1,180 words

On Saturday, September 28th, I was introduced to the work of author and photographer Alixandra Fazzina through her powerful article in the Financial Times.1 Her article focused on the various lives surrounding the human smuggling industry near the Gulf of Aden, and I found my breath taken away by every aspect of the article. From the personal and detailed humane descriptions of the tahrib, illegal migrants in Somali, to the smugglers and those in their orbit. The photographs were incredibly stunning and helped bring to life the captivating words in a manner that is quite rare. The manner in which the article was structured by presenting the reader with Somali proverbs directly made the human subjects even closer to the reader. After taking notes on her article, I immediately ordered her 2010 book A Million Shillings: Escape from Somalia, and eagerly awaited its arrival. To prepare for her book, I used the Financial Times’ excellent online article search tool to better educate myself on topics surrounding the keywords migration, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Yemen. This was required, for even though I have read a lot on this specific topic, 2024’s barrage of elections and how political parties treated the subject of migration created a recency bias, which was not helpful.

In this book review, we will quickly discuss what makes this book special. From its physical properties to the writing and photography, you will see that Mrs. Fazzina has written a masterpiece of long-form journalism.

The Book Itself

Published by Trolley and printed by the Italian print house Grafiche Antiga, it will be immediately apparent when you first hold the book that you have something special in your hands. Greeted by a sturdy jacket, an eerie photograph of what you’ll learn 190 pages in truly sets the tone both artistically and regarding the facts in the book. The striking beauty of the threatening stormy skies at night and the group of migrants being forced to right a capsized boat on a shore while under gunpoint hints at what you are about to read. The hardcover also hints at the integrity of the pages within it as Mrs. Fazzina left out her name from the beautifully embossed front cover and spine, to which only the title resides. The thick matte pages reveal that Mrs. Fazzina is a master of her camera in hand and uses whatever available light to tell you the direct story of what is happening before her.

Why This Book is a Masterpiece

As the hardcover of the book hints, Mrs. Fazzina does not mention her struggles of working in incredibly dangerous environments where her life was threatened on multiple occasions. A generational storyteller, her masterful guiding hand carefully guides the reader through the revealing stories of the migrants and smugglers from Bossaso to Djibouti and finally to the UNCHR camp in Yemen’s Kharaz.

The topic of human smuggling, trafficking, slavery, and senseless and unpredictable violence is not always handled with the proper grace and care that is required. Broken up into eight chapters, the reader is first introduced to the tahrib and the smugglers by name and presented with dynamic and eloquent portraits. From candids to close-ups to environmental portraits capturing others in the setting, all are elevated by the words accompanying them. Many such portraits are in this book, but very early, the portrait of Zahra on page 52 starts to convey the danger that these beautiful humans are under. The names of these people are vital in such a subject matter in which we, those who live a life of luxury which affords the time and resources to read about the lives of others, are trained to refer to this topic through statistics that may or may not be accompanied by a photograph as proof of the datapoint’s severity.

This is why this book is the most impressive work of long-form journalism I have recently encountered. Not only is the subject matter treated with the utmost respect, but the author gently uses the first four chapters to prepare us for when the difficult fifth chapter, titled One in Twenty, begins.

Unlike other works that cover similar topics, such as Alexis Okeowo’s wonderful A Moonlit Starless Sky, Mrs. Fazzina ensures that the reader understands the stakes and the circumstances of everyone involved before dealing with death head-on. Whereas in Mrs. Okeowo’s book, it took a mere twenty pages before we read an incredibly traumatic passage, Mrs. Fazzina conditions us with 200 masterful pages before we see the consequences forced upon the tahrib as they attempt to make the fatal trip across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen. Ultimately, these brave souls will be presented with a life of permanently being an underclass, a life of severe physical and sexual abuse, a life of slavery, or a horrible death.

Later in the book, we learn that this death is more of a welcomed outcome than being deported back home. This is the primary concept that most people who live in relative comfort do not understand. Having to leave one’s land and take a chance at simply living is an alien concept that can only be communicated through important works of journalism such as this.

Mrs. Fazzina’s photographic technique of making some of the most beautiful oil painting-like photographs with her available resources alone deserves for this book to be in your personal library. On page 210, a photograph utilizes the slow shutter technique mentioned before. The subject is a corpse that has washed onto shore, and it is lit by a handheld torch. The reflections on the water and the deceased man’s chest are haunting. Yet its dream-like presentation makes the following pages, which clearly present several such corpses on the beach under the focus of broad daylight, easier to view. Once again, Mrs. Fazzina considers the reader in every facet of this book, and this, along with her actual coverage of the tahrib is why this book is a masterpiece of long-form journalism.

Final Thoughts

The book opens with a foreword by António Guterres, the UNHCR’s High Commissioner at the time – currently, he is the Secretary General of the United Nations. In it, he thanks Yemen for all its efforts in supporting the migrants, and he mentions the emerging threat of the Al-Houthi movement. Since the book’s publication date in 2010, Yemen has undergone a horrific civil war in which more than 300,000 people died, mainly due to malnourishment and disease.2 The tahrib’s struggle to remain alive has been made more difficult in the last decade, and the horrors they face do not stop once they reach Yemen – below, I have included a list of articles and links for you to read on the topic, including a link to an interview Mrs. Fazzina did with Melissa Fleming.3 I highly recommend reading this interview, for it gives you a window into her drive and dedication behind the author’s work.

The book closes with the author thanking her mother for giving her the mindset to explore the background and stories of every person, regardless of their background. For this, the world owes Mrs. Fazzina’s mother an incredible amount of gratitude.

Time of writing: October 9th, 2024

 

References:

  1. “The smuggler’s daughter and other tales from the Gulf of Aden,” by Alixandra Fazzina, 09/28/2024, The Financial Times
  2. “Yemen’s embattled president cedes power to ruling council,” by Samer Al-Attush, 04/07/2022, The Financial Times
  3. “Q&A: Interview with Nansen Award winner Alixandra Fazzina,” by Melissa Fleming, 07/09/2010, https://www.unhcr.org/news/q-interview-nansen-award-winner-alixandra-fazzina

Recommended non-fiction books on this and similar topics:

  • “We Cry in Silence,” by Smita Sharma, FotoEvidence, 2022
  • “The Last Girl,” by Nadia Murad, Tim Duggen Books, 2017
    • My book review of this title can be read here
  • “A Moonless, Starless Sky,” by Alexis Okeowo, Hatchet Book Group, 2017
    • My book review of this title can be read here
  • “The Beekeeper,” by Dunya Mikhail, New Directions Books, 2018
    • My book review of this title can be read here
  • “Surrender or Starve,” by Robert D. Kaplan, First Vintage Edition Books, 1988, 2003
  • “Slave,” by Mende Nazer and Damien Lewis, Virgo Press, 2004
  • “A Thousand Farewells,” by Nahlah Ayed, Penguin, 2012

Recommended fiction on this and similar topics:

  • “What a Strange Paradise,” by Omar El Akkad, McClelland & Stewart, 2021

Recommended work of long-form journalism:

  • “Invisible Child,” by Andrea Elliot, Random House, 2021

Recommended articles on this and similar topics:

  • “Saudi Forces accused of killing hundreds of Ethopian migrants,” by Andrew England, 08/21/2023, The Financial Times
  • “Why the EU fears a major war in Lebanon,” by Henry Foy, 10/04/2024, Financial Times
  • “Kamala Harris walk a fine line in Arizona with tougher talk on the border,” by Myles McCormic, 09/29/2024, Financial Times
  • “How EU funds paid for risky African aid projects,” by Henry Foy, 09/26/2024, The Financial Times
  • “Libya: Urgent action needed to remedy deteriorating human rights situation, UN Fact Finding Mission,” 03/27/2023, https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/03/libya-urgent-action-needed-remedy-deteriorating-human-rights-situation-un
  • “Detained UN Staff in Yemen,” by Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ravina Shamdasani, 09/03/2024, https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/03/libya-urgent-action-needed-remedy-deteriorating-human-rights-situation-un
  • “Can Italian tactic help the UK stop migrant boats?”, by Willia, Allis and Amy Kazmin, 09/16/2024, The Financial Times
  • “Eight migrants die in English Channel as tragedies mount,” by Sarah White and Anna Gross, 09/15/2024, The Financial Times
  • “JD Vance escalates xenophobic rhetoric in appeal to Republican base,” by James Politi, 09/10/2024, The Financial Times
  • “The far-right’s disturbing success in eastern Germany,” by the editorial board, 09/02/2024, The Financial Times
  • “Justin Trudeau retreats from Canada’s Liberal immigration regime,” by Ilya Grindneff, 09/01/2024
  • “Germany deports Afghans for thje first time since Taliban’s return to power,” by Guy Chazan, 08/30/2024, The Financial Times
  • “Italy steps up clampdown on boats rescuing migrants in Mediterranean Sea,” by Amy Kazmin, 08/28/2024, The Financial Times
  • “Rishi Sunak’s government ramped up return of migrants in final year,” by Anna Gross and Amy Coney Barrett, 08/22/2024, The Financial Times
  • “US pushes Saudi Arabia and UAE to heal divisions over Yemen,” by Samer Al-Atrush, 09/19/2023, The Financial Times
  • “Houthi terror designation would push Yemen closer to famine, UN warns,” by Andrew England, 12/28/2020, The Financial Times
  • “Yemen needs international help to escape tragedy,” by Anne Linde, 07/01/2020, The Financial Times
  • “Yemen crisis deepens as corona virus devastates health system,” by Andrew England, 06/26/2020, The Financial Times
  • “Sudan is tumbling into the Somalia trap,” by Andres /Schipani, 06/17/2024, The Financial Times
  • “Horn of Africa drought made 100 times more likely by climate crisis, scientists report,” by Camilla Hodgson, 04/27/2023
  • “Somalia rebuilds: ‘the glass is now half-full’,” by Andres Schipani, 04/16/2023, The Financial Times