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 punishing 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 everyone 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, perfectly preserving the childlike perspective and rhythms of an intimate oral history. Told with humor and humanity, In the Sea There Are Crocodiles brilliantly captures Enaiat’s moving and engaging voice and lends urgency to an epic story of hope and survival.
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"A very special book. Poignant, moving. Beautifully written. Enaiatollah is a young Afghan boy whose Mother abandon hims in Pakistan at the age of about 10 in order to save his life. He recounts the horrors of the next 7 or 8 years as he is passed from one human trafficer to another and ends up in Italy. Fabio Geda renders a beautiful recounting of Enaiat's memories capturing his naivity, his bravery, his perserverance and endurance. People both evil and compassionate move him along. Highly recommend spending a day with his story (its a slim book). It will move you." — Katherine (4 out of 5 stars)
"A very special book. Poignant, moving. Beautifully written. Enaiatollah is a young Afghan boy whose Mother abandon hims in Pakistan at the age of about 10 in order to save his life. He recounts the horrors of the next 7 or 8 years as he is passed from one human trafficer to another and ends up in Italy. Fabio Geda renders a beautiful recounting of Enaiat's memories capturing his naivity, his bravery, his perserverance and endurance. People both evil and compassionate move him along. Highly recommend spending a day with his story (its a slim book). It will move you."
" This was a quick, easy read based on a true story of young boy struggling to survive. Very passionate... you just want to take him home and make his life easier. What a survivor. It's unforgivable that children have to live this way. "
" A true example of human resilience and determination....... I also enjoyed reading about the compassion showed by so many people to someone in need. We don't see that enough these days. "
" similar to other stories but that doesn't make it any less impactful - and from the viewpoint of a child/teenager makes it all the more amazing/horrifying/uplifting. "
" This little "memoir" I read in a day....unusual for me. Couldn't put this down. The recount of a young boys flight from Afghanistan, by himself, at the age of 10. Moved from country to country by human traffikers and all that entails. Yet his voice is innocent and seemingly untainted by all he experiences. The story is told to an Italian novelist who works with children under duress. "
" Someone should option this for a movie! I can't imagine American 10-year-olds having the fortitude to do what this young man did! "
" Quick read of a young Afghan boy's engaging account of surviving on his own after escaping the Taliban. Would be great for teenagers. "
" Mooi verhaal. Het lezen waard. Niet in het minst omdat het echt gebeurd is en nog alle dagen echt gebeurt. "
" Fantastic true story of an Afghan very young fellow pushed outside of his own country to survive. That he made it all the way to Italy is a total miracle and a feat. I was very touched by this story translated from Italian to French. Excellent BO choice "
" Very good read. Story of a young boy in Afghanistan who's mother abandons him and his struggles as he moves from country to country trying to survive. "
" A wonderful book. Telling it so simply through the eyes of Enaiatollah made some of the grimmer bits bearable. I loved his spirit, and was rooting for him all along. It was very uplifting that he was shown some kindness along the way, and a good ending. "
" Audio killed me!! The voices were awful. "
" A very fast read, a mad story which made me realize how refugees give up everything for a better life, and many just don't make it. What a brave and strong boy! "
" I really liked the ending!!! It was so sweet. I was so happy for him :) "
" Two thoughts I kept having throughout this book were: I could never have survived what this young boy had to endure and my kids are damn lucky and don't really know it. This is an amazing story of survival. "
" I love stories of people that had to overcome great challenges. This story is about a boy who left Afghanistan when he was 10 with his mother and had to make the journey over the next 5 years to a stable, safe country alone. Translated from Italian. "
" 4 stars! I really enjoyed this it makes you stop and realize just how fortunate we are here in America. Heartbreaking novel of an Afghanistan child abandoned at the age of 10 by his mother in a country torn by war and his struggle of survival into adulthood. "
" A great story, a good read. Had it finished within 3 days. Very impressing how this you kid travels from Afghanistan to Italy. I can definitely recommend it to anyone. "
" I love Enaiatollah's voice in this story. After all the heartbreak and pain he has suffered, he seems so clear and without bitterness. To be a mother and to be confronted with the need to abandon you child in hope of a better life! His story is now close to my heart. "
" a young refugee boy tells his story of his travels thru Pakistan, Afghanistan, Greece, Italy, etc. what all he endured in those travels . He gets to finally find his mother after 8 yrs. "
" Very interesting story, more a memoir than a novel. "
" I loved this book but gave it four stars instead of five because there are some quirky things the author does (like insert his questions/thoughts in the midst of telling the story). I think it would have been a better book without his insertions. It's a very fast read, and extremely touching. "
" A short read with an interesting style. I enjoyed the author's choice to interject his questions in the story, almost like an interview. It called to the forefront not only what the interviewee wanted to talk about, but what also he didn't deem important. "
" non-fiction acct of young boy leaving Afghanistan and eventually living in Italy "
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