Hakim's Odyssey: Book 2 From Turkey to Greece

A heart-breaking story of part of a journey of a refugee as he makes his way from Turkey to Greece.

Genre: YA Graphic Novel

Ages: 15/16 plus

Available: Amazon (preorder before April release date)

Screening: smoking, music (nothing really super unclean I would say)

Hakim is in Turkey after he fled Syria and trying to adjust to his life there. He gets married and his wife has a baby boy, Hadi, but he struggles to find work. When he sells water, the police crack down on him. He works and gets injured at a construction site, but no one pays him. As a Syrian, he struggles to find any valid employment, but is a second class citizen in a country already filled with so many refugees.

When his wife leaves and gets offered residency to France, he stays behind with baby Hadi in the hope that when her papers work out, he will follow her. But unfortunately, after months and months of hope ( even years) and of taking care of a baby by himself, working, and hearing of his dads passing and going through depression, his papers fall through and he is denied a visa.

After problem after problem, Hakim makes a decision. He will try to flee to Greece and from there make his way to France.The problem: the first part of his journey is via a small inflatable boat.

Oh man. This book just hit my heart so deeply, I found myself crying and praying for Hakim and holding my own baby tighter to my chest. And as a Syrian, myself, I have heard the stories of the struggles of refugees and it def hit my heart so much deeper.

Islamically there is hijab and mentions of Allah numerous times.

Through the pictures, young readers are taught the struggles of being a refugee. The way Hakim holds onto his baby and the way he has no choices in his life but hard ones broke my heart.

This is book 2 of this graphic novel series. The fact that it is based on the true story of a refugee shows readers that there is still so much more support to be offered to refugees. It is not enough to flee a war-torn country- but what support and opportunity will these refugees be given in their new home!?

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