Hakim's Odyssey - Fabien Toulmé
- Book One: From Syria to Turkey - With simple, two-toned line drawings, Toulmé tells the story of Hakim, a young Syrian who owns a gardening store in Damascus. After Assad comes to power, there are protests that are put down with brutal violence. Hakim is picked up by the state police for helping some protesters. After being interrogated and tortured, he is released, but decides he must flee his business, family, and country. Moving from Jordan to Antalya, Turkey, he discovers that life as a refugee consist of low wages, suspicion, and anger from the locals. In Antalya, he marries a fellow refugee, then leaves with her family for Istanbul, where the book ends. Especially gives the strongman tactics of the American wanna-be king, this is an important, chillingly relevant, and upsetting story.
