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Zenobia
A deeply moving and award-winning graphic novel about a young Syrian refugee.
Zenobia was once a great warrior queen of Syria whose reign reached from Egypt to Turkey. She was courageous. No one gave her orders. Once she even went to war against the emperor of Rome.
When things feel overwhelming for Amina, her mother reminds her to think of Zenobia and be strong. Amina is a Syrian girl caught up in a war that reaches her village. To escape the war she boards a small boat crammed with other refugees. The boat is rickety and the turbulent seas send Amina overboard. In the dark water Amina remembers playing hide and seek with her mother and making dolmas (stuffed grape leaves) and the journey she had to undertake with her uncle to escape. And she thinks of the brave warrior Zenobia.
Zenobia is a heartbreaking and all-too-real story of one child's experience of war. Told with great sensitivity in few words and almost exclusively with pictures, Zenobia is a story for children and adults.
Zenobia was once a great warrior queen of Syria whose reign reached from Egypt to Turkey. She was courageous. No one gave her orders. Once she even went to war against the emperor of Rome.
When things feel overwhelming for Amina, her mother reminds her to think of Zenobia and be strong. Amina is a Syrian girl caught up in a war that reaches her village. To escape the war she boards a small boat crammed with other refugees. The boat is rickety and the turbulent seas send Amina overboard. In the dark water Amina remembers playing hide and seek with her mother and making dolmas (stuffed grape leaves) and the journey she had to undertake with her uncle to escape. And she thinks of the brave warrior Zenobia.
Zenobia is a heartbreaking and all-too-real story of one child's experience of war. Told with great sensitivity in few words and almost exclusively with pictures, Zenobia is a story for children and adults.
93 pages, Hardcover
First published January 3, 2018
10 people are currently reading
602 people want to read
About the author
Morten Dürr
57 books33 followersI am a Danish Children's author living in Copenhagen. I have had 80 books published – in later years I have focused on writing for the graphic novel genre.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 295 reviews
February 7, 2022
Just heartbreaking - the story of a young girl who tries to be brave in a world of cowardly leaders - last four pages will haunt you. So many young children have been displaced by war; the disruptive nature which will have many ramifications, effecting them throughout life. This story is a painful reminder of a tragic situation that seems to be getting worse every year.
January 15, 2019
Wow. That was depressing. And not just because it's about a refugee fleeing a war-torn country after the loss of her parents. Even the idea of the girl's idol, the warrior queen Zenobia, eventually gets trampled, as we see the shipwreck with the same name lying at the bottom of the sea, a symbol for everything that's been lost. There's nothing uplifting here. There's no hint of hope. The whole message is just bleak.
War is hell, but some amazing things can happen when people triumph over adversity. None of that happens in this book. As a statement about what's going on in Syria, it's fine. It works. But as a middle-grade graphic novel, it's utterly depressing and seems rather pointless. What's the point of Amina remembering Zenobia if it doesn't do her any good? Futility features heavily in this depressing story of war.
War is hell, but some amazing things can happen when people triumph over adversity. None of that happens in this book. As a statement about what's going on in Syria, it's fine. It works. But as a middle-grade graphic novel, it's utterly depressing and seems rather pointless. What's the point of Amina remembering Zenobia if it doesn't do her any good? Futility features heavily in this depressing story of war.
December 22, 2018
This devastatingly affective story about the tragedies and despair of Syrian refugees told through the experiences of a young girl in sparse text and haunting illustrations is an example of graphic storytelling at its best. Originally published in Denmark.
November 11, 2025
Los inmigrantes ilegales no existen.
El dolor de una niña que debe salir de Siria por culpa de la guerra que le ha quitado a sus padres y la posibilidad de una vida digna y en paz.
Una novela grafica maravillosa
La ame.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DQ7YV2DjxK6/
El dolor de una niña que debe salir de Siria por culpa de la guerra que le ha quitado a sus padres y la posibilidad de una vida digna y en paz.
Una novela grafica maravillosa
La ame.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DQ7YV2DjxK6/
March 28, 2022
Savaşın yıkıcılığını ve çocuklar üzerindeki etkisini içeren, yarım saatinizi bile almayacak kısacık bir öykü. O kadar kısa ki hissedecek bile vakit kalmıyor. Çizimlerini beğendim, evet. Ama kusura bakmayın Fabien Toulme'nin üç ciltlik Hakim'in Yolculuğu'nun yanında Zenobia ilkokul matematiği kalır.
June 21, 2021
“Burası geniş ve boş.
Burada beni kimse bulamaz.”
Zenobia kısacık bir çizgi roman, bir göçmen hikayesi. Suriye’de savaşın içinde kalan ve bu durumdan kurtulmaya çalışan küçücük bir çocuk olan Amina’nın bakışından yaşadıkları anlatılıyor. Bu kadar az cümleyle nasıl bu kadar etkileyici olabiliyor inanamıyorum şu an. Çizimler, Amina’nın o çocuk kalbiyle olayları anlatışı, hiçbir şeyin farkında olmayacak kadar masum oluşu... 😢kalbimi kırdı gerçekten. Savaş başlıbaşına berbatken bir de bu durumdan faydalanmaya çalışıp yeni bir hayat vaadiyle insanların umutlarıyla, hayatlarıyla oynayanlardan bir kez daha nefret ettim.
Kitabın içine tahmin edebileceğimizden çok daha fazla hikaye ve çok daha fazla duygu sığmış. Çizimler de hem çok güzel hem de çok etkileyici olmuş. Bence mutlaka okumalısınız siz de.💙
Burada beni kimse bulamaz.”
Zenobia kısacık bir çizgi roman, bir göçmen hikayesi. Suriye’de savaşın içinde kalan ve bu durumdan kurtulmaya çalışan küçücük bir çocuk olan Amina’nın bakışından yaşadıkları anlatılıyor. Bu kadar az cümleyle nasıl bu kadar etkileyici olabiliyor inanamıyorum şu an. Çizimler, Amina’nın o çocuk kalbiyle olayları anlatışı, hiçbir şeyin farkında olmayacak kadar masum oluşu... 😢kalbimi kırdı gerçekten. Savaş başlıbaşına berbatken bir de bu durumdan faydalanmaya çalışıp yeni bir hayat vaadiyle insanların umutlarıyla, hayatlarıyla oynayanlardan bir kez daha nefret ettim.
Kitabın içine tahmin edebileceğimizden çok daha fazla hikaye ve çok daha fazla duygu sığmış. Çizimler de hem çok güzel hem de çok etkileyici olmuş. Bence mutlaka okumalısınız siz de.💙
February 12, 2019
This graphic novel will make you feel utterly helpless, but there are things you can do to work so that things like this happen less in the world. Those things include: voting for leaders who work to defend/assist innocent people in war torn areas, donate money to organizations who do work with refugees, share stories like this with people around you so that the light is so bright on these things that they can't be forgotten.
November 2, 2019
I have nothing to say. This was heart-breaking. Beautiful, but heart-breaking.
March 3, 2019
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~
في هذا العمق اللانهائي المفعم بالخفاء الأبدي، لن يعثر عليها أحد:
July 21, 2019
Zenobia is a brief read that is highly impactful. It brings home and personalizes the news we all read every day about the danger of immigrant crossings into the EU by putting Amina's face and the illustrator's sublime artwork on one of those stories. The summary tells you the plot. What it can't forecast is how reading Amina's story will cause you to react, think, feel, perhaps take action. Recommended.
Thanks to the publisher and to Edelweiss+ for providing a free .pdf copy.
Thanks to the publisher and to Edelweiss+ for providing a free .pdf copy.
March 20, 2019
I've read four graphic novels about the Syrian civil war and refugee crisis in the last year or so. Thanks to its simple story and the silent moments captured expertly by the artist, Zenobia is the most powerful and heartbreaking.
April 29, 2017
A well told and evocatively illustrated story of small girl trying to escape the atrocities of a war ridden Syria.
October 23, 2017
Meh. Er tydeligt i undertal her, men jeg kunne ikke se det. Illustrationerne sagde mig ikke ret meget, og historien var forudsigelig. Ikke min stil :)
December 15, 2018
Incredible illustrations, incredibly sad. I personally would not label this as a children's graphic novel. The child protagonist and minimal text does not always equate to a children's book. I am also conflicted about the authors being white men. If it was own voices and marketed differently I would give it 5+ stars, but alas.
July 3, 2022
I loved the use of the varying color palette of two main colors and black to differentiate between past, present and the story of Zenobia. I wanted a bit more story as it ended on such a sudden note.
May 20, 2018
A powerful piece of activism.
(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Edelweiss.)
One day, young Amina's parents leave her home alone, ostensibly while they travel to the market. This is kind of a Big Deal because they haven't had much to eat lately. But when they fail to return, Amina must summon the courage of Zenobia - a warrior woman and queen of the Palmyrene Empire, who once ruled over Syria and is now widely considered a national hero - to help her traverse her war-torn homeland and make it to safety.
Zenobia provides a window into the Syrian war and resulting refugee crisis through the eyes of a child. The result is deeply personal and moving. The narration is sparse and the illustrations, simple, sometimes rendered in just two tones of a single color. This allows Amina's experiences take center stage.
The ending is rather jarring and deeply unsatisfying. I've been trying hard to shake the hollow feeling settling deep in my bones since finishing the book several hours ago. But perhaps that's the point: there is no happy ending, at least not yet. And though I consider Zenobia a powerful piece of activism, it's hard to imagine that it will soften hearts and change minds in this deeply divided and hateful political landscape.
http://www.easyvegan.info/2018/10/16/...
(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Edelweiss.)
One day, young Amina's parents leave her home alone, ostensibly while they travel to the market. This is kind of a Big Deal because they haven't had much to eat lately. But when they fail to return, Amina must summon the courage of Zenobia - a warrior woman and queen of the Palmyrene Empire, who once ruled over Syria and is now widely considered a national hero - to help her traverse her war-torn homeland and make it to safety.
Zenobia provides a window into the Syrian war and resulting refugee crisis through the eyes of a child. The result is deeply personal and moving. The narration is sparse and the illustrations, simple, sometimes rendered in just two tones of a single color. This allows Amina's experiences take center stage.
The ending is rather jarring and deeply unsatisfying. I've been trying hard to shake the hollow feeling settling deep in my bones since finishing the book several hours ago. But perhaps that's the point: there is no happy ending, at least not yet. And though I consider Zenobia a powerful piece of activism, it's hard to imagine that it will soften hearts and change minds in this deeply divided and hateful political landscape.
http://www.easyvegan.info/2018/10/16/...
August 8, 2018
-Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book— all opinions are my own-
____
Zenobia by Nortaon Durr and Lars Horneman is a powerful graphic novel set in Syria. It follows the journey of a refugee girl with flashbacks to her life in Syria before and during the war. The character, Amina, focuses on being like Zenobia, a great warrior queen who was strong and brave, while her life is falling apart around her.
This book is a must have and a must read. It is visually capturing of the character and what she is going through as well as captures a story that isn’t told enough. The story paints a light on refugees and the journey and risks they must take. Add this to your library, teachers and bookworms! Release Date: October 16, 2018
____
Zenobia by Nortaon Durr and Lars Horneman is a powerful graphic novel set in Syria. It follows the journey of a refugee girl with flashbacks to her life in Syria before and during the war. The character, Amina, focuses on being like Zenobia, a great warrior queen who was strong and brave, while her life is falling apart around her.
This book is a must have and a must read. It is visually capturing of the character and what she is going through as well as captures a story that isn’t told enough. The story paints a light on refugees and the journey and risks they must take. Add this to your library, teachers and bookworms! Release Date: October 16, 2018
January 19, 2019
I think it’s courageous when a graphic novel relies heavily on pictures to tell a story and evoke a sense of place. Zenobia has sparse text and that really works. It’s the story of a Syrian refugee, told in flashbacks from her attempted escape on a boat to her time at home with her mom and her uncle’s rescue of her. The pages of devastation in her Syrian village were so powerful. They resonate with images and video I’ve seen (most notably the film The White Helmets), but it was so moving to see her and her uncle so small, moving through that devastation. The ending is heartbreaking but real. War takes too much beauty.
November 22, 2022
apparently the authors considered an alternative ending, but thought it wouldn't do justice to the reality of the horrors faced in the syrian refugee crisis.
this was a powerful piece of storytelling that broke my heart in less than fifteen minutes, yet will surely leave an imprint that endures far longer.
hauntingly beautiful, so deceiving in its simplicity.
this was a powerful piece of storytelling that broke my heart in less than fifteen minutes, yet will surely leave an imprint that endures far longer.
hauntingly beautiful, so deceiving in its simplicity.
June 30, 2018
This is a very short read, but the simplicity of this book is deceiving; I think the story will stay with me for quite a while.
January 29, 2019
Haunting tale, of the plight of refugees and those bystanders whose lives are torn apart forever by War.
January 31, 2019
Heartbreaking.
January 31, 2019
Beautiful and stunning and painful and awful.
September 18, 2019
Heartbreaking!
March 4, 2021
Broke my heart more than once.
March 4, 2021
An unforgettable, powerful graphic novel that brings the unbearable costs of the Syrian War, and every war, into sharp focus through the brief life and memories of a little girl on a refugee boat that capsizes, throwing her into the vast, dark ocean. Ages 10+
April 29, 2024
اذا احب ان تسمع انكسار قلبك فعليك بهذا الكتاب !
موجع . كتاب مصور (فقط القليل من الجمل) عن معانا اللجوء والهروب من الحرب بالقارب.
البطلة طفلك سورية .
النهاية مؤلمة و مفجعة ولا احبذ هذا النوع من الكتب
موجع . كتاب مصور (فقط القليل من الجمل) عن معانا اللجوء والهروب من الحرب بالقارب.
البطلة طفلك سورية .
النهاية مؤلمة و مفجعة ولا احبذ هذا النوع من الكتب
June 7, 2021
Çok güzeldi.
Read
March 30, 2018En hemsk, men vältecknad och -berättad, lättläst skildring av döden på Medelhavet.
September 14, 2019
Kao svaki pravi, dobar, dječji libar i ovaj se čita lako, brzo i ostavlja na kraju jak dojam. Jednostavan i upečatljiv crtež. Mana ovom izdanju je font teksta, djeluje silom nakalemljen na crtež, a ne ko dio cjeline.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 295 reviews