In the Sea There Are Crocodiles by Fabio Geda
This would be a great book club book because there are so many things to think about and discuss in it. 10-year-old Enaiatolla Akbari's mother takes him to Pakistan from their home in Nava, Afghanistan...and leaves him there. Alone. (As a mother, could you do that? Even if it were to save your son's life?) Before she leaves, Enaiat's mother makes him promise to never do three things: never use drugs, never use weapons to harm anyone, and never cheat or steal.
The rest of the book chronicles Enaiat's journey from Pakistan to Iran to Turkey to Greece and, finally, to Italy where he finds asylum, friends, and a home. It is an amazing tale of survival, especially for a boy so young. No child's life should be this hard. But the most amazing thing of all is how Enaiat never loses hope, and how he chooses to be grateful, never bitter. I cried when I finished this book, but it was a good cry. This book is so thought-provoking, and heartbreaking, and powerful, and moving....and good. I love this story. For me, In The Sea There Are Crocodiles is a definite must-read!
Similar Reads:
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Taliban Cricket Club by Timeri N. Murari
This sounds very good, thanks for the recommendation :)
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. I hope you get a chance to read this book; it's so moving and memorable!
DeleteI loved this book! Such a payoff at the end...and I cannot imagine what it was like to be a kid and be in moving to foreign places and having to rely so much upon yourself. Unbelievable story. I think this would be a good one for a book group!
ReplyDeleteThe ending made me cry...but in a good way.
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