Easy read about the life of a migrant crossing the border
4 stars
What is it really like to cross a border? Kapllani does a great job of describing how it feels and what you do. The protagonist crosses from the closed communist country of Albania into Greece. They are detained, they don't know the language, and they don't know where to go. The book doesn't tell the whole story from A to Z, but rather focuses on the thoughts, happenings, and feelings while crossing and being just across the border. Short chapters, split between the reflections and the story itself.
It is thought-provoking, not only because it shows the harsh realities of a migrant but also because it tells about life in Albania and the hopes of a future outside it. I think it is funny how he is able to capture this even in such a "normal" border as the Albania-Greek one. I think the reason it works, is because Albania β¦
What is it really like to cross a border? Kapllani does a great job of describing how it feels and what you do. The protagonist crosses from the closed communist country of Albania into Greece. They are detained, they don't know the language, and they don't know where to go. The book doesn't tell the whole story from A to Z, but rather focuses on the thoughts, happenings, and feelings while crossing and being just across the border. Short chapters, split between the reflections and the story itself.
It is thought-provoking, not only because it shows the harsh realities of a migrant but also because it tells about life in Albania and the hopes of a future outside it. I think it is funny how he is able to capture this even in such a "normal" border as the Albania-Greek one. I think the reason it works, is because Albania was so closed; Even though the Albanians have most of the same cultural features as the Greeks, it must have felt so different since they did not know the Greek language at all, and since they knew so little about life in Europe. I also liked the focus on the mindset; that the migrant has to make it. He HAS to find a way. Going back would be too much of a failure.
Overall a good read.