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The Naked Don't Fear the Water: An Underground Journey with Afghan Refugees
by
82/99
Critics
79/99
Readers
n/a
Scholars
86/99
Rating
77/99
Volume
72/99
Rating
86/99
Volume
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About This Book
In this extraordinary book, an acclaimed young war reporter chronicles a dangerous journey on the smuggler's road to Europe, accompanying his friend, an Afghan refugee, in search of a better future. In 2016, a young Afghan driver and translator named Omar makes the heart-wrenching choice to flee his war-torn country, saying goodbye to Laila, the love of his life, without knowing when they might be reunited again. He is one of millions of refugees who leave their homes that year. Matthieu Aikins, a journalist living in Kabul, decides to follow his friend. In order to do so, he must leave his own passport and identity behind to go underground on the refugee trail with Omar. Their odyssey across land and sea from Afghanistan to Europe brings them face to face with the people at heart of the migration crisis: smugglers, cops, activists, and the men, women and children fleeing war in search of a better life. As setbacks and dangers mount for the two friends, Matthieu is also drawn into the escape plans of Omar's entire family, including Maryam, the matriarch who has fought ferociously for her children's survival. Harrowing yet hopeful, this exceptional work brings into sharp focus one of the most contentious issues of our times. The Naked Don't Fear the Water is a tale of love and friendship across borders, and an inquiry into our shared journey in a divided world.
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Reviews
"Finely, if sometimes bewilderingly, detailed, the book shines a humane spotlight on many of the people the author met along the way as well as on the role chance played in their fates, with particularly moving chapters on life within the Greek refugee camp."
"Ultimately, any refugee's story is one of hope, risk, courage, and chance."
"This is a magnificent book that skillfully conveys the hope, disappointment, physical hardship, and human connections of Omar's endeavor."
"He experiences the kind of equality that politicians, advocates and religious leaders tout but rarely achieve ..."
"Timely, personal, and deeply human, this is a riveting look at the struggles of refugees, one of the world's most enduring crises."
"But it is the state that is the greater predator, pitting refugees against one another, deporting them at will and ultimately trapping vulnerable people in a Kafkaesque loop of survival and incarceration."
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