In the Sea there are Crocodiles - Hardcover

Geda, Fabio

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0857560085 ISBN 13: 9780857560087

Publisher: David Fickling Books, 2011

Synopsis

One night before putting him to bed, Enaiatollah's mother tells him three things: don't use drugs, don't use weapons, don't steal. The next day he wakes up to find she isn't there. Ten-year-old Enaiatollah is left alone in Pakistan to fend for himself.

In a book that takes a true story and shapes it into a beautiful piece of fiction, Italian novelist Fabio Geda describes Enaiatollah's remarkable five-year journey from Afghanistan to Italy where he finally managed to claim political asylum aged fifteen. His ordeal took him through Iran, Turkey and Greece, working on building sites in order to pay people-traffickers, and enduring the physical misery of dangerous border crossings squeezed into the false bottoms of lorries or trekking across inhospitable mountains. A series of almost implausible strokes of fortune enabled him to get to Turin, find help from an Italian family and meet Fabio Geda, with whom he became friends.

The result of their friendship is this unique book in which Enaiatollah's engaging, moving voice is brilliantly captured by Geda's subtly simple storytelling. In Geda's hands, Enaiatollah's journey becomes a universal story of stoicism in the face of fear, and the search for a place where life is liveable.

About this title

Review:

"In the Sea there are Crocodiles is an extremely touching story of a boy who against all odds, lived and survived to tell his story. It's how the love of a mother kept him strong in the bleakest of times. I feel grateful and honoured to be able to share his story with you all and to have the opportunity to read it... It's a story that is not to be missed or forgotten. 5 stars" (Fantasy 4 Eva)

"The story alone is superb; add in Enaiatollah's engaging prose and this books sings on the page. Highly recommended. 5 stars." (The Bookbag)

"this book is a truly well written account of one man's life. It is both touching and insightful, informative and personal." (The Bookette)

"The book is gentle and undemanding, helping to combat the media-fortified view of refugees, offering instead a candid insight into the causes and hardships of those seeking to escape their homelands. It is a tale of courage and luck, and illustrates what motivates people to try against all odds to immigrate illegally, risking life and limb to escape life in their own country." (Book Geeks)

"The narrative is fascinating and compelling, resulting in an intriguing story of a political asylum seeker travelling from Afghanistan through Pakistan, Turkey, Greece and Italy." (We Love This Book)

Book Description:

A beautiful, heartbreaking novel based on the true story of an Afghan boy's journey in search of a home.

About this edition

• Publisher: David Fickling Books
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0857560085
• ISBN 13: 9780857560087
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 224