In the Sea There are Crocodiles: Based on the True Story of Enaiatollah Akbari

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In the Sea There are Crocodiles: Based on the True Story of Enaiatollah Akbari

by Fabio Geda, Howard Curtis (Translator)

3.88 of 5 stars 3.88 · rating details · 1,085 ratings · 285 reviews

When ten-year-old Enaiatollah Akbari’s small village in Afghanistan falls prey to Taliban rule in early 2000, his mother shepherds the boy across the border into Pakistan but has to leave him there all alone to fend for himself. Thus begins Enaiat’s remarkable and often punishing five-year ordeal, which takes him through Iran, Turkey, and Greece before he seeks political...more

Hardcover, 215 pages

Published August 9th 2011 by Doubleday

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Nov 19, 2012 Patrizia O rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bambini-e-ragazzi, recensioni, contemporanei, autori-autrici-italia, migrazione-integrazione-razzismo, versione-ridotta-adattata

Si tratta della versione ridotta per bambini dell'omonimo libro di F. Geda. Un libro da leggere assolutamente perchè con la leggerezza di una storia per bambini (grandicelli) ci narra il dramma di chi deve abbandonare il proprio paese, attraversare il mare e giungere sino qui per avere una vita migliore (e quindi immaginatevi cosa lascia). Io ho anche versato qualche lacrimuccia leggendolo, soprattutto quando il protagonista (un bambino di 10 anni) si ritrova da solo senza la madre!

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Jan 29, 2013 Lynda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, non-fiction, author-europe

An extraordinary story of a ten year old Afghan refugee (Enaiatollah) who, via human traffickers, spends over five years of his life moving from Afghanistan to Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Greece and Italy. Based on a true story.

It is a very personal story of life as a refugee and of life-or-death battles and experiences. Superbly written. Fabio Geda beautifully delivers the human experience of Enaiatollah, whose will for survival is more than remarkable. The story also provides insight into just how...more

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May 18, 2013 Sve rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Силата на тази книга е в автентичността й. Разказът на Енаят за мъчното му бягство едва ли би бил по-въздействащ ако беше украсен с художествену измислици. В книгата почти липсват описания- било то на места или душевни състояния. Книга на случването, на страданието, но и пълна с такава силна надежда и оптимизъм, че няма как да не повярваш в щастливия край.

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Sep 28, 2011 Dhe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

ho preso in prestito questo libro dalla biblioteca appena arrivato. il motivo è semplice: avevo assistito alla presentazione del libro un paio di anni fa, al salone del libro di torino, più per caso che per altro, ed ero rimasta molto colpita dal ragazzo da cui nasce la storia, un ragazzo molto giovane ma molto determinato che invece che essere in balia dell'intervistatrice aveva il controllo (cosa piuttosto rara). l'episodio che più mi aveva fatto sorridere e che mi aveva spinta a rimanere ad a...more ho preso in prestito questo libro dalla biblioteca appena arrivato. il motivo è semplice: avevo assistito alla presentazione del libro un paio di anni fa, al salone del libro di torino, più per caso che per altro, ed ero rimasta molto colpita dal ragazzo da cui nasce la storia, un ragazzo molto giovane ma molto determinato che invece che essere in balia dell'intervistatrice aveva il controllo (cosa piuttosto rara). l'episodio che più mi aveva fatto sorridere e che mi aveva spinta a rimanere ad ascoltare invece che vagare per gli stand era stata la risposta pronta e sicura alla domanda, piuttosto stupida, dell'intervistatrice: "coe ti sei sentito quando il tuo amico è morto?" "piuttosto male, non ci sarebbe rimasta male anche lei?". dire che è partito un grande applauso è poco.

il libro non è troppo lungo nè troppo corto. è un racconto. è la trascrizione dei dialoghi fra il ragazzo e l'autore vero e proprio, in cui il ragazzo racconta la sua vita, dall'inizio fino ad ora. è un racconto semplice, senza i fronzoli che spesso "abbelliscono" le storie vere, soprattutto di donne o uomini che arrivano dai paesi più poveri. la storia è quella ben conosciuta, purtroppo, dalla maggior parte delle persone che guardano i telegiornali. ma allo stesso modo nella sua "normalità" della tragedia è assolutamente da leggere, perchè spesso 2 minuti di servizio al tg non riescono a rendere l'idea di ciò che davvero significa, per quaeste persone, arrivare nel nostro paese.

il ragazzo vive nel suo paese, senza grandi pretese. quando rimane orfano di padre oltre che far fronte al lutto deve anche nascondersi dalle persone a cui il padre doveva dei soldi. il tutto va anche bene, fino a quando lui diventa troppo grande per nascondersi vicino a casa quando i creditori lo cercano. la madre lo porta allora in viaggio, una situazione nuova, in cui si incontrano persone nuove e il mondo è diverso da quello che ha sempre conosciuto nel suo villaggio. va tutto bene, fino a quando una mattina si sveglia e sua madre non c'è più accanto lui: è tornata a casa e l'ha abbandonato. a questo punto il ragazzino (presumibilmente dice che avrà avuto 11 anni) deve decidere cosa fare, se rimanere lì, se viaggiare, se disperarsi o rimboccarsi le maniche. opta per l'ultima ed ecco che lavora di qua e di là per sopravvivere. ad un certo punto gli si presenta l'opportunità di partire e andare in un altro stato. qualche dubbio e poi decide di partire. la sua vita fino all'arrivo in italia sarà così: uno, due, tre anni in un posto, lavorando e risparmiando e poi un viaggio per cambiare stato e cercare di stare meglio. ovviamente questi viaggi sono opera di trafficanti di uomini che si fanno pagare più che bene e che in realtà fanno viaggiare le persone in condizioni assurde. toccante il racconto del viaggio su un camion in un sottofondo in cui per tre giorni è stato fermo immobile e al buio, tanto che una volta arrivati li hanno scaricati come sacchi perchè erano incapaci di muoversi... fino al viaggio nel mediterraneo, che fra l'altro crea l'occasione per il titolo del libro. uno dei ragazzi infatti è convinto che nel mar mediterraneo ci siano i coccodrilli, e ne è terrorizzato. sono in 3, molto giovani, molto inesperti, che si trovano su una spiaggia con un gommone e una pompa a piede per gonfiarlo. un paio di giorni per prendere coraggio e poi i ragazzi fanno quello che onestamente in pochi di noi avrebbero il coraggio di fare: si buttano nel mediterraneo con un gommoncino, dei remi, senza viveri nè strumentazione. incredibilmente arrivano a destinazione (o meglio arrivano ad una riva, ma non sanno dove sono), ma uno di loro è caduto in mare e l'hanno perso. il viaggio è anche costelllato di gentilezze, che mi ha fatto piacere leggere, sintomo che nonostante le difficoltà e la vita difficile le cose belle si notano lo stesso. una signora che gli dà dei soldi e lo mette su un treno, un sorriso da uno sconosciuto, il ragazzo si ricorda tutto.

la storia ha un lieto fine: attualmente il ragazzo è stato adottato in italia, da una famiglia che è stata la prima ad ospitarlo e che lo ha aiutato. è andato a scuola e sta studiando. è anche riuscito a dare notizie di sè alla sua mamma, immaginate che dramma deve essere stato per questa donna fare ciò che ha fatto.

personalmente l'ho trovata una bella storia, ricca di umanità e molto diversa dalle storie "vere" spesso raccontate nei libri. ho volutamente omesso gli stati in cui si è trovato il ragazzo, dal mio punto di vista la sua storia è universale. non penso faccia grande differenza se è nato in africa o in pakistan... cosa che mi ha incuriosita molto è invece la concezione di tempo che emerge nel libro. il ragazzo non sa quando è nato (cosa che per noi è inconcepibile), non sa quanto tempo è stato in un posto o in un altro. presume 6 mesi, ma lui stesso dice che potrebbero essere anche 8 o 9, a meno di eventi unici (come il crollo delle torri gemelle) non ha idea di quando si siano effettivamente svolti i fatti.

vi invito a leggere questo libro, ne vale assolutamente la pena!(less)

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Apr 12, 2013 Megan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-school, a-bit-different

In the Sea There are Crocodiles – Fabio Geda
Translated from Italian by Howard Curtis

‘If you hold a wish up high, any wish, just in front of your forehead, then life will always be worth living.’
I’m not really sure what I expected from this story. Initially, I was seduced by the cover of the book – whether that was the colour, or the gorgeous eyes of the young person – I am not really sure. Then I read that it was the story of a young boy who had journeyed from Afghanistan through Pakistan, Iran,...more

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Mar 19, 2013 ★Loredana★ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“Dagli Appennini alle Ande”… mi rendo conto, è un avvitamento carpiato letterario molto azzardato, eppure questo mi ha ricordato. Forse perché questo è un libro che si legge col cuore, per l’appunto, e non con la testa... si legge col cuore in mano e la lacrima pronta ad uscire ad ogni giro di pagina, perché questa è una storia vera, tutta vera... per la tenerezza che suscita Enaiat, la sua ingenuità, la sua semplicità in ogni gesto, in ogni sogno, in ogni progetto per un futuro tutto da costrui...more

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Dec 11, 2012 Sandie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fabio Geda is an Italian novelist who works with children in trouble. In The Sea There Are Crocodiles is his book detailing the memoir of Enaiatollah Akbari, an Afhganistian young man who, after years of being on his own and facing obstacles many people never encounter, became an immigrant in Italy.

When Enaiatollah was about ten (he is not sure of his birthday or exact age), his mother took him on a trip to Pakistan. After a few days he awoke one morning to find her gone. She had gone back home,...more Fabio Geda is an Italian novelist who works with children in trouble. In The Sea There Are Crocodiles is his book detailing the memoir of Enaiatollah Akbari, an Afhganistian young man who, after years of being on his own and facing obstacles many people never encounter, became an immigrant in Italy.

When Enaiatollah was about ten (he is not sure of his birthday or exact age), his mother took him on a trip to Pakistan. After a few days he awoke one morning to find her gone. She had gone back home, leaving him to make his way in a foreign land where he didn't speak the language or have anyone to look out for him. He spent a year in Pakistan, working wherever he could find a job and sleeping anywhere he could.

The next three years Enaiatollah spent in Iran. There he worked construction. The work was brutal and the hours long. Periodically, the police raided the sites and sent all the illegal workers back to their countries. The workers had to pay the costs of this repatriation, so it was difficult to save any money. Enaiatillah made friends there among the other workers, but one lesson he learned early was not to get attached to anyone else. After three years, he tired of the constant stress and work and decided to go with a group of friends to Turkey.

This was by far the most difficult journey he undertook. What he was told was a three day walk turned into almost four weeks climbing into the mountains and fighting the cold and hunger. At the end of that journey, was a three day trip stuffed into a false bottom in a truck.

After time spent in Turkey, he and four acquaintances struck out for Greece. They had to row a dinghy across the ocean between the two countries; five boys who had never seen the ocean, who had never rowed a bow or known how to swim. Eventually, Enaiatollah left Greece in a ship container, bound for who knew where. He ended up in Italy and was lucky enough to find people there who helped him and a government that granted him asylum.

Readers will not be able to stop reading this mesmerizing tale of this young boy's struggles and travels. Parents will be heartbroken to think of a life so barren that the best one can do for your child is to abandon him in a foreign country with no way to monitor his safety or even his survival. All you can give him is a chance. Enaiatollah's courage is admirable, but there are repercussions. The story is told in a very flat affect and it is obvious that he has walled off his emotions in order to survive the brutal life he was handed. This book is recommended for all readers; a compelling and ultimately satisfying read. (less)

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Nov 08, 2012 L_manning rated it 4 of 5 stars

Enaiatollah Akbari has lived a fairly normal life in Afghanistan, that is until one day when he finds himself being rushed away from his village by his mother. The Taliban has taken over, and Enaiat's mother does not want him there. She leaves him in Pakistan, and Enaiat must learn to take care of himself. Constantly wanting a better life, he finds himself trying to find ways to improve his living conditions. This often involves trusting human traffickers to get him from place to place. Enaiat w...more Enaiatollah Akbari has lived a fairly normal life in Afghanistan, that is until one day when he finds himself being rushed away from his village by his mother. The Taliban has taken over, and Enaiat's mother does not want him there. She leaves him in Pakistan, and Enaiat must learn to take care of himself. Constantly wanting a better life, he finds himself trying to find ways to improve his living conditions. This often involves trusting human traffickers to get him from place to place. Enaiat will travel to Iran, Turkey, Greece, and finally Italy where he seeks asylum. Of course, his path is never easy. However, Enaiat will not rest until he has found a way to make his life more like what he wants it to be.

This was a very interesting story on a couple levels. The first thing that struck me was the things a mother will do to protect her child. Enaiat's mother knew the life they were going to experience in Afghanistan was not the one she wanted Enaiat to have. The only way to try and improve thing for him were to smuggle him out of the country. However, she did have other children and family. So she leaves Enaiat in Iran. I can't imagine how hard this must have been for her, not knowing whether Enaiat would survive all this. She was willing to give him a chance though, and this was probably the best she could do for him. I'm glad she eventually gets to discover that her efforts were successful.

Of course Enaiat's story after getting to Iran is equally amazing. He survived with some good instincts and a lot of luck. It was so sad to see him and so many people trying to get themselves smuggled to new countries just to try and live a good life. I found it interesting how Enaiat seemed to keep running into people he knew. They clearly have some ways to communicate back to their friends in other countries. The story is told in a very interesting way. It feels very much like you're sitting listening to someone tell their story as opposed to reading their words. This book made me appreciate my life greatly, but it also made me want to help other people like Enaiat. His story was incredibly moving, and I hope that he continues to have a wonderful life where he is now.

Galley provided for review.(less)

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Jul 28, 2012 Louise rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

Story Description:

Random House UK|August 1, 2011|Hardcover|ISBN: 978-1-846-55476-6

A best seller in Italy, a beautiful, heartbreaking novel based on the true story of an Afghan boy’s journey in search of safety. One night before putting him to bed, Enaiatollah’s mother tells him three things: “don’t use drugs, don’t use weapons, don’t steal.” The next day he wakes up to find she isn’t there. They have fled their village in Ghazni to seek safety outside Afghanistan but his mother has decided to re...more Story Description:

Random House UK|August 1, 2011|Hardcover|ISBN: 978-1-846-55476-6

A best seller in Italy, a beautiful, heartbreaking novel based on the true story of an Afghan boy’s journey in search of safety. One night before putting him to bed, Enaiatollah’s mother tells him three things: “don’t use drugs, don’t use weapons, don’t steal.” The next day he wakes up to find she isn’t there. They have fled their village in Ghazni to seek safety outside Afghanistan but his mother has decided to return home to her younger children. Ten-year-old Enaiatollah is left alone in Pakistan to fend for himself.

In a book based on a true story, Italian novelist Fabio Geda describes Enaiatollah’s remarkable five-year journey from Afghanistant to Italy where he finally managed to claim political asylum. His ordeal took him through Iran, Turkey, and Greece, working on building sites in order to pay people-traffickers, and enduring the physical misery of border crossings squeezed into the false bottoms of lorries or trekking across inhospitable mountains. A series of almost implausible strokes of fortune enabled him to get to Turin, where he found help from an Italian family and met Fabio Geda.

The result of their friendship is this unique book in which Enaiatollah’s engaging, moving voice is brilliantly captured by Geda’s subtle storytelling. In Geda’s hands, Enaiatollah’s journey becomes a universal story of stoicism in the face of fear, and the search for a place where life is liveable.

My Review:

The true story of Enaiatollah Akbari is one wrought with immense courage. At the age of ten, Enaiatollah is abandoned by his mother. One night before going to bed she told him three things: “don’t use drugs, don’t use weapon, don’t steal.” The following morning when Enaiatollah woke up his mother was gone. Fearful and not knowing what to do, he asks the man in charge of the place where they are staying if he could hire him to work so he could make some money. The man grunted and said he’d only allow him to work the one day and not for money but for food. Enaiatollah worked himself to death that day and the following day he walked across the street to another business establishment. There he met a man who agreed to allow him to sell various items such as: cigarette lighters, fans, decks of cards, and other small items from a box. It was agreed that Enaiatollah would receive a cut of what he sold. Unfortunately, this job didn’t pan out so well so he instead decided to leave and try to get to Italy.

For a ten-year-old, Enaiatollah was a very intelligent little boy who was well-mannered and wasn’t afraid to work. Through connections, and working at various construction sites for a few months at a time and saving his money to pay off people-traffickers, his journey took him over mountains and terrain that was extremely difficult to navigate. Finally reaching Italy, he finds a family that is willing to help him and also there he also meets the author of this book, Fabio Geda who is a journalist.

It took a great deal of courage, fortitude, determination, and resilience to accomplish what Enaiatollah did at such a young age. It boggles my mind that a very young 10-year-old child could accomplish such a feat. All he wanted was somewhere to live and somewhere to belong.

I’ll definitely be passing word of this book along to other people.

(less)

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May 13, 2012 Fence rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, biography

When Enaiat is around ten his mother takes him from his village in Afganistan and they travel Pakistan. And then, after a few days, she leaves him there, and goes back home to his younger brother and sister. At first Enaiat isn’t sure what to do. He starts to work for the the man in whose “hotel” he has been abandoned, in exchange for food and board. Later he moves on to selling goods on the street. For this he earns money.

Eventually he leaves the city, looking for work, and then the country, an...more

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Feb 17, 2012 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fabio Geda is an Italian novelist who writes for several Italian magazines and newspapers. He also works with children in difficulties. In The Sea There Are Crocodiles, published in the UK by Harvill Secker is his first book to be translated into English.

This is the fictionalised account of a true story. The recreation of the story of Enaiatollah Akbari, a young Afghan boy who was abandoned by his Mother when they were seeking safety outside Afghanistan. Fabio Geda met Enai whilst in Italy, he h...more

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Feb 11, 2012 LauraW rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned, tween, young-adult

This impressive account is simply, but compellingly told. I enjoyed reading it, although it does detail many difficult and horrible events.

On greater reflection, I was thinking about the difference of what happens to young boys in danger of the Taliban to what happens to young girls. A girl could not have made it all the way to Italy. It would be more likely for a young girl to have been subject to some sort of gender-based compulsory service, either through marriage at a young age or sold into...more

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Dec 12, 2011 Caroline rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: foreign-literature, contemporary

You are not going to be surprised if I say that I adored this book, right?
I know, I know what you're going to say, I *always* love the translated books and I keep telling you how much you *need* to read them, so much that I'm turning into the boy who cried wolf and you don't believe me anymore.
But guess what? This one, you really do need to read it! No really!

This story is a real eye opener. Not only do you see life through the eyes of someone from a foreign culture and country, but you also see...more You are not going to be surprised if I say that I adored this book, right?
I know, I know what you're going to say, I *always* love the translated books and I keep telling you how much you *need* to read them, so much that I'm turning into the boy who cried wolf and you don't believe me anymore.
But guess what? This one, you really do need to read it! No really!

This story is a real eye opener. Not only do you see life through the eyes of someone from a foreign culture and country, but you also see how things are like in countries who do not have the chance to be democraties and you see the theme of immigration through the point of view of the immigrant. Enaiatollah is sent out of Afghanistan by his mother who wishes him to survive and not be a casualty of the Talibans which had taken over the country. His travels bring him to Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Greece and Italy. He is just a child yet he manages to get through countries and survive very hard conditions.

What is fascinating to see are the similarities between our culture (Western European that is) and Enaiatollah's, and I think that is why it is important to read this book. Enaiatollah is a regular little boy, he lives with his family, he plays ball with the other children in the village and he really likes to go to school (though he'd rather play outside!). People in his village are not Talibans and are on the contrary bullied by them. From his very early years, Enaiatollah witnesses his teacher getting killed.
There are some real heart-breaking moments in the book and Enaiatollah meets many people, some of which happen to help him, others who will hurt him. Any random act of kindness is remembered and cherished by Enaiatollah but he doesn't blame the ones who hurt him. I found him to be full of love, for the people around him that he comes across, but also for the countries and the different cultures he encounters. Enaiatollah proves to have a real hunger to learn and to live.

The book is a conversation between the writer, Fabio Geda, and Enaiatollah Akbari who is now an adult and sometimes, Fabio or Enaiatollah come out of the story to clarify one point or discuss bigger themes and I found it to be really interesting because everything is put in perspective and the book becomes more than just a story.

What I loved about this book is that Enaiatollah, no matter how horrible and dangerous the things he goes through are, doesn't lose faith. He doesn't even think he is to be pitied. I mean he is just a kid when he leaves his country and moves into territories which have some of the harshest life conditions on this planet and yet he doesn't give up. This is an incredibly uplifting story, it makes me believe that anything in life is possible and anything can be achieved by pretty much anyone.

This book is quite simply breathtaking and is a wonderful way to get to see the world through the eyes of an Afghan child in his journey to find a new place to call home.

Info: It is fine for both boys and girls. There are some violent bits in it so younger children might find this a bit hard to read if not reading with an adult who can explain some things (which would be a great way to approach the book).(less)

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Nov 20, 2011 Beverly rated it 3 of 5 stars

• The book had a conversational style and the narrator is charming and not necessarily dwelling on all that is wrong with the world that set him on this journey but always emphasized the positive and the kindness of others that helped him
• I would say this is more YA than adult and would make for a great HS book discussion
• I could not imagine being on my own at 10 yrs old and crossing borders and figure out how to survive in this world
• The narrator feels that his mother gave him a second chanc...more

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Nov 03, 2011 Book Him Danno rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, giveaway-wins

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! When Enaitollah Akbari was about ten years old, his mother takes him from Afghanistan over the border to Pakistan away from the Taliban. It is there where he wakes one morning to find his mother gone and he is alone. He has to make his own way and figure out what to do with his life. It is the story of his journey through many countries, finding jobs, being deported and making friends, seeking the help of strangers and showing us what it is like to be an...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Betty-Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

In 2000, when Enaiatollah Akbari was ten years old, his mother took him from their home in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, over the border into Pakistan, and ultimately left him there. This seeming act of abandonment was in fact a desperate attempt to hopefully save the life of her second child. His mother felt he had become too big to hide from the Taliban who targeted families in their area, mostly for being Hazara.

Enaiat had to learn to fend for himself over the next five years, traveling fro...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Freida rated it 3 of 5 stars

Enaiat was born and lived in Afghanistan until his mother smuggled him out sometime around his tenth birthday and left him in Pakistan. From that day on he was responsible for his own life. How he survived, the jobs that he took as a Shia Muslim immigrant to be able to survive and how he manage to make it all the way to Italy and convince them to give him asylum as a political refugee is the story.

Enaiat’s father was forced to drive a truck for the Sunni bringing back merchandise but when bandi...more

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Jul 01, 2011 Cheryl rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review

Fabio Geda bases his novel, IN THE SEA THERE ARE CROCODILES, on the true story of Enaiatollah Akbari, a ten year old boy left by his mother in Pakistan after the Taliban takes over their village in Afghanistan.

What follows is a five year odyssey from home to Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Greece, and finally Turin, Italy. Enaiat does not witness the Wonders of the East, but rather the bitter cold of the mountains scaled to provide safe passage, sewage from the gutters of Pakistan, and the fear of croco...more

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Jun 28, 2011 Clover (Fluttering Butterflies) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Oh, this book. It really had me in tears. What comes across the most for me as I was reading it is of the resilience of the human spirit and also hope in times of quite tragic events. It is quite the slim book, but I was gripped all the way through it and Enaiatollah and Fabio Geda really had a grip on my heart from the very first page.

In the Sea There Are Crocodiles by Fabio Geda is the fictionalised true story of a 10 year old boy from Afghanistan. His mother takes him over the border to Pakis...more Oh, this book. It really had me in tears. What comes across the most for me as I was reading it is of the resilience of the human spirit and also hope in times of quite tragic events. It is quite the slim book, but I was gripped all the way through it and Enaiatollah and Fabio Geda really had a grip on my heart from the very first page.

In the Sea There Are Crocodiles by Fabio Geda is the fictionalised true story of a 10 year old boy from Afghanistan. His mother takes him over the border to Pakistan, tells him to follow three simple rules and then abandons him in the hope that her son will be better off away from the Taliban that has taken over in Afghanistan which has put him and his entire family at risk. What follows is Enaiatollah's brave journey as he struggles to find work, shelter and food across several different countries.

It's really an incredible story, this one. One that I won't forget for a long time. Enaiatollah goes through some horrific experiences - with people smugglers in particular, harassment from police and terrible living conditions - all in the hopes that one day he will find a place where he can belong and feel safe. It takes him five years, travelling and working through Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, and Greece in order to be granted asylum in Italy. One of the things that really struck a chord with me is Enaiatollah's memories the beauty and the good times that he had as a young boy in Afghanistan. When people think of Afghanistan, they think of the Taliban and of the terrorism and bad things that has come from that. He remembers a happy childhood in a beautiful place.

In the Sea There Are Crocodiles is written in a very lyrical but simplistic way, and I was pulled into Enaiatollah's story immediately. It really opened my eyes to the lives and experiences of refugees and other people who have left their homes in search of security and freedom. This was a really beautiful and at times difficult book to read, but one that remains hopeful in the belief that there is more out there and that things can and will be better. (less)

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Oct 17, 2011 Tracey O'rourke rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: teens

Shelves: 2011

This is the novelization of a true story of a boy whose mother smuggled him out of Afghanistan when he was 10 to keep him safe from the Taliban. But then she went back, so it is the story of him, age 10-18, fending for himself, making his way in the world, and making his way from country to country until he eventually settles in Italy. Written in the first person, as if he is telling the reader his life story, it is remarkably matter-of-fact and non-sensationalistic. It is narrated as if this is...more

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Aug 11, 2011 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read_since_joining

In the Sea there are Crocodiles is an inspiring book and keeps you wanting more in Enaiatollah's story.
In a way it was just like Parvana (by Deborah Ellis), and was very touching. It gives you a big idea on what life is like over in that part of Asia.
I am a Year 7 student and found it very informative and knowledgeable.

Enaiatollah Akbari is a 10-year-old boy living in Afghanistan. His father was forced to drive a lorry full of merchandise for the Taliban, and was attacked by bandits and lost hi...more

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Jul 18, 2011 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-edition, different_cultures, personal_memoir_biography, social-issues-or-commentary

(creative nonfiction?, 3.5/5 stars)

Before his mother abandons him in Pakistan after taking him there to avoid the Taliban in Afghanistan, she gives Enaiatollah Akbari three rules:

1. Never use drugs
2. Never use weapons
3. Don't cheat or steal

That doesn't give a ten-year old (more or less) boy much of a start to find his own way in the world. This book, “based on the true story,” is short, simple, and reads like fiction. Don't expect a big high-level view of politics, of the Taliban, of what is ri...more

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Aug 23, 2012 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2012

This was quite an incredible account of Enaiatollah Akbari's five-year ordeal, starting out in Afghanistan and ending in Italy. The book is technically considered fiction, and the boy (who, I read, graduated high school in 2011) didn't actually write the account. Fabio Geda, a man who often records the traumatic stories of children, turned the ordeal into book form.
Frankly, I was blown away by this story. Enaiatollah flees from Afghanistan to Pakistan, hiding under his mother's burkha. The Tali...more This was quite an incredible account of Enaiatollah Akbari's five-year ordeal, starting out in Afghanistan and ending in Italy. The book is technically considered fiction, and the boy (who, I read, graduated high school in 2011) didn't actually write the account. Fabio Geda, a man who often records the traumatic stories of children, turned the ordeal into book form.
Frankly, I was blown away by this story. Enaiatollah flees from Afghanistan to Pakistan, hiding under his mother's burkha. The Taliban has taken control in their small village, closing their school, and killing their teacher. His father died and left the family in debt to the Taliban, so the mother can only see a life for her son away from the village. She leaves him in Pakistan (he was ten years old at the time), and Enaiatollah spends the next five years traveling to countries where he thinks he'll be able to make more money and live easier. He travels to Iran, then to Turkey, to Greece, and finally to Italy. He climbs frozen mountaintops. He crosses borders in hidden bottoms of lorries. He crosses the sea on a tiny dinghy and watches a friend get washed overboard. The boy is always matter-of-fact, but watching friends and family disappear and die is disconcerting to the reader. Still, everything about the boy's strength and ability to survive is mind-blowing.
The book is written as it was likely told to Geda. There are moments in the book where readers can read an exchange between Enaiatollah and Fabio Geda. I wasn't entirely a fan of these moments when the book started--they seemed short, random, and unnecessary. However, there is something to be said about keeping the book true to experience and to its roots. At times, the narrative seemed random, but again, I imagine this is in an effort to keep the narrative close to Enaiatollah's own narrative. Also, I found it almost shocking how matter-of-fact Enaiatollah was about his mother disappearing, about companions freezing on the climb up the mountain to Turkey, and about a friend being washing into the sea. But then again, this is an incredibly young boy who learned to survive on his own at such a young age. The book was a dose of reality for me.
All in all, I definitely recommend this book. I had expected a reprise of The Kite Runner when I picked it up, and it was not that. (Although, Enaiatollah also makes references to the kite competitions in his village in Afghanistan.) The book has less of a plot and more of a narrative. This book is so worth reading. Enaiatollah mentions coming across a pair of Europeans when he first arrives in Italy. He thinks of soccer players names from their native countries and mentions them to the men in an effort to sound like he cares about their culture. When he tells the men he's from Afghanistan, they say, "Taliban," and he realizes that his country is really only known for one thing. I also felt, like those Europeans, that I knew very little about Afghanistan outside of the Taliban, and so, was glad to have read this book and followed the life of this boy who, through his bravery and will, proves he is much more than just "an illegal". (less)

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Aug 18, 2012 M. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, short-reads, 2012-reading-challenge

In the Sea There Are Crocodiles depicts a part of Enaiatollah Akbari’s (Enaiat for short) life beginning from when his mother left him in Pakistan when he was just ten years old, up till when he reached and decided to live permanently in Italy. This accounts for eight years of his life, crossing six countries – Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Greece and finally, Italy. That’s eight years of Enaita’s life spent in six countries written in no more than 215 pages (and mind you, it can be read...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Orsodimondo rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: italiana

QUANDO SEI NATO NON PUOI PIÙ NASCONDERTI
Storie così si sono già lette, e anche viste al cinema: ma c’è sempre posto per altre, non cala mai la mia attenzione su vicende simili.
Come mai allora questa volta mi sono annoiato fino al punto di sbadigliare?
Perché la scrittura di Geda è piatta e priva di qualsiasi fascino, uccide qualsiasi buona intenzione. A tratti sembra quasi che voglia mettersi all’altezza d’occhi del bambino Enaiat (quando a raccontare è però un ventenne), senza considerare che è...more

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Dec 27, 2011 Karima rated it 4 of 5 stars

A somewhat fictionalized oral account of 10-year old Enaiatollah Akbari's escape from his home in Afghanistan to Italy, where he remains. (He is now 21, maybe. No birth records). In the five-year period that this book covers, young Enaiat travels from Afghanistan to Iran (and back to Afghanistan due to repatriation) Iran again, Turkey, Greece and finally, Italy, where he was given political asylum at the age of 15. . He tells his story to Fabio Geda, an Italian novelist who works with children u...more

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Jul 08, 2011 Kasa Cotugno added it

Shelves: genre-biography-memoir, vine, location-middle-east, subject-immigration-experience

This is an amazing account of one young Afghani's life, a life in which childhood is eliminated well before its time. During the Taliban terror, Enaiatollah Akberi's mother removes him to Pakistan for his own safety, abruptly leaving him there so as to return to her village and her two other children. She knew her 10 year old son well enough to know that despite his youth, he would be able to survive. As with Dave Eggars' treatment of the life of Valentin Achak Deng in What is the What, Febio Ge...more

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Sep 24, 2011 Nathan Chadwick rated it 4 of 5 stars

In the Sea There Are Crocodiles is a wonderful odyssey as seen through the naiveté of a young boy. A true story enriched through a fictional account, Fabio Geda, as captured the child's viewpoint of being left to chance in a dangerous world. The narrative is told in a loose interview style led by the author as he interrupts the first person account of our narrator and guide, Enaiatollah, in order to almost drive home the point that this is more than just a fictional story. While the off beat str...more

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Jul 02, 2011 Yvonne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Teachers, Young Adults

What a remarkable story told by a remarkable young man! In the Sea There are Crocodiles is joining my mental list of all-time favorite books! It is the true story as told by Enaiatollah Akbari to author Fabio Geda, although it must be classified as fiction because parts of it had to be reconstructed (it must have been difficult for a 10 year old with no watch or map to remember geographical/time-sensitive details). The story recounts Enaiatollah's 5 year journey to find a home after his mother s...more What a remarkable story told by a remarkable young man! In the Sea There are Crocodiles is joining my mental list of all-time favorite books! It is the true story as told by Enaiatollah Akbari to author Fabio Geda, although it must be classified as fiction because parts of it had to be reconstructed (it must have been difficult for a 10 year old with no watch or map to remember geographical/time-sensitive details). The story recounts Enaiatollah's 5 year journey to find a home after his mother selflessly leaves him in Pakistan in the hopes that he will find a better life than the one he has in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Although it may strike the reader as cruel at first blush, it would have been heartbreaking for Enaiatollah to have fallen victim to slavery or recruited into terrorism had he stayed in Afghanistan. Even at his tender young age, he seems to understand the depth and importance of his mother's decision.

One of the things that I liked so much about this book is how Enaiatollah's sincerity just flowed right off the pages. I felt as though I was sitting in the same room listening to him tell his story. I also appreciated the life lessons that he learned along the way and his overall lack of bitterness. Don't get me wrong though -- his story is not sugar-coated in any way. He does feel a gamut of emotions, from anger to confusion to desperation, however his ability to experience joy may have been his best coping skill. A couple of the lessons that touched me the most were about the importance of friendship and that something that may seem to be a small act of kindness to me or you could mean the world to someone in need. Although I would love to elaborate, I will hold back so that individual readers can glean their own interpretations from Enaiatollah's experiences.

In the Sea There are Crocodiles is a very quick read, partly because of its short length, but mostly due to its tight grip on the reader from start to finish. I really think this book would be very valuable in the educational setting; it would make a great summer-reading assignment and surely evoke some insightful essays from students! (It should also remind students how fortunate they are to have the freedom to attend school rather than work 14 hour days in a stone factory!) I am confident that Elaiatollah's story will touch many, many readers. I will be recommending it to my family and friends.

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of In the Sea There are Crocodiles from the publisher which has in no way influenced my review.(less)

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Mar 02, 2013 Lasuggeritrice rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

«Se parli direttamente con le persone trasmetti un'emozione più intensa, anche se le parole sono incerte e la cadenza è diversa; in ogni caso, il messaggio che arriva assomiglia di più a quello che hai in testa, rispetto a quello che poterebbe ripetere un interprete, perché dalla bocca dell'interprete non escono emozioni, escono parole, e le parole sono solo un guscio.»

Immagino che questo ragazzino non avrebbe potuto scrivere da solo la sua storia per un ostacolo linguistico, ma la "pecca" di q...more

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About Fabio Geda

Born in Turin in 1972, Fabio Geda is an Italian novelist who works with children in difficulties. He writes for several Italian magazines and newspapers, and teaches creative writing in the most famous Italian school of storytelling (Scuola Holden, in Turin). IN THE SEA THERE ARE CROCODILES is his first book to be translated into English.

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Per il resto del viaggio ho sparato agli indiani

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Quotes from In the Sea There are C...

“Ha detto: “Tre cose che non devi fare nella vita, Enait jan, per nessun motivo. La prima è usare le droghe. Ce ne sono che hanno un odore e un sapore buono e i sussurrano alle orecchie che sapranno farti stare meglio di come potrai mai stare senza di loro. Ma tu non devi credergli. Lo prometti?”
“Promesso”
“La seconda è usare le armi. Anche se qualcuno ti tratterà male, o ti insulterà, promettimi che la tua mano non si stringerà mai attorno a un coltello, a una pietra e neppure intorno a un mestolo di legno per il qhorma palaw, se qul mestolo di legno serve a ferire un uomo. Lo prometti?”
“Promesso”
“La terza è rubare. Ciò che è tuo ti appartiene, ciò che non è tuo no. I soldi che ti servono li guadagnerai lavorando, anche se il lavoro sarà faticoso. E non trufferai mai nessuno. Enait jan, vero? Sarai ospitale e tollerante con tutti. Promettimi che lo farai”
“Promesso”
Poi ha alzato lo sguardo in direzione della finestra, e ha cominciato a parlare di sogni senza smettere di solleticarmi il collo. Di sogni come la luna, alla cui luce è possibile mangiare, la sera. E di desideri, che un desiderio bisogna sempre averlo davanti agli occhi, come un asino una carota. Che se un desiderio, qualunque sia, lo si tiene in alto, a una spanna dalla fronte, allora di vivere varrà sempre la pena.
Quando mi sono addormentato, lei stava ancora parlando.
La mattina dopo è partita.” — 3 people liked it

“Facts are important, the story is important. It's what happens to you that changes your life, not where or who with.” — 1 person liked it

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