes that his story could be of help to someone else in a similar position.
The book is told in very straightforward, sparse prose which worked to make me feel as though I was listening to Enaiat tell his story, rather than reading what someone else wrote about it. While there was a lack of detail about the people and places that Enaiat encountered, there was sufficient about those persons who impacted strongly on his daily life during his journey. I found myself caught up in his sense of loss of various friendships that he had to leave behind at one time or another.
Interspersed throughout the story are italicized passages which seemed to be transcripts of actual conversations between Enaiat and the author, and these served to give an even deeper insight into the difficult journey that Enaiat was forced to undertook, and how it impacted his thinking and on the principles by which he lives his life.
This was a very easy read, but the power of the message behind the simple words carried a strong impact indeed. While Geda pointed out that one must read the book as fiction because it is a recreation of Enaiat’s memories, again this in no way undermined the sense that this young boy faced a harsh, dangerous and often frightening ordeal that many an adult would not have survived.
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His mother felt he had become too big to hide from the Taliban who targeted families in their area, mostly for being Hazara.Enaiat had to learn to fend for himself over the next five years, traveling from Pakistan to Iran, Turkey, Greece and finally Italy where he was finally given political asylum. In Italy, he told his story to the book’s author, Fabio Geda, in hopes that his story could be of help to someone else in a similar position.
The book is told in very straightforward, sparse prose which worked to make me feel as though I was listening to Enaiat tell his story, rather than reading what someone else wrote about it. While there was a lack of detail about the people and places that Enaiat encountered, there was sufficient about those persons who impacted strongly on his daily life during his journey. I found myself caught up in his sense of loss of various friendships that he had to leave behind at one time or another.
Interspersed throughout the story are italicized passages which seemed to be transcripts of actual conversations between Enaiat and the author, and these served to give an even deeper insight into the difficult journey that Enaiat was forced to undertook, and how it impacted his thinking and on the principles by which he lives his life.
This was a very easy read, but the power of the message behind the simple words carried a strong impact indeed. While Geda pointed out that one must read the book as fiction because it is a recreation of Enaiat’s memories, again this in no way undermined the sense that this young boy faced a harsh, dangerous and often frightening ordeal that many an adult would not have survived.
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LibraryThing member spartmann
This is a compelling and intimate story about Enaiatollah Akbari and his journey from Afghanistan to Italy. Fearful for her son’s life, Enaiatollah’s mother takes him to Pakistan. Without explanation and without warning she leaves him there to make a life of his own. He is only 10 years old.
Before she left him, Enaiatollah’s mother made him promise that he would not steal, he would not take drugs and he would not use weapons. Three promises she left him with, as a manifesto, a guide to follow whilst making his journey into manhood. Without the protection of family, as well as living in strange and violent lands Enaiatollah strives to uphold those ideals.
Fabio Geda retells Enaiatollah’s story with warmth and compassion, interacting with him in a gentle and intimate manner which brings depth to the story. Although written as a fictional piece the story is recreated from Enaiatollah’s memory. With its simplistic style, the reader is drawn into the world of the child: his thought processes and his perceptions. The story spans five years, Enaiatollah is only fifteen when he arrives in Italy and realizes that this is the place he wants to call home.
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What is truly incredible about Enaiatollah’s story is that it is not unique; there are other boys, just like him, refugees from Afghanistan trying to survive, trying to stay safe, trying to find a place they can call home. Before she left him, Enaiatollah’s mother made him promise that he would not steal, he would not take drugs and he would not use weapons. Three promises she left him with, as a manifesto, a guide to follow whilst making his journey into manhood. Without the protection of family, as well as living in strange and violent lands Enaiatollah strives to uphold those ideals.
Fabio Geda retells Enaiatollah’s story with warmth and compassion, interacting with him in a gentle and intimate manner which brings depth to the story. Although written as a fictional piece the story is recreated from Enaiatollah’s memory. With its simplistic style, the reader is drawn into the world of the child: his thought processes and his perceptions. The story spans five years, Enaiatollah is only fifteen when he arrives in Italy and realizes that this is the place he wants to call home.
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LibraryThing member brenzi
This is the story of ten year old Afghan boy Enaiatollah Akbari, abandoned by his mother in Pakistan, The story then goes on to tell about his journey from there to Iran then Turkey then Greece and, finally, Italy, where he hooks up with the author.
For whatever reason, (malaise after a 5-star read)
For whatever reason, (malaise after a 5-star read)
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I could not get into the voice of this character. I could sympathize with him and I don't really know any ten year-olds who could survive the plight that he did. But the writing was too....simple for me. Even though the story was compelling I found myself being bored out of my mind. I can't really recommend this one I'm afraid. Show Less
LibraryThing member cestovatela
When I wonder about a character even when I am not reading a book, I know it is an excellent story. In the Sea There Are Crocodiles fulfilled this criterion for me. Yes, the writing style is simplistic; yes, the story needs more than 116 pages to do justice to the tale of a 10-year-old boy sent to
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make a living on his own in Pakistan, a boy who eventually travels across five countries to find a family and a home. These are flaws, but when I put the book down, I did so reluctantly, and when I couldn't read it, I often thought about Enaiat, the real boy whose story inspired this book. I think I will always remember how he told a very sad story with absolutely no self-pity, and because of that, my perspective on illegal immigration has deepened and changed. Those qualities far outweigh any issues I had with writing style. Show Less
LibraryThing member MaryinHB
Born in Afghanistan and smuggled out by his mother, he left in Pakistan at age ten to fend for himself, Enaiat manages to make his way to Italy and obtains status as a political refugee. This should be a sad and serious tale, but the story telling comes alive and provides a humorous and winning
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look on life. Yes, his harsh life is harrowing, but as a young boy, Enaiat finds that he can survive and even thrive through the hardship. I was cheering for him the whole time! The author did a wonderful job translating this boy's story without losing the voice of the subject. I really thought the interspersed translations were direct and inspiring. Just when you think your life is bad, there is a tale that comes out to teach an important lesson. Show Less
LibraryThing member ruthiekro
Enaiat is brave, resourceful, and truly inspirational. Read this short but powerful book about this amazing young man!
LibraryThing member horomnizon
I love that the subject of this book, Enaiatollah Akbari, has decided that since he cannot recall every detail of his life that is part of the story, it should be considered fiction, even though it is basically a biography. They story is told in such a way to downplay the bad things that happened
He must find work to earn money to pay traffickers to get him from one country to another, searching for a place that feels like 'home'. All he really wants is to go to school and study, but he must travel across mountains and the sea, losing friends and watching strangers die on the same journey. Through the horrible conditions and situations, the book downplays the misery and Enaiatollah instead focuses on the moments of kindness (mostly from strangers) and the beautiful surroundings.
I was a little bored at first, thinking "what's the big deal?" because in reading about his adventures, it does not seem like he faces extreme hardship, even though there is death all around him. Then I began to realize that it was the way it was written - it just didn't focus on those bad things.
In the end, it's an interesting story, a pretty easy read, and I did learn something new (how deportation/trafficking, etc. works over there). I would recommend it.
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to him after his mother abandons him (at about age 10) in Pakistan and returns home to Afghanistan and he has to make his own way and remain safe. He must find work to earn money to pay traffickers to get him from one country to another, searching for a place that feels like 'home'. All he really wants is to go to school and study, but he must travel across mountains and the sea, losing friends and watching strangers die on the same journey. Through the horrible conditions and situations, the book downplays the misery and Enaiatollah instead focuses on the moments of kindness (mostly from strangers) and the beautiful surroundings.
I was a little bored at first, thinking "what's the big deal?" because in reading about his adventures, it does not seem like he faces extreme hardship, even though there is death all around him. Then I began to realize that it was the way it was written - it just didn't focus on those bad things.
In the end, it's an interesting story, a pretty easy read, and I did learn something new (how deportation/trafficking, etc. works over there). I would recommend it.
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LibraryThing member presto
Based on the true events of a ten year old boy's escape from Afghanistan to Italy, it is realated in the first person as told to author Fabio Geda. Enaiatollah Akbari was about ten years old when his mother secreted him across the border from Afghanistan to Pakistan, and then having given him three
After six years of working in and travelling through Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and Greece via Lesbos, saving the money from his employments as an "illegal" to pay the people traffickers for his next stage, Enaiatollah eventually reaches Italy, which turns out to be his final destination. On the way he has to learn languages, avoid not always successfully the police, suffer being repatriated only to start over again, endure weeks crossing mountains in freezing conditions, days in the false bottom of a lorry, see fellow escapees fall by the way side, cross the sea in nothing more than an inflatable, and these are just a few of the hardships he experiences during those years.
But he has a fare share of good fortune too, friends who advise him, strangers who help him, until he comes into contact through a friend with the Italian family that will foster him.
This is a most compelling account, a book once started hard to put down; and it is surprisingly a relatively easy read. While it is a times heartbreaking, it is never too harrowing, it never dwells on the terrors or horrors Enaiatollah suffered in those six years. It says much for the Enaiatollah's strength of character, good nature and mild disposition that he keeps his story positive. He is also clearly a determined young man, the occasional very brief interjections in the account where Enaiatollah and Fabio converse in the present about the story reveal much, and show that Enaiatollah knows what he wants to tell, what is important to him, and of his loyalties. I felt these little snippets a valuable part of leaning who Enaiatollah is, and these combined with his story reveal a remarkable young man.
Enaiatollah's story is compelling, it is much lighter than I expected, but it was also very informative revealing a few facts about life for some minorities in Afghanistan where the Taliban exercise a reign of terror, about people traffickers, about the treatment of illegal aliens, about the motives of some asylum seekers, and reassuringly that there are some altruistic people to be found in most place too.
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essential pieces of advice, out of love abandoned him - her way of saving him from the Taliban.After six years of working in and travelling through Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and Greece via Lesbos, saving the money from his employments as an "illegal" to pay the people traffickers for his next stage, Enaiatollah eventually reaches Italy, which turns out to be his final destination. On the way he has to learn languages, avoid not always successfully the police, suffer being repatriated only to start over again, endure weeks crossing mountains in freezing conditions, days in the false bottom of a lorry, see fellow escapees fall by the way side, cross the sea in nothing more than an inflatable, and these are just a few of the hardships he experiences during those years.
But he has a fare share of good fortune too, friends who advise him, strangers who help him, until he comes into contact through a friend with the Italian family that will foster him.
This is a most compelling account, a book once started hard to put down; and it is surprisingly a relatively easy read. While it is a times heartbreaking, it is never too harrowing, it never dwells on the terrors or horrors Enaiatollah suffered in those six years. It says much for the Enaiatollah's strength of character, good nature and mild disposition that he keeps his story positive. He is also clearly a determined young man, the occasional very brief interjections in the account where Enaiatollah and Fabio converse in the present about the story reveal much, and show that Enaiatollah knows what he wants to tell, what is important to him, and of his loyalties. I felt these little snippets a valuable part of leaning who Enaiatollah is, and these combined with his story reveal a remarkable young man.
Enaiatollah's story is compelling, it is much lighter than I expected, but it was also very informative revealing a few facts about life for some minorities in Afghanistan where the Taliban exercise a reign of terror, about people traffickers, about the treatment of illegal aliens, about the motives of some asylum seekers, and reassuringly that there are some altruistic people to be found in most place too.
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LibraryThing member bookworm12
With the help of his mother Enaiatollah Akbari leaves Afghanistan when the Taliban takes power in 2000. At only 10 years old he escaped to Pakistan, traveling alone and trying to find work. His journey takes him through Iran, Turkey, Greece and finally to Italy.
The story is considered fiction, but
There are occasional questions from the author sprinkled throughout the narrative. I found this very distracting. In the middle of hearing about some terrible event we pause while the author says something like, “Tell us more about that” or “Were you scared when that happened?” The questions always seemed to come out of nowhere and they really took me out of the flow of the journey.
Despite the shaky structural elements, Akbari’s struggle to escape to freedom was an amazing one and I was glad to learn more about that part of the world.
BOTTOM LINE: Read it if you’re interested in Afghanistan and learning more about the struggles the Taliban’s rule have caused. If you really enjoyed The Kite Runner or What is the What you’ll probably like this one too.
The story is considered fiction, but
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just like Dave Egger’s What is the What it’s a retelling of a true story based on someone’s memories. It reminded me a lot of Egger’s book, but it wasn’t quite as good. The story is told from Akbari’s point of view so it’s very straightforward and simple in the way a child would speak.There are occasional questions from the author sprinkled throughout the narrative. I found this very distracting. In the middle of hearing about some terrible event we pause while the author says something like, “Tell us more about that” or “Were you scared when that happened?” The questions always seemed to come out of nowhere and they really took me out of the flow of the journey.
Despite the shaky structural elements, Akbari’s struggle to escape to freedom was an amazing one and I was glad to learn more about that part of the world.
BOTTOM LINE: Read it if you’re interested in Afghanistan and learning more about the struggles the Taliban’s rule have caused. If you really enjoyed The Kite Runner or What is the What you’ll probably like this one too.
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LibraryThing member bsanner
For generations, Afghans - having found little peace in their homeland since the Soviet invasion of 1979 through the warlords and the rise of the Taliban in the 1990's to the current American-led NATO mission - have taken flight from their wartorn homeland, often undertaking a perilous journey
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towards Europe. The author here recounts the story of one such refugee: Enaiatollah Akbari. Akbari's story is powerful both as his own personal narrative and as representative of a generation of refugees from whom Afghanistan will never be home. The story is gripping and moves quickly, although its focus is lacking where it highlights the journey at the expense of the person. B+ Show Less
LibraryThing member l_manning
Enaiatollah Akbari has lived a fairly normal life in Afghanistan, that is until one day when he finds himself being rushed away from his village by his mother. The Taliban has taken over, and Enaiat's mother does not want him there. She leaves him in Pakistan, and Enaiat must learn to take care of
This was a very interesting story on a couple levels. The first thing that struck me was the things a mother will do to protect her child. Enaiat's mother knew the life they were going to experience in Afghanistan was not the one she wanted Enaiat to have. The only way to try and improve thing for him were to smuggle him out of the country. However, she did have other children and family. So she leaves Enaiat in Iran. I can't imagine how hard this must have been for her, not knowing whether Enaiat would survive all this. She was willing to give him a chance though, and this was probably the best she could do for him. I'm glad she eventually gets to discover that her efforts were successful.
Of course Enaiat's story after getting to Iran is equally amazing. He survived with some good instincts and a lot of luck. It was so sad to see him and so many people trying to get themselves smuggled to new countries just to try and live a good life. I found it interesting how Enaiat seemed to keep running into people he knew. They clearly have some ways to communicate back to their friends in other countries. The story is told in a very interesting way. It feels very much like you're sitting listening to someone tell their story as opposed to reading their words. This book made me appreciate my life greatly, but it also made me want to help other people like Enaiat. His story was incredibly moving, and I hope that he continues to have a wonderful life where he is now.
Galley provided for review.
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himself. Constantly wanting a better life, he finds himself trying to find ways to improve his living conditions. This often involves trusting human traffickers to get him from place to place. Enaiat will travel to Iran, Turkey, Greece, and finally Italy where he seeks asylum. Of course, his path is never easy. However, Enaiat will not rest until he has found a way to make his life more like what he wants it to be.This was a very interesting story on a couple levels. The first thing that struck me was the things a mother will do to protect her child. Enaiat's mother knew the life they were going to experience in Afghanistan was not the one she wanted Enaiat to have. The only way to try and improve thing for him were to smuggle him out of the country. However, she did have other children and family. So she leaves Enaiat in Iran. I can't imagine how hard this must have been for her, not knowing whether Enaiat would survive all this. She was willing to give him a chance though, and this was probably the best she could do for him. I'm glad she eventually gets to discover that her efforts were successful.
Of course Enaiat's story after getting to Iran is equally amazing. He survived with some good instincts and a lot of luck. It was so sad to see him and so many people trying to get themselves smuggled to new countries just to try and live a good life. I found it interesting how Enaiat seemed to keep running into people he knew. They clearly have some ways to communicate back to their friends in other countries. The story is told in a very interesting way. It feels very much like you're sitting listening to someone tell their story as opposed to reading their words. This book made me appreciate my life greatly, but it also made me want to help other people like Enaiat. His story was incredibly moving, and I hope that he continues to have a wonderful life where he is now.
Galley provided for review.
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LibraryThing member JackieBlem
This slim volume in based on the true story of Enaiatollah Akbari, a young man from Afghanistan who was smuggled to, then abandoned in, Pakistan at the age of 10 by his mother. It was his best bet for survival in the region at the time--the Taliban had taken over his native village and would have
This is an amazing story of how a small boy was able to make it from Pakistan to Italy, several thousand miles, keeping himself and often others alive as they tried to find a place to make a home. It is enlightening, inspiring and astonishing what all he went through just to have a home again.
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either killed him, enslaved him, or recruited him.This is an amazing story of how a small boy was able to make it from Pakistan to Italy, several thousand miles, keeping himself and often others alive as they tried to find a place to make a home. It is enlightening, inspiring and astonishing what all he went through just to have a home again.
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LibraryThing member chrisblocker
When approaching a story, an author has to make many choices. Sometimes, there is a choice to be made with two clear options; no matter which the author chooses, doubt is sure to snare the reader: wouldn't it have been better if...?
Such a problem may be facing Fabio Geda's In the Sea There Are
The perilous journey is fascinating. The narrative voice, essentially the story being told by Enaiat, is captivating and original. Here is where the aforementioned choice comes in, however. In the Sea... is told in a simple, almost fairytale-like manner. It works great, but it leaves the reader with little to hang onto. The story ignores details, names, and events; Enaiat is looking beyond these, focused on the task. When Enaiat is first abandoned, he picks up and moves right along. During the arduous twenty-six day trek over the Zagros Moutains, the story keeps moving. Leaving friends behind and watching compatriots fall to the side, Enaiat does not pause, but moves right on along. I get it, he keeps moving, and that's probably why he survives. Without the details and the chance to reflect, however, the story does not resonate with the reader. It's a fabulous fable, with a moral not to be forgotten, but it lacks the intensity—both emotionally and concretely—to be memorable.
I think Geda made the right choice with In the Sea.... I love Enaiat's voice. And it is certainly an easy read, likely to be picked up by those too squeamish to read a large book, especially one with the heart wrenching details I'm sure it would include. Part of me wants to know what if?; I want the other half of the story; I want to feel the pain, not just be delighted at the fairytale ending.
Regardless of the method used to tell it, Enaiat's story is beautiful and beguiling. It took Enaiat Akbari eight years to live it; it's certainly worth the few hours it takes to read it.
Such a problem may be facing Fabio Geda's In the Sea There Are
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Crocodiles. In the Sea... is “based on the true story of Enaiatollah Akbari.” Akbari, who is most often referred to in the novel as Enaiat, was taken across the border of his home in Afghanistan into Pakistan by his mother when he was ten years old. She left him there without explanation or instruction. What ensues is an eight year struggle, through deserts, over mountains, across seas, to find a place of belonging (the book description itself says “five years,” but that doesn't appear to include Enaiat's three years in Italy, which concludes the book).The perilous journey is fascinating. The narrative voice, essentially the story being told by Enaiat, is captivating and original. Here is where the aforementioned choice comes in, however. In the Sea... is told in a simple, almost fairytale-like manner. It works great, but it leaves the reader with little to hang onto. The story ignores details, names, and events; Enaiat is looking beyond these, focused on the task. When Enaiat is first abandoned, he picks up and moves right along. During the arduous twenty-six day trek over the Zagros Moutains, the story keeps moving. Leaving friends behind and watching compatriots fall to the side, Enaiat does not pause, but moves right on along. I get it, he keeps moving, and that's probably why he survives. Without the details and the chance to reflect, however, the story does not resonate with the reader. It's a fabulous fable, with a moral not to be forgotten, but it lacks the intensity—both emotionally and concretely—to be memorable.
I think Geda made the right choice with In the Sea.... I love Enaiat's voice. And it is certainly an easy read, likely to be picked up by those too squeamish to read a large book, especially one with the heart wrenching details I'm sure it would include. Part of me wants to know what if?; I want the other half of the story; I want to feel the pain, not just be delighted at the fairytale ending.
Regardless of the method used to tell it, Enaiat's story is beautiful and beguiling. It took Enaiat Akbari eight years to live it; it's certainly worth the few hours it takes to read it.
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LibraryThing member St.CroixSue
The true and heart-wrenching story of a ten year old Afghan boy who has to fend for himself. He crosses into Pakistan then begins an arduous five year ordeal with human traffickers and occasional sympathetic help that takes him through Iran, Turkey, Greece and finally Italy. A story of hope and
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survival, with an epic need to find a solution to the underlying problems. Show Less
LibraryThing member mlbelize
The Taliban take over a small town in Afghanistan and ten-year old Enaiat is taken and left in Pakistan by his mother who is hoping that he will be safe away from the fighting. This book is the interesting and heart wrenching story of his six year journey through Iran, Turkey, Greece and finally to
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Italy where he receives asylum. Show Less
LibraryThing member zenhead
When Enaiatollah Akbari's village in Afghanistan falls to Taliban rule in early 2000, his mother shepherds the ten-year-old (?) boy into Pakistan but has to leave him there all alone to fend for himself. He makes his way over the course of 5 difficult, dangerous and painful years through Iran,
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Turkey, and Greece before he seeks political asylum in Italy at the age of fifteen. A touching and honest account of a remarkable travail, In The Sea will stand as a testament to both the brutality and the humanity of this period. Show Less
LibraryThing member zenhead
When Enaiatollah Akbari's village in Afghanistan falls to Taliban rule in early 2000, his mother shepherds the ten-year-old (?) boy into Pakistan but has to leave him there all alone to fend for himself. He makes his way over the course of 5 difficult, dangerous and painful years through Iran,
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Turkey, and Greece before he seeks political asylum in Italy at the age of fifteen. A touching and honest account of a remarkable travail, In The Sea will stand as a testament to both the brutality and the humanity of this period. Show Less
LibraryThing member Lake_Oswego_UCC
In early 2002, Enaiatollah Akbari’s village fell prey to the Taliban. His mother, fearing for his life, led him across the border. So began Enaiat’s remarkable and often publishing five-year ordeal—trekking across bitterly cold mountains, riding the suffocating false bottom of a truck,
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steering an inflatable raft in violent waters—through Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, and Greece, before he eventually sought political asylum in Italy, all before he turned fifteen years old. Show Less
LibraryThing member TemeculaMomma
What a remarkable story told by a remarkable young man! In the Sea There are Crocodiles is joining my mental list of all-time favorite books! It is the true story as told by Enaiatollah Akbari to author Fabio Geda, although it must be classified as fiction because parts of it had to be
One of the things that I liked so much about this book is how Enaiatollah's sincerity just flowed right off the pages. I felt as though I was sitting in the same room listening to him tell his story. I also appreciated the life lessons that he learned along the way and his overall lack of bitterness. Don't get me wrong though -- his story is not sugar-coated in any way. He does feel a gamut of emotions, from anger to confusion to desperation, however his ability to experience joy may have been his best coping skill. A couple of the lessons that touched me the most were about the importance of friendship and that something that may seem to be a small act of kindness to me or you could mean the world to someone in need. Although I would love to elaborate, I will hold back so that individual readers can glean their own interpretations from Enaiatollah's experiences.
In the Sea There are Crocodiles is a very quick read, partly because of its short length, but mostly due to its tight grip on the reader from start to finish. I really think this book would be very valuable in the educational setting; it would make a great summer-reading assignment and surely evoke some insightful essays from students! (It should also remind students how fortunate they are to have the freedom to attend school rather than work 14 hour days in a stone factory!) I am confident that Elaiatollah's story will touch many, many readers. I will be recommending it to my family and friends.
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of In the Sea There are Crocodiles from the publisher which has in no way influenced my review.
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reconstructed (it must have been difficult for a 10 year old with no watch or map to remember geographical/time-sensitive details). The story recounts Enaiatollah's 5 year journey to find a home after his mother selflessly leaves him in Pakistan in the hopes that he will find a better life than the one he has in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Although it may strike the reader as cruel at first blush, it would have been heartbreaking for Enaiatollah to have fallen victim to slavery or recruited into terrorism had he stayed in Afghanistan. Even at his tender young age, he seems to understand the depth and importance of his mother's decision.One of the things that I liked so much about this book is how Enaiatollah's sincerity just flowed right off the pages. I felt as though I was sitting in the same room listening to him tell his story. I also appreciated the life lessons that he learned along the way and his overall lack of bitterness. Don't get me wrong though -- his story is not sugar-coated in any way. He does feel a gamut of emotions, from anger to confusion to desperation, however his ability to experience joy may have been his best coping skill. A couple of the lessons that touched me the most were about the importance of friendship and that something that may seem to be a small act of kindness to me or you could mean the world to someone in need. Although I would love to elaborate, I will hold back so that individual readers can glean their own interpretations from Enaiatollah's experiences.
In the Sea There are Crocodiles is a very quick read, partly because of its short length, but mostly due to its tight grip on the reader from start to finish. I really think this book would be very valuable in the educational setting; it would make a great summer-reading assignment and surely evoke some insightful essays from students! (It should also remind students how fortunate they are to have the freedom to attend school rather than work 14 hour days in a stone factory!) I am confident that Elaiatollah's story will touch many, many readers. I will be recommending it to my family and friends.
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of In the Sea There are Crocodiles from the publisher which has in no way influenced my review.
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LibraryThing member ParadisePorch
What a harrowing journey this young man had!
LibraryThing member Fence
When Enaiat is around ten his mother takes him from his village in Afganistan and they travel Pakistan. And then, after a few days, she leaves him there, and goes back home to his younger brother and sister. At first Enaiat isn’t sure what to do. He starts to work for the the man in whose
Eventually he leaves the city, looking for work, and then the country, and eventually he attempts to travel to Europe, and Italy.
The author’s note on this book tells me that although he is describing it as fiction, it really is Enaiat’s story, or his story as he recalled it and told to Geda.
And to be honest, the reason I picked this book up was the title and the cover. It is wonderfully eye-catching. I wasn’t so sure about the story itself, I’m not a fan of all these hard-life and misery books that are about. And before I started to read this I worried that it would be far too “woe is me”. In fact, it is pretty much the opposite of that, and that is the problem with is. Enaiat is only interested in telling the things that happened. Not the details of the who and the why and there where, simply the facts. But I found that left it a very spare and sparse book. I could have done with more character from Enaiat, although I sortof understand why they didn’t go down that route.
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“hotel” he has been abandoned, in exchange for food and board. Later he moves on to selling goods on the street. For this he earns money.Eventually he leaves the city, looking for work, and then the country, and eventually he attempts to travel to Europe, and Italy.
The author’s note on this book tells me that although he is describing it as fiction, it really is Enaiat’s story, or his story as he recalled it and told to Geda.
And to be honest, the reason I picked this book up was the title and the cover. It is wonderfully eye-catching. I wasn’t so sure about the story itself, I’m not a fan of all these hard-life and misery books that are about. And before I started to read this I worried that it would be far too “woe is me”. In fact, it is pretty much the opposite of that, and that is the problem with is. Enaiat is only interested in telling the things that happened. Not the details of the who and the why and there where, simply the facts. But I found that left it a very spare and sparse book. I could have done with more character from Enaiat, although I sortof understand why they didn’t go down that route.
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LibraryThing member Sullywriter
This powerful refugee story is based on the real life experiences of Enaiatollah Akbari who escaped from Afghanistan when he was ten-years-old and goes on a harrowing odyssey through Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey before finding asylum in Italy. This Italian import is published for adults but it's a
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story teens will appreciate as much if not more. Show Less
LibraryThing member PilgrimJess
"Facts are important, the story is important. It's what happens to you that changes your life, not where or who with."
This was a very moving story that follows Enaiatollah Akbari, an Afghani boy who at around ten years old (dates of birth are no registered in his village so he is unsure of his
He tells us about sleeping on the streets, crossing freezing mountains, working on building sites and in a dangerous stone factory, sailing across the sea on a tiny dingy, losing friends, before reaching Italy where he finds stability with a foster family.
The book is basically written in interview style, where the author of the is recording Enaiatollah's story. He occasionally interjects with a question or comment, but for the most part, it is Enaiatollah just talking. Although perhaps not to everyone's taste this is an interesting way to convey the story, simultaneously very personal yet distant.
It was heart-breaking to read about all of the things that Enaiatollah and many other children went through. I cannot fathom how dire a situation would be for a mother to sneak her child to another country and then just abandon him there. He harbours no ill feelings toward his mother, just said that was probably for the best.
The book is very short and a quick read. However, this brevity is also a downside to this book as at times the details are a bit sketchy and in need of fleshing out. For example, whilst I realise that Enaiatollah was only 10 when he left Afghanistan I would still have liked to hear some background about the way that the Hazares are treated there, as such he comes across more as an economic migrant rather than one escaping persecution. Whilst the author does a great job of portraying one boy’s escape and survival I'm not convinced that it really adds much to the debate which is exercising most of the world in one way or other around this very contentious topic .
This was a very moving story that follows Enaiatollah Akbari, an Afghani boy who at around ten years old (dates of birth are no registered in his village so he is unsure of his
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exact age) is whisked away from his home and siblings by his mother and taken to Quetta, Pakistan. After a few days staying in a sort of human warehouse he wakes up to find himself alone. Harassed by the police with threats of repatriation to his homeland Enaiatollah embarks on a perilous journey to Europe and asylum. Along the way Enaiatollah is shown touches of kindness but these are rare and he is generally exploited by those around him.He tells us about sleeping on the streets, crossing freezing mountains, working on building sites and in a dangerous stone factory, sailing across the sea on a tiny dingy, losing friends, before reaching Italy where he finds stability with a foster family.
The book is basically written in interview style, where the author of the is recording Enaiatollah's story. He occasionally interjects with a question or comment, but for the most part, it is Enaiatollah just talking. Although perhaps not to everyone's taste this is an interesting way to convey the story, simultaneously very personal yet distant.
It was heart-breaking to read about all of the things that Enaiatollah and many other children went through. I cannot fathom how dire a situation would be for a mother to sneak her child to another country and then just abandon him there. He harbours no ill feelings toward his mother, just said that was probably for the best.
The book is very short and a quick read. However, this brevity is also a downside to this book as at times the details are a bit sketchy and in need of fleshing out. For example, whilst I realise that Enaiatollah was only 10 when he left Afghanistan I would still have liked to hear some background about the way that the Hazares are treated there, as such he comes across more as an economic migrant rather than one escaping persecution. Whilst the author does a great job of portraying one boy’s escape and survival I'm not convinced that it really adds much to the debate which is exercising most of the world in one way or other around this very contentious topic .
Show Less
Awards
IBBY Honour Book (2014)
John Florio Prize for Italian Translation (Commended — 2012)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2011 (English translation)
2010 (Italian edition)
Physical description
5.08 inches
ISBN
1849920982 / 9781849920988
DDC/MDS
| 305.9 |