Rêve d'Olympe - Le destin de Samia Yusuf Omar

by Reinhard Kleist

Jeux Olympiques de Pékin, en 2008 : Samia Yusuf Omar, 17 ans, représente la Somalie. Sur la piste, la jeune femme se surpasse et bat son record personnel. Malgré sa dernière place dans la course, le public l’adore et l’acclame.

De retour dans sa Somalie natale, Samia ne compte pas rester sur un échec. Mais s’entraîner décemment est devenu impossible car les fondamentalistes musulmans interdisent aux femmes de pratiquer une quelconque activité sportive.

Pour atteindre son rêve de participer aux prochains Jeux en 2012, Samia tente le tout pour le tout : elle se lance dans une périlleuse odyssée pour rejoindre l’Europe.

Une plongée dans l’enfer de l’immigration soutenue et postfacée par l’Association France Terre d’Asile.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Nonfiction, Biography, Sports, Africa, Bande Dessinée

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 27, 2015

About the author

Born in 1970 near Cologne.

After school he had an internship at printing and publishing Landpress in Weilerswist Studium at the College of Visual Arts in Münster. There the albums "Lovecraft", "Dorian" and "adventure of a switchman" were created.

After graduation in 1996 he moved to Berlin.
where he worked in a studio. For some years he did workshops, lectures and exhibitions in countries like Mexico, Brazil, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Jordan, Algeria, Spain, Canada and others, at the invitation of the Goethe Institute or my foreign publishers.

In December 2013, as part of a project for ARTE, he was in a refugee camp in northern Iraq where he I did interviews with Syrian refugees. He did a lot of sketches, and did two workshops with children. The results and photos from the workshop can be seen at ARTE Refugees

In 2011 his comic strip "The Boxer" was published in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, which was published in May 2012 in a revised version as a book by Carlsen Verlag.

In 2015, "The Dream of Olympia", the story of Samia Yusuf Omar, was published by Carlsen Verlag and in 2016 was awarded the "Annual Lynx" and the Catholic Children and Youth Book Prize.

Reviews

[leynes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Samia Yusuf Omar was a sprinter from Somalia. She was one of two Somali athletes who competed for their nation at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Omar had grown up in Mogadishu, and trained there during the Somali Civil War despite receiving harassment from local militia groups. Her story at the Olympics was covered by the media, and her performance was well received by the crowd.

Following the Games, she hid away from athletics following threats by militant group Al-Shabaab. She ended up in a Hizbul-Islam displacement camp, and in pursuit of competing at the 2012 Summer Olympics, she crossed the border to Ethiopia looking for a safe place to train. She was trafficked north into Libya, where she was imprisoned. During the 2012 Games, it was revealed that Omar had drowned off the coast of Libya while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Italy.

In 2015, German graphic novelist Reinhard Kleist published his graphic novel Der Traum von Olympia – Die Geschichte von Samia Yusuf Omar ("An Olympic Dream – The Story of Samia Yusuf Omar") at Carlsen Verlag. It was named the Luchs book of the year for 2015. The graphic novel was translated into English and published by SelfMadeHero in 2016.

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this graphic novel (albeit I appreciate its existence since Samia's story is an important one and deserves to be told) for its lack of information density. The three short paragraphs above feature more details and infos on Samia's life than this entire graphic "biography". I was shocked to see how superficial and lacking in depth Kleist's research was. He didn't research (or at least showcase) the political situation in Somalia that led to Samia's struggle. He oversimplified her reasons to flee with her aunt, and overall didn't manage to make Samia come alive on the page.

I respect Reinhard Kleist for his well thought through foreword to this graphic novel. In it he mentions his difficulty to capture Samia's voice and her feelings. Being a white man from the West his experiences and emotions couldn't be more different from Samia's, a Black woman living in an Eastern African country. And so there seems to be an emotional disconnect between his writing and the voice he was trying to capture. Samia as a person (as a "character") remained flat throughout this entire narrative. The made-up facebook posts of Kleist seem unrealistic and inauthentic. I couldn't connect to her and I couldn't connect to her story. The moment I wanted to immerse myself in her life, the graphic novel was already over and I was left with little to nothing.

Therefore, I sadly cannot recommend this graphic novel. You would do better to watch a video on her life or read an article about her.

[Joce (squibblesreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

Grafické zpracování je hezké, ale ten příběh je hrozně zkratkovitý, dialogy divně škrobené a celé to působilo spíš jako leták nějaké neziskovky.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I especially loved Kleist's The Boxer, and I liked his biography of Johnny Cash. And I want more compelling political graphic narratives, and I want important stories about the current international refugee crisis, but this one falls short as both biography and political inquiry. It is the story of Somali Olympian Sami Yusuf Omar, who ran in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but was as a woman in an oppressive country unable to thrive as runner, as woman, so she decided to try to make it to Europe to train for the 2012 Olympics. She dies on a rubber raft enroute, which made international news, and became the basis for a documentary, and for a short time helped politicize the sad story of refugees in our time, but obviously became more a footnote than a cause célèbre. Though Kleist's art is strong as ever, the story is thin.

[Bine · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5
Ergreifender Stoff, den ich mitsamt Vor- und Nachwort geradezu verschlungen habe. Die Gründe für Samias Flucht wurden sehr plastisch und einleuchtend gezeigt, sowie ihre beschwerliche Flucht selber. Auch die Protagonistin war mir sehr nah und ich mochte sie sehr. Ich hätte mir allerdings gewünscht, man hätte sich etwas mehr Zeit für ihre Geschichte genommen. Einiges ist doch sehr oberflächlich geblieben. Ein paar mehr Details, die man über Somalia oder die Realität der Flüchtlinge noch nicht weiß, hätten dem Comic mehr Tiefe gegeben. Ich halte dem Künstler aber auch zugute, dass er nah an der Realität und den wahren Ereignissen, die er gekannt und recherchiert hat, geblieben hat und wenig dazugedichtet hat.
Der Zeichenstil ist angemessen, auch wenn er nicht unbedingt mein Fall ist. Trotzdem ein toller Comic. Vielleicht schaue ich mir noch "Der Boxer" von ihm an, denn über den habe ich auch schon so einiges an Lob mitbekommen.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just about the most heartbreaking book you can read. Samia Yusuf Omar was a Somalian runner who competed in the 2008 Olympics at the age of 17, with almost no professional training. She came in last in her heat and went home without a medal.

But Omar was determined to make it back to the 2012 Olympics and compete again, and this time to become a professional runner who could sponsor her family into a better life. She trained as rigorously as Somalia would let her, running on potholed tracks when she could escape the notice of local Muslim militants.

Finally she attempted to escape Somalia, to get to Italy where she could train properly. Instead she drowned in the Mediterranean Sea, like thousands of other refugees from Africa and the Middle East struggling to make it to Europe.

Kleist's art is simple but engaging, all black and white line work. His faces are distinctive and expressive, and he does a good job of conveying the loneliness, fear, and struggle in Omar's story. I was unprepared for the ending, and it really shook me.

"We know that we are different from the other athletes. But we don’t want to show it. We try our best to look like the rest. We understand we are not anywhere near the level of the other competitors here. We understand that very, very well. But more than anything else, we would like to show the dignity of ourselves and our country."- Samia Yusuf Omar, 2008

[sunrise, sunset · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kitabı Tanıl Bora çevirmiş olabilir, bu çok güzel bir şey. Fakat baskıya girmeden önce editörün, son okumacının, redaktörün falan bir göz atması da harika olur bence.

*Bu tüm Karakarga çizgi romanları için geçerli.

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read about a subject that is now more relevant than ever: refugees. In this book represented by Somali Olympian Sami Yusuf Omar... she wants to keep on running, and only that. After her participation in the 2008 Olympics of Beijing she wants to make sure she can also participate in the London 2012 Olympics. But given that she lives in Somalia, the circumstances are not quite optimal, to say the least. She hears that she would have better chances to train in Italy, or perhaps in Switzerland and thus decides to take the long trip as a refugee from Mogadishu, via Ethiopia, Sudan and Libya to finally cross the Mediterranean Sea to Italy.

The story is made special by the fact that even an Olympian is desperate enough to embark on a journey to Europe to flee the horrible life in her home country. However millions of people undertake this journey in search of a better life, but many die along the way or are sent back. Europe doesn't really know what to do either...

Anyway, not turn to this political I thought the story had a lot in it, but Kleist, unlike his book The Boxer for example, didn't really make me have a connection with the main character, Samia. Which is a shame since there is so much dramatic potential. However instead this felt a little flat.

[Larakaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dieses Buch macht mich traurig. Und wütend. Sehr wütend. Schonungslos und ohne Pathos zeigt Kleist die Geschichte von Samia Omar, einer Frau, die nach ihrer Teilnahme als Läuferin bei den Olympischen Spielen in Peking 2008 zurück nach Somalia. Sofort setzt sie ihr Training fort um in den näschten Spielen in London wieder dabei sein zu können. Doch die islamistischen Terrormilizen machen ihr das Leben schwer und so beschließt Samia schweren Herzens mit windigen Schleppern die gefährliche Flucht nach Europa zu wagen.

Kleists schwarz-weiß-grau Stil setzt von Anfang an eine bedrückende Atmosphäre. Ich habe mich beim Lesen zunehmend unwohler gefühlt, auch wegen der Befürchtung der immer wahrscheinlicher werden Katastrophe. Die Figuren im franko-belgischen Stil sind ausdrucksstark und Samias Schwanken zwischen Hoffnung und Verzweiflung nimmt einen sehr mit.

Dieses Buch ist eine harte Erinnerung daran, dass 10.000e Menschen auf der Flucht gestorben sind, auch weil unsere, europäische, deutsche Aslypolitik an der Realität scheitert. Dieses Buch sollen wir alle lesen und allen zum Lesen geben die kritisch gegenüber der Aufnahme von Flüchtlingen sind.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Schwarz, weiß und grau sind die Bilder, mit denen hier die wahre Geschichte von Samia Yusuf Omars Flucht aus Somalia nach Europa erzählt wird. Der Verzicht auf Farben und die an Holzschnitte erinnernden Bilder lenken den Fokus umso mehr auf den Inhalt: Die junge Athletin läuft bei den Olympischen Spielen in Peking mit, verliert das 200-Meter-Rennen abgeschlagen auf dem letzten Platz. Und träumt weiter, nächstes Ziel London. Wenn sie nur bessere Trainingsbedingungen hätte als in Mogadischu, wo die Al-Schabaab-Miliz nichts von Sport treibenden Frauen hält, die Laufbahn voller Löcher ist und Samia von proteinreicher Nahrung nur träumen kann. Also macht sie sich auf nach Dschibuti, wo sie mit anderen Sportlern trainieren soll. Doch dies ist nur die erste Station einer Reise, die tragisch endet. Damit steht sie exemplarisch für so viele andere, deren Schicksal ähnlich verläuft.

[Tereeeza · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Doufám, že tato kniha důstojně připomene památku Samii Jusuf Omarové a že její příběh přispěje k tomu, abychom nezapomínali, že za okrajovými zprávami v médiích týkajících se uprchlické politiky se skrývají lidské osudy a za abstraktními čísly lidské životy." - Reinhard Kleist

Můj další zářez mezi komiksy. Komiks zase úplně jiný a neskutečně silný. Reinhard Kleist se za mě naprosto právem řadí mezi špičku komiksové tvorby. Na tak malém prostoru pomocí černobílých kreseb předestřel nejenom silný příběh Samii, ale nese v sobě i silné společenské poselství, zobrazuje téma, které je více než aktuální a je to rozhodně k zamyšlení. Tohle budu mít ještě dlouho v sobě, zvlášť, když jsem se ihned po přečtení pustila do řady videí se Samiou. Zasáhlo mě to a dojalo...

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

A graphic novel telling the story of a Somali Olympian who becomes a refugee. An important story to be told at the current time. Humanizes refugees and will give you a case of the feels.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Von Richard Kleist habe ich bereits eine Graphic Novel vorgestellt und war bereits da tief beeindruckt vom Können dieses Künstlers. Als dann "Der Traum von Olympia" den Katholischen Kinder- und Jugendbuchpreis 2016 gewann, wusste ich sofort, welches Werk Kleists ich mir als nächstes zu Gemüte führen würde.

Der Zeichnungsstil ist derselbe wie bereits gewohnt und liebgewonnen. Etwas düster, strichig, aber dabei mit einem Auge für die kleinen Details. Kleist legt sehr viel Gefühl in seine Bilder und das überträgt sich auf den Leser und natürlich die Geschichte.

Hier wird wiederum eine wahre Begebenheit erzählt und zwar jene der jungen Samia Yusuf Omar, die nur eins will: Laufen. Nach Olympia 2008 träumt sie davon, 2012 an den Spielen in London teilzunehmen. Doch in ihrer Heimat fehlt es an Trainingsmöglichkeiten und die Extremisten sehen es sowieso nicht gern, wenn Frauen irgendwas machen. Rennen schon gar nicht. Deshalb beschliesst Samia, wie viele andere auch, nach Europa zu gehen. Leider wird ihr, wie vielen anderen auch, die gefährliche Reise zum Verhängnis.

Kleist erzählt Samias Geschichte ohne Pathos. Er versetzt sich gekonnt in das junge Mädchen, das nur ein Ziel vor Augen hat und alles dafür opfert. Der Autor zeigt uns, unter welchen Umständen die Menschen in Afrika leben, wie sie tagtäglich um ihr Leben fürchten müssen, wie sie in Europa das glorreiche Land sehen, das es leider nicht ist. Es gibt zu viele Vorurteile, zu viele leere Versprechungen und dafür lassen diese Menschen dann ihr Leben.

Dieser Comic trägt seinen Teil dazu bei, nicht alle Flüchtlinge über einen Kamm zu scheren und mal genauer hinzuschauen. Es ist ein schwieriges Thema, aber Kleist nimmt sich dessen, wie bereits gesagt, auf eine sehr gute Art und Weise an.

Nur das Vor- und Schlusswort waren mir zu viel des Guten, zu viel des blauäugigen Akademikertums. Aber diese Texte muss man ja auch nicht lesen, was zählt ist rein Samias Geschichte.

[Nazım · Rating 2 out of 5]

Taşra da büyüdüyseniz az çok yerel gazete kültürüne hakimsinizdir. Kendince kuvvetli bir haber bulduğunu ve elindeki malzemeyi "başkası" keşfetmeden bir an evvel habere dökmek isteyen gazeteci aceleciliği diye bir şey vardır. Haberi detaylı araştırmadan, bir an evvel patlatmak- göstermek isteyen ama bunu yaparken hikayeye kendince ilavelerden çekinmeyen ve asıl kilit noktaları es geçen -çoğu zaman iyi niyetli- gazetecinin/habercinin haber yıkımıdır bu. Bu kitap tam olarak böyle.
Açıkçası bu kitabı okurken yaşadığım etkilenme, Samiye Yusuf ile ilgili yaptığım toplamda bir kaç saatlik araştırma ile dev bir hayal kırıklığına dönüştü.

Hikaye çok güçlü. Çünkü diğer alıştığımız "başaran sporcu" hikayelerinden farklı olarak, hiçliğin içinden çıkan ve hiç bir şey olmayan bir kadın sporcunun yine hiçliğe giden mücadelesini anlatıyor.

Ama maalesef kitap net olarak bir şey söylemiyor. Daha önce Kleist kitaplarını okurken Nebil Özgentürk belgeseli izliyormuşum gibi hissediyorum demiştim. Bu kitapta o his bile yok.
Kleist, kurmaca facebook gönderileri, varsayımlar ile bize bu hikayeyi aktarıyor ama en başta söylediğim 1 saatlik araştırma ile bulduğum bilgiler bile bu kitapta yer alan bilgilerden daha fazla.

Sanki asıl anlatılmak istenen hikayenin özetiymiş hissi veriyor. Çünkü ne Samiye'yi "koşturmayan" düzenden, ne onu göç etmeye zorlayan koşullardan ya da Samiye'nin neden koştuğundan gerçek anlamda, hikayenin içerebileceği nitelikte bahsetmiyor. Finalde öldüğü anı bile acele bir şekilde sunulunca anlıyorsunuz.
Velhasıl bu kitap, basit bir melodramla basit bir hikaye okumak isteyenleri mutlu edebilir. Ama kesinlikle biyografi ya da nitelikli bir hayat hikayesi okumak isteyenler için yeterli olmayacaktır.

[Metin Yılmaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samia Yusuf Ömer hakkında fazla bilgim olmadan başladım bu çizgi romana. Çizerin hemen hemen tüm eserlerini okumuş biri olarak bu çalışmasında da güzel bir iş çıkartmış olduğundan emindim. Yanılmamışım.

Olimpiyatlara gitmek isteyen, gerçekten yetenekli, hayat dolu, hırslı bir kızın gerçek hayat öyküsü. Ne yazık zor bir ülkede doğmuş olan bu insan, yaşadığı yerde bin türlü zorluklarla uğraştığı yetmiyormuş gibi, bir de hayatını istediği gibi yaşayamıyor. Tek bir hayali için, hayatını tehlikeye atması gerekiyor. Belirsiz bir yolculuk ile, ne zaman nerede olacağı, yaşayıp yaşayamayacağı belli olmayan bir yola çıkıyor.

Okunması gereken gerçek hayat öykülerinden biri. Bu tip çizgi romanları sevenler mutlaka okumalı.

İyi okumalar.

[Don Witzel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very good and I feel just missed the mark of being amazing. I wanted more background of Samia and her family and politics of she country. I would recommend reading. I was sucked in and wanted more and more..

[Koen Claeys · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting to read (I love running, I'm horrified by the current refugee crisis). The writing isn't compelling enough and sometimes Kleist strays a bit too far from the truth.

Here a Dutch documentary about the athlete : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1son...

[Adam Šilhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silný příběh, ale nedokázal jsem se do něj vtáhnout. Způsob prolnutí s facebookovými statusy jej podle mě oslavoval.

[Veru Březinová · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nemohu hodnotit, zda se komiksová podoba příběhu opravdu držela všech skutečných událostí, které se v životě somálské běžkyně staly, ale vlastně ani nechci. Důležitější podle mě je, že se autor prostřednictvím příběhu Samii Jusuf Omarové pokusil vyprávět o tom, že je na světě hned několik zemí, ve kterých není normální běhat jen tak po venku, ještě když jste žena. A možná i co všechno musíte udělat pro to, abyste dosáhli svého snu. Příběh je strašně smutný a emotivní, hlavně když víte, kam celou dobu směřuje.

[Anička · Rating 4 out of 5]

Straight forward story about running away towards better future. That touches the bigger picture of structural problems in Africa, like paramilitary groups, boatman business or the much different mindset of people, who have got to know the stuggle of surviving in dangerous and poor enviroment.

[sophie]

read this for school so i'm not rating it

[Amanda Walker]

What an amazing story. A story of athletics and human rights at the same time. I looked up this runner on the internet, and it was a bit of a spoiler, but I am so glad we remember her through this book.

[Necdet Yücel]

Avrupa'nın bu rezil iki yüzlülüğü beni çıldırtıyor

[Gift · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reinhard Kleist habe ich per Zufall in einer Sendung von arte entdeckt. Da Biographien nicht zu meinem üblichen Lesestoff zählen, fühlte ich mich sofort von Kleist angesprochen, der mir einen einfacheren Zugang zu diesem Genre versprach.

Die Geschichte von Samia Yusuf Omar war nicht einfach zu lesen. Die Hautintention von Kleist – der Maße von Flüchtlingen ein Gesicht zu geben – wurde wunderbar umgesetzt. Seine Zeichnungen sind nur auf das Nötigste reduziert, die Dialoge werden einfach gehalten und die Geschichte an sich verläuft ohne großes Pathos oder jeglicher Wertung ganz fließend.

Es fällt mir sehr schwer dieses Buch mit Sternen zu bewerten. Der Traum von Olympia ist kein normales Buch, es ist eine Botschaft. Und für diese Botschaft bin ich Kleist sehr dankbar. Er konnte so viel Falsches machen und sich an der Geschichte selber profilieren. Er hat jedoch seine Kunst nur als einen Rahmen für die Erzählung verwendet und ließ Samia im Vordergrund zu stehen. Und genau das und nicht weniger hat Samia Yusuf Omar verdient.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

You simply must read this short but incredibly moving graphic novel about Samia Yusuf Omar, an Olympic runner from Somalia. She came in last in her 200m race in the Beijing games in 2008, but it was a miracle in itself for her to even attend! Kleist’s illustrations are simple and stark, but extremely emotive. I won’t give away her story, but you should grab the tissues and read this AFTER first reading Don’t Tell Me You’re Afraid by Giuseppe Catozzella.

[Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samia Yusuf Omar competed in the women's 200-meter race in the 2008 Beijing Olympics as the only female athlete from Somalia. She finished dead last in the only qualifying heat she ran, but made an impression on the world because long after everyone else had finished she was still running as hard as she could. After Beijing, her only dream was to try again in London in 2012. This is the story of her harrowing journey as a refugee trying to get to Europe.

I vaguely remember watching the heat where Samia Yusuf Omar ran and lost in 2008 on TV. I never really thought of it again until this book was part of an Olympic display. This is such a heartbreaking story of a refugee just trying to live a better life. After the 2008 Olympics, Samia is told she can no longer train in her native Somalia, she goes to Ethiopia, but they won't train women there either, so she sets her sights on Italy. She faces danger and spends every last penny she has to try to get to Europe. The book gives an in-depth look at what millions of refugees go through to obtain a better life. Though the book is short, the drawings and the writing (especially the incorporation of some of Samia's real life Facebook messages) packs a huge punch that will have you rooting for her from start to finish, even if you know how the story ends.

[Fact100 · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Olimpiyat Rüyası", 2008 Pekin Olimpiyatları'nda herhangi bir eğitim almamış olmasına rağmen, ödünç ayakkabılarla 200 metre koşusunu tamamlamayı başaran Somalili atlet Samiye Yusuf Ömer'ın hikayesi.

Samiye, yarışı kazanamasa da eğitimsiz bir atletin gösterdiği başarı o dönem büyük ilgi görmüştü. Gerek savaşla iç içe geçen bir hayat, gerek teknik imkânsızlıklar, gerekse kadın atletlere sıcak bakmayan bir çevrede büyüyen Samiye, tüm çabasına ve başarısına karşın memleketinde ölüm tehditleri aldı.

Hem kariyeri hem de hayatı için kaçmayı seçen Samiye'nin, kendini eğitecek bir koç bulmak umuduyla çıktığı yolculuğu maalesef hazin sonlandı ve Samiye, hayalleriyle birlikte Akdeniz'in sularında kayboldu.

İşte bu kitap, bu rüyanın izini sürüyor, 17 yaşında gencecik bir kızın hayallerini, çabasını, fedakârlıklarını hayata ve dünyanın zulmüne rağmen ölümsüzleştiriyor. Belki bir spor hikayesi, belki "üçüncü dünya"da kadın olma hikayesi, belki de sadece bir insanlık dramı.

Bazı şeyler belki de gerçekten imkânsız, ama bu koşmaya devam etmemize engel değil.

[Christa Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

Samia is a teen living in Somalia. She is training to be a runner and is chosen to represent Somalia in the Beijing Olympic games. She comes in last but is heartily cheered by the crowd for her extraordinary effort. She is dedicated to entering the London games but training is difficult at home due to the political and economic unrest. She attempts to immigrate to Europe to train with professionals. The trip is difficult and expensive. This is a heart breaking story of an immigrant who just wants to live her best life. Tragic and sad, the story and illustrations are nonetheless fabulous.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somalian Samia Yusuf Omar may have received last place in her heat in the 200 at the Beijing Olympics, but she still is training for the London Olympics. Stuck in her war torn country with not enough food and improper training facilities, she decides to join the exodus for Europe. But, thanks to the human traffickers who exist to ruin lives and take money, she never makes it. Depressing but necessary read about European immigration, but Omar never gives up hope of her Olympic Dream.

[Lurdes Calvo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historia emocionante y dura (basada en hechos reales), y un ejemplo más del gran drama de nuestra época: el viaje de una refugiada somalí en busca de la seguridad de Europa. El tema interesa, y la vida de Samia, la protagonista, es excepcional. Sin embargo, la narración por momentos se desdibuja, y pierde intensidad. Aun así, merece la pena para conocer una realidad que muchos siguen empeñándose en ignorar.