“In a refugee camp, stories are everything. Everyone has one, having just slipped out from the grip of a nightmare.”
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In The Ungrateful Refugee, Nayeri expertly combines her personal journey with the stories of other refugees, to create a story for the reader that is both powerful and hard-hitting. A cross between a memoir and a non-fiction book, the story explores Nayeri’s life in Iran, her life in various refugee camps, claiming asylum, and adjusting to life where she ends up. This is intertwined with stories from other refugees, some the reader may have heard of, some that they may not have, that slide effortlessly into her own story.
I think, in the UK, we’re not really exposed to true stories of refugees, only the angle the media portrays, which can often be negative and include a healthy dose of fear mongering. This book helped me to wade through this, to see the real people in the stories. It’s easy to get lost in the narrative of this, and forget that they are real, and when you remember it can be a bit of a shock.
Nayeri’s writing is almost faultless – she tells the story so succinctly in a way that is accessible to anyone, and reading this, I’m sure many would understand the feelings and emotions that are poured into the pages. The only aspects I struggled with was some jumpiness of the story, and occasionally someone is mentioned in passing that I knew had been mentioned before, but couldn’t remember where.
I left this book with a sense of wanting to do more, to learn more. So I’ve compiled a list of things I have and will do, and hopefully they will inspire some of you too. Remember to take media articles with a pinch of salt, and never donate to Change.org petitions as the money goes to Change, not the cause you want to support!
“’You were trying too hard to say the exact right thing. She can tell when you’re lying about what impresses you. You were honestly impressed with the dancing, right? It’s easy – just be you. Let them be them. That’s it.’”
Read & Learn
Book: The Ungrateful Refugee by Dina Nayeri
Essay: The Ungrateful Refugee: We Have No Debt to Repay by Dina Nayeri
Media Article: ‘Of course we are scared but we have no choice’: Why family of refugees is risking everything to cross Channel
Book: Shatila Stories collated by Peirene
Write & Sign
Write: an email or letter to your local MP or Home Secretary Priti Patel, expressing your disappointment in how the current government are handling the refugee crisis, asking them what they’re doing about it, and how they plan to move forward in the future – make some noise!
Donate
Charity: Refugee Action - https://www.refugee-action.org.uk/
Charity: The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) - https://www.unhcr.org/uk/
Please note that this list is not extensive, may be added to, and is focused on the UK.
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