On Fragile Waves

by E. Lily Yu

Firuzeh and her brother Nour are children of fire, born in an Afghanistan fractured by war. When their parents, their Atay and Abay, decide to leave, they spin fairy tales of their destination, the mythical land and opportunities of Australia.

As the family journeys from Pakistan to Indonesia to Nauru, heading toward a hope of home, they must rely on fragile and temporary shelters, strangers both mercenary and kind, and friends who vanish as quickly as they’re found.

When they arrive in Australia, what seemed like a stable shore gives way to treacherous currents. Neighbors, classmates, and the government seek their own ends, indifferent to the family’s fate. For Firuzeh, her fantasy worlds provide some relief, but as her family and home splinter, she must surface from these imaginings and find a new way.

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Australia, Contemporary

273 pages, Hardcover

First published February 2, 2021

Reviews

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Kabul was growing inexorably grave by building, stone by stone, swelling with the living and the dead". "I don't know where Australia is...but it's safe. The children will go to good schools. No one will attack me in the street or leave threatening letters, or insult you".

Firuzeh, six years old and Nour, four years old, were born in Kabul during rounds of mortar fire. Atay was hopeful that Australia was "a safe country...no bombs. no checkpoints. No soldiers". A seemingly trustworthy man, Abdullah Khan, had been paid to provide transport, passports and tickets. Atay, a master storyteller, weaves a tale to prepare the children for the trip to Australia. The tale was about Rustam, a brave Persian warrior. "Every steed buckled under his warrior weight..." until he found a beautiful colt named Rakhsh. "Rustam and Rakhsh would "go forth and defend the country. Rakhsh kept Rustam safe as your Atay and I will keep you safe," said Abay.

Abdullah Khan informed the family of four that they could not go directly to Australia. They could be caught and deported. Instead, they were brought to a compound in Peshawar and given their passports and tickets. Firuzeh, the novel's narrator, met Nasima and her family who also awaited transport. Despite being from different walks of life, the young girls become fast friends. Nasima asked Firuzeh to promise that wherever she goes, they will stay in touch, even if on opposite sides of Australia.

Onward to Jakarta, then picked up by a utility truck and brought to the sea. "[About] forty people loaded into a fishing sloop...the boat was riding low enough in the water that a rogue wave might have tipped them over...trapped by each other's legs and shoulders, prickly with splinters and salt flakes that stung". On the sixth day, the typhon came, the head count revealed a terrible tragedy, and the food supply dwindled. Abay reminded Firuzeh and Nour that "Rustam was hungry and thirsty, too...Heroes sometimes are".

Arriving in Nauru...a canvas tented detainee camp. Abay said, "Let's think of this as a vacation-like we are rich- on holiday...but Atay grew hoarse in his declarations of impeding departure". Firuzeh talked to her absent friend Nasima who she envisioned sitting on the edge of her bunk. "Nauru [was] the blackest of curses...rage and betrayal...promised freedom and the Australian dole, not tropical heat and tents and endless fences". The journey of hope descended into uncertainty, despair and despondency. Firuzeh, at times, would parent "her parents". Finally Australia! Australia would be "cruel, but a different kind of cruelty. Lonely. Harder that you could ever imagine...unwelcoming...calls of 'queue jumper' and difficulty finding employment due to visa status. This world was a harsh place.

"On Fragile Waves" by E. Lily Yu is a heartbreaking glimpse at families fleeing a country fractured by war. It is a brutally honest look at the despondency and despair of refugees and asylum seekers whose journey of hope might become one of fractured dreams. This new country did not seem welcoming. Many hurdles made daily life a monumental struggle. This novel is a chilling, eye-opening look at refugees in flux, trying to overcome traumatic life changing events while embracing an unfamiliar and unkind new cultural world. I highly recommend the heavy, haunting read.

Thank you Erewhon Books and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refugees—(a family of four; dreamers/storytellers)—fleeing Kabul—(obstacles galore)—
to Australia…(more obstacles)…
“I want us to survive”.
“During the war, I would’ve done anything. Anything for bread for you and the children. Never again”.

Stunning—daunting—🙁debut—powerful—“stories go where people go”—“she ate nightmares for me”—
lyrical- *brilliant*—sentences…..(GALORE).

[Lata · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous, deeply sad story of a family that manages to escape from war in Afghanistan. They end up in Australia, by way of Jakarta then spend many dreadful months in Nauru in a prison camp for refugees, before they finally arrive in Australia on five-year visas, with the constant threat of deportation hanging over them.
There are moments of such beauty throughout the book amidst the terror, loneliness, anger, helplessness and unease that suffuse Firuzeh's and her family’s experiences. Their hopes are gradually ground down and destroyed, while they face governmental and personal animosity and indifference at every turn.
Mentions of the sea and water occur frequently in the book, as the ocean plays a pivotal part of Firuzeh's travels, and her friendship with Nassima. I loved the colours and feelings of beauty and fear that the author evoked in her scenes of the two girls together, showing Nassima adorned with reminders of the deep, while she conversed with Firuzeh about the family’s dashed hopes and Firuzeh’s nightmares. I could hear water trickling around the girls, and feel the presence and pressure of the water in these moments.
And the ending! I love the circle back to the story Atay told Firuzeh at the beginning of their escape. It’s a sublime and fitting resolution to Firuzeh’s gruelling journey and a gives the already beautiful book a lyrical end.

[Kahlia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I should preface this review by saying that, in some aspects, my feelings about this book are essentially 'it's not you, it's me'. I'm not the biggest fan of experimental prose, and if I'd known that I might have thought twice about requesting an ARC that doesn't involve standard punctuation and sentence structure. I'm also a little confused about the decision to market this book as 'magical realism': while the genre should invoke a sense of fuzziness about whether something is "real" or supernatural, this book never really raised that question for me. The speculative elements were a very minor part of the story to the point it almost could have been told without them, and it felt clear to me that they were really just a manifestation of Firuzeh's imagination and a way for her to process her trauma and grief.

Having said that, this book tells an important story about the heartbreaking treatment of refugees in Australia, and the horrifying consequences of those decisions. It really emphasises the sheer impersonalness of the system: the endless waiting on paperwork, the seemingly arbitary nature of the decisions, the way Firuzeh's family are constantly required to defend their need for the basic human right of safefy. It doesn't shy away from the horrors that have occurred on Nauru. And it also nails the symbotic relationship between policy and community attitudes - Firuzeh's family experience racism every day in Australia from those who support Australia's tough stance on refugees, which then enables the policy to be continued with little opposition.

But the abstract style meant I never connected with the characters or their journey in the way I would have liked. I couldn't get a good read in Firuzeh as a person, how old she and her peers were meant to be (do ten year olds routinely wag school and use the 'c word' these days?) or what her dreams were for her better life. I also didn't really appreciate the random interludes to tell us the stories of some of the other side characters (such as Nasima's brothers, or Grace, the family's English tutor); the stories themselves had potential, but our glimpses of these characters' lives were too fleeting to really capture the true diversity of the refugee experience and distracted from Firuzeh's story.

I still recommend reading this book to get a better understanding of Australia's refugee policy and to prompt further discussions about the current approach, even if the storytelling itself didn't live up to my (admittedly lofty) expectations.

Note: I received an ARC of On Fragile Waves from Erewhon in exchange for a review. This book will be released on 2 February.

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Refugees from Afghanistan land in Australia and instead of the welcome they're expecting, they are transported to an island that is a holding camp, most definitely based on the Nauru Processing Centre designated as part of the "Pacific Solution" by the Australian government to limit/prevent asylum seekers from hitting the mainland.

The central family is haunted by the daughter's ghost friend who died on the journey, the sorrows of displacement, and the worries of losing touch with family. In part two of the book, they are placed in a Melbourne suburb and have a few years to prove they are "worth" living there, imagine how many ways that can backfire. Fragile waves indeed.

Firuzeh and Noir, the two children of the family, navigate the challenges in different ways. The author (not ownvoices, I should say) incorporates elements of poetry and storytelling that enrich the story - after all living in a centre when you are searching for home is itself a surreal experience and stories link us to home.

By the way, this author wrote one of my favorite short stories of all time - "The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees."

The book came out February 2 from Erewhon Books and I read it through Netgalley.

[Amanda at Bookish Brews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Editing to say happy publication day to E Lily Yu!!!! This book is now available!!! :)

4 Stunning, lyrical, heart aching stars

Read my full review HERE. :)

Big Takeaway
On Fragile Waves has stunning prose that matches the dreamers and storytellers of this incredibly undertold experience of a family. Though it dragged a bit in the middle, it ties off with a beautiful solution filled with tragic love that broke my heart. 💔

*I received a copy of this book for free and am leaving this review voluntarily*

**I received an ARC of this title for free and am leaving this review voluntarily**

[halla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: death, death of a loved one, racism, xenophobia, drowning, self-harm, suicide, references to war and bombings.

On Fragile Waves was everything but beautiful. It was raw and difficult and most importantly, real. It talks about a very important experience.

It follows a family of Afghani refugees attempting to make their way to Australia, where they hope to start a new life. The author talks about the hardships refugees face both during the journey and while waiting for approval in refugee camps. Firuzeh, the main character, finds herself haunted by those she lost along the way, and faces challenges along her journey.

Everything about this book was amazing. The flow of the words was beautiful and I could not put the book down because of it. Even though it took me a while to get used to (especially since the author didn't put quotation marks when there was dialogue), I really enjoyed the way it was written.

And the story itself touches on such important and heavy topics. It started off as hopeful, where their parents told them stories and about how they would one day go to Australia and as we went on, the harsh truth began to show. It talked about their journey from Afghanistan to Nauru to Australia and as we went to part 2, it showed that the struggles of this family would not end as soon as they reached Australia. It showed the abrupt factuality of a traumatized and numb child and the fears that come with it. The journey of immigration doesn't stop when one reaches land and I think E. Lily Yu did a fantastic job at showing the effects of it all.

I also loved the relationship between Firuzeh and her parents, Firuzeh and Nour, and the relationship between Abay and Atay. The injustice that Firuzeh felt when it came to Nour and the arguments that were between the parents were such an important part of this story. The way it showed that home isn't a place and how way how mistrust and accusations and anger can be so easily felt was portrayed so boldly.

In conclusion, this is a book everyone needs to read. It is one that will stay with me for a very long time.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up because I love E. Lily Yu's work, but I couldn't imagine being interested in what had to be depressing subject matter. Once I started, however, I barreled on. It proves a great writer can make any situation compelling.

Struggle is what good fiction is made of. This family not only struggles with their flight from Afghanistan, but with the trauma of the trip itself. And each family member for much of the story has only other traumatized family members to bounce up against while they're trying to deal with their feelings. It's claustrophobic and sad and real.

I'm still trying to fully understand one of the themes of the book which centers around the idea that nightmares lose their power if they're broken down into their constituent stories. And there are little stories all over this book, as each family member casts versions of themself or the others in off-the-cuff fairy tales, breaking down breaking down.

What I'm wondering is, how true is that? I'm sure telling stories helps when dealing with trauma. I've seen it. But can stories completely dismantle trauma? Can anything?

[Silvana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded down. It started out really strong. I loved the writing, it flows rather effortlessly. I think it is kind of dragging after the second half and would love more plot than internal musings but I appreciate the author for telling the story of Afghan refugees and their struggles. I noticed the many research and interviews she did to create this novel to give it a more accurate voice.

[tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

it is fitting that this book is titled ‘on fragile waves,’ because reading it feels like swimming in a dream — all the sounds and colors are a bit blurry and muffled underwater, and you’re not quite sure what’s real or not, until occasionally a wave slaps you in the face with a jolt of hard reality.

[Bryn Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ask myself why I hesitate at five stars, and I answer with quibbles. Firuzeh was too witty for her age? But then she's great company to guide us through the book. An American writes about Manus Island and Nauru, Australia's detainment camps for refugees? But the novel goes meta about that, when an earnest American comes along to interview ex-detainees in Melbourne and asks the wrong questions. Somewhat more importantly, a descent into ugly, plain writing when the novel's one portrait of sheer evil walks in? How do you imaginatively grasp a concentration camp guard and not drop to blunt-instrument prose? Who knows? At one stage I thought the plot was going to not subject its children to the worst happenings in Australia's offshore detention, such as self-immolations, but they do witness self-harm.

I loved how it's written. Subtly lyrical -- not overblown -- and disjointed enough to be through the confused eyes of a child -- not enough to make the reader scrabble in its wake.

I've seen this novel described as magical realism even I think in the publisher's materials. I don't get that. Firuzeh has an imaginary friend, is most of it. The rest is suggestion, a mild element that might fall under childhood perception.

I loved Firuzeh and her dead friend from the boat, and believed in her mother and father, and wished she paid more attention to her younger brother, exactly as she gets told (what hint is that as to what she hasn't noticed, in the end?) It isn't direly negative: its end grabbed me by the throat with hope and beauty and that word that occurs in the text, joy. Hopepunk not grimdark, yeah.

I read an ARC from NetGalley.

[Elizabeth☮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story follows siblings Firuzeh and Nour. Their family flees Afghanistan and makes their way to Australia by way of Indonesia.

Firuzeh tries to keep focused on the positive by telling stories steeped in folklore. It works only for so long before the magic wears off.

This shines a light on the life of refugees not only while trekking to a new destination, but life in a camp and the highs and lows of assimilating into a new life.

[On the Same Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

TW: self-harm, suicide

The world had bruised and gone soft, and now impossible things teemed and wormed out of it. Here were monsters, the most monstrous being daily life.

I'm honestly finding it hard to write this review because I don't know how to put my feelings for it into words. I was completely blown away by this book.

On Fragile Waves follows a family of four as they leave their home in Afghanistan behind in search of safety. Their journey takes them across treachorous waters, sent from one piece of land to another, unwanted, ignored, abused. They arrive on Nauru and wait as their fate is decided by people who don't know what they have suffered. Firuzeh and Nour watch as their parents give into despair and are helpless to stop it. And even when they do finally make it to Australia, their hardships are far from over.

The book is being marketed as magical realism but it honestly didn't feel that way to me. I'd say this is literary fiction with no SFF elements other than a child's imagination.

Everything about this book is exquisite. The writing is absolutely beautiful and I was swept away in the flow of the words from the very first page. The author chose not to use quotation marks for the dialogue for 90% of the book so it takes some getting used to at first, but I found that this only added to my enjoyment of it once I'd adapted.

What about you? Nasima said, hopping over outstretched feet. Why’s someone like you on this ugly old boat?
You are little girls, Mr. Hassani said. Why do you ask about these things? You’ll have bad dreams.
Firuzeh stammered until Nasima clapped a hand over her mouth. I have nightmares already, Nasima said. So, where are you from?
Iraq.
And why was Mr. Hassani, Iraqi, on this boat?
He had held political opinions.
Dangerous ones?
He’d been sent a warning.
Of what kind? A threatening phone call? An angry letter?
Mr. Hassani’s brother.
His brother?
Most of him, anyway.

The story deals with refugees so the themes are definitely heavy. I loved how it started off hopeful, with the parents telling stories to their children. It almost gave it a fairytale vibe. But the more you read, the more this hope drains away, as they are forced to suffer through uncertainty and mistreatment, all because they left their home, because they didn't feel safe there. Even though the part of the story set on Nauru is gruelling, the part that hit me the hardest was definitely the boat ride to get there. It reminded me of all the stories from not that long ago about Syrian refugees crossing the water in numbers too large for the boats they were using, of children drowning, and of how prosperous countries reacted to that: not with compassion, but with more restrictions to keep them out.

Regardless, the Afghani family does eventually reach their destination, but once they do, the world doesn't treat them any kinder. Firuzeh and her family are faced with discrimination time and time again, and it was honestly painful to read because it's so relatable. The author didn't try to make it look prettier than it actually is. Because of racism and xenophobia, refugees may not actual feel completely safe, even when living in countries that should protect them.

I strongly recommend reading this book. It's definitely one that will stay with me.

And they stayed on that side of the water, and we on this.

[Christine Sandquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review and others can be read on my blog, Black Forest Basilisks.

I initially picked up On Fragile Waves due to the publisher: Erewhon Books. Erewhon has been picking up interesting new voices, and is a major up and comer in the small press world. Recently, they released The Midnight Bargain by C. L. Polk, a novel I’m looking forward to digging into.

In On Fragile Waves, the fantastic elements are blended seamlessly into reality, creating a magical realist narrative steeped in cultural heritage. It follows a family of Afghani refugees attempting to make their way to Australia, where they hope to start a new life. Yu unflinchingly depicts the hardships refugees face both during the journey and while waiting for approval in refugee camps. Firuzeh finds herself haunted by those she lost along the way, and faces challenges that are foreign to those of us fortunate to have been born into stability.

While I had minor quibbles with the writing style and sometimes felt as though it was a little on the nose, this is an important story that rarely finds its way into mainstream media. Even rarer is to find a story that is so perfectly equipped to tug on your heartstrings and help you not only know the facts of life as a refugee, but also understand the emotional journey each and every seeker of shelter embarks upon.

[Mahdi · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A big mouth and a brain crazy with dreams. What will that get you, in Kabul? A bullet.”

از دلایل زیبایی ادبیات همین بس نیست که یه نویسنده‌ی آمریکاییِ آسیای‌دور‌تبار درباره‌ی یه خانواده‌ی پناه‌جوی افغانستانی می‌نویسه که به استرالیا مهاجرت می‌کنن؟

من رو خرافاتی بدونید ولی بعضی موقع‌ها یه کتابی هرجور شده آدم رو صدا می‌کنه، از جاهایی که انتظارش رو نداریم. و وقتی دوبار این کتاب از جای غیرمنتظره نجوا کرد که باید بیای و من رو بخونی، من کی باشم که نه بگم؟

داستان درباره یه خانواده‌ی افغانستانی هست که هر چی دارن و ندارن رو جمع می‌کنن و وطن‌شون رو ترک می‌کنن تا به جایی برسن که حداقل امنیت داره. ولی همه‌چی اونطور نمیشه که انتظارش رو داشتن.

کتاب زیبا و متفاوت. پر از فرهنگ غنی فارسی، از قصه‌های پریان و ملانصرالدین و رستم و رخش گرفته تا اصطلاحات فارسی مثل جانم که دقیقا همینطور توی کتاب استفاده شدن، و اسفند و پلو و... که نشون میده چقدر مردم افغانستان به ما نزدیک هستن، که خود ما هستن که جدا افتادن.
نویسنده درد و رنجِ مهاجرت و وطن و خانواده و جنگ رو به خوبی روی نثر قشنگ و متفاوت خودش سوار کرده. نثری که تابه‌حال ندیده بودم و جدا از شعرگون بودنش، علائم نگارشی دیالوگ‌ها و متن رو از هم جدا نمی‌کنه که باعث دو چیز میشه: 1)خواننده حواسش رو کاملا به متن بده. 2)پیوستگی و درهم‌تنیدگی اعضای خانواده رو نشون میده.
بعضی جاها هم فضا سورئال میشه اما برخلاف چیزی که توی مشخصات کتاب اومده، چندان فانتزی نیست.

کتاب خیلی تلخه اما شادی‌ها و امیدهای کوچیک هم بینش هست و بعضی جاها هم لبخند به لبتون میاره. که:
"-Joy?
-When you have nothing and no reason to hope, when the odds are impossible and not one but two governments stand against you, how do you laugh? How do you see beauty? How do you still show kindness and love?... Anyone can suffer. But joy—that’s hard. Ask about joy."

واقعا واقعا جای تحسین داره که نویسنده تونسته انقدر اشراف داشته باشه به فرهنگ افغانستان و فارسی، جوری که انگار خودش از همین فرهنگ بوده. حتی کلیشه‌های رایج بین غربی‌ها مثل عرب‌دونستن افغانستانی‌ها و ایرانی‌ها رو نقد کرده.
همچنین خیلی خوب مشکلات پناهجوها رو از همه‌ی زوایا به تصویر می‌کشه.
کتاب بهمن‌ماه منتشر شده که شرایط افغانستان متفاوت‌تر بود اما نویسنده اون موقع انقدر جسارت داشته که این گفته‌ها که "آمریکا الآن توی افغانستانه پس افعانستان امن‌تره. برگردید به کشورتون، امنه." رو نقد کنه. که الآن می‌بینیم وضعیت چطوره و اون گفته‌ها چقدر خنده‌دار بودن...

داستان در باب اهمیت داستان‌ها هم هست. که داستان‌ها باعث می‌شن قوی‌تر باشیم و دووم بیاریم. ببینیم، بشنویم، بدونیم، بجنگیم. که باعث میشه فراموش نکنیم و فراموش نشیم.

نثرش کمی دشواره، هم به خاطر کلمات و هم به خاطر نوع بیانش. برای خود من هم کمی بیشتر از معمول طول کشید بخونم اما ارزشش رو داره. بعضی جاها می‌تونید از کلمات چشم‌پوشی کنید و بخونید. و پیشنهاد می‌کنم که حتما با Adobe digital reader یا ریدرهای دیگه PC بخونید، نه ریدرهای گوشی که به خاطر نوع نگارش کتاب، کلا نظمش به هم می‌ریزه.
امیدوارم که ترجمه بشه و بیشتر و بیشتر خونده بشه، که باید این رنج‌ها و سیاهی‌ها در سایه و سکوت نمونن، هرچند به خاطر اشارات فراوان به خاورمیانه نمی‌دونم امکان چاپ داره یا نه.

بخونید. زیباست. باید خونده بشه. برای ماها که جزئی از این فرهنگ هستیم خوندنش دوچندان زیباتره، که خیلی آشناست، که باید خونده بشه.
به امید دنیایی بدون جنگ و رنج. که انگار آرزوی بعیدیه.

“...As if I didn’t have to wade through night-dark oceans to see you! As if you’re not worlds and worlds away in your own head! Hold tight to it, and you’ll always find and be found.”

[Rach A.]

A must read for Australians or anyone wanting to know more about the Australian refugee situation. This is a very lyrical, very confronting look at the situation through the eyes of a young child as she and her family escape the war in Afghanistan and journey to Australia via Nauru. The innocence of the voice contrasted to the really shocking horrors faced in such a powerful way. There’s also a touch of magical realism weaved through, with this person Firuzeh imagines back from the dead to “eat her nightmares” as a way of dealing with her fear which I loved the imagery of.

Content warnings: war, refugee camp, refugees attempt to reach Australia via boat (note: a child dies in this section of the plot) , racism, Islamophobia, military/police brutality, child death, suicide, domestic violence, death (of child; of parent)

[Colleen Oakes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short, beautiful moving book about refugees and first generation children was a devastating, incredible read. Told from several perspectives along the refugees journey from Afghanistan to Australia, you could not walk away from this book without being changed.

I couldn't stop reading; from the haunting opening chapter to the last devastating one, I was completely hooked. This is the story of refugee children with broken hearts who have drown in trauma who still, somehow, manage to look towards the light. It's the story of parents who truly do sacrifice everything to give their child a better life on a different continent, even if it puts space between them and their offspring.

If anything, this book should be read by those who fight against immigration, who don't see the people behind the headlines. Yu makes us see, in gentle but unflinching prose, the true humanity of those seeking a new home, one they - and every person - truly deserves.

[Andria Potter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm sorry but

The formatting is confusing

The news says that this is an NPR book of the year

And that people talk without quotations

The writing was a struggle for me to follow and the first chapter was really strange.

I may need to get a physical copy in order to read this.

2.5 ⭐ rounded up for the cover.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and heartbreaking, and told through the fractured and protective prose of a young girl who has the hurt of multiple lives bound up within her, On Fragile Waves follows Firuzeh and her family as they leave a country at war to seek the peace and stability they eagerly anticipate on the shores of Australia.

At six years old, Firuzeh, her four-year-old brother Nour, and her parents, are fleeing Afghanistan in the midst of a war for the safety and security of a future in Australia. With the situation too harrowing to wait around for a visa, they have paid someone to smuggle them out of the country, although they quickly realize that they aren't too sure how successful this plan will be. They first have to get into Pakistan and then take a plane to Jakarta and a boat to Australia. Firuzeh meets a precocious young friend, Nasima, who is traveling with her parents to reunify with her two older brothers, already living in Perth. Nasima has many grand stories of what lies ahead, and speaks with the authority and certainty of someone many years her senior. She and Firuzeh overcome difference to become fast friends, bonded through this common experience, and promise never to leave each other.

The boat ride to Australia is particularly grueling, with many people packed together and weighing down a small craft on rough seas. As the waves rise and parents hold their children close, the inevitable current sweeps away the promises of a young family. Firuzeh, a seemingly slightly unreliable narrator at times, is excited to be rescued by the Australian Navy, only to find herself and her companions brought to a detainment camp at Nauru to await a decision on their TPV status. As harrowing as the journey has been, the detainment camp brings new threats, all with the uncertainty of ever being able to enter Australia and realize the dream they have come so far to chase.

After what seems to Firuzeh to be centuries of fright and loss, they do finally receive TPV approval and make a tenuous settlement on the mainland. Her father, who once owned his own garage in Kabul, has to take a job as a mechanic's assistant, as his immigration status and limited English skills make work nearly impossible to come by. Firuzeh struggles to make friends in school, with even the girls she does spend time with calling her "queue jumper" in jest. Nour wants nothing more than to play soccer, but at seven dollars a week and a twenty dollar jersey, a spot on the team is persistently just out of reach. As the whole family struggles with the trauma of what they have been through the last few years, the hope that buoyed them for so long slowly dissipates until so little is left that their lives feel empty and unrecognizable. Throughout these challenges, Nasima has always stood by Firuzeh, always showing up at just the right moment with a seemingly impossible insight, brought to her by a dream or a jinn, but by the end, even Nasima has gone as well.

This novel is wonderfully well-constructed in concept, as Firuzeh's narrative style tends toward the stunted and abrupt factuality of a traumatized and numb child, interspersed with an almost poetic and dark fairy tale on a quest to find its ending--or even its middle. My only gripe about this book is that the magical elements and the shifts in narrative style are too few and far between to make this story feel cohesive in the way it could. And yet, I still find myself rating this book five stars the depiction of Firuzeh's character and her development as she navigates the messiness of the world is just that well done. It's an aspect that may not appeal to all readers, but I loved it for its authenticity.

My immense gratitude to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for the eARC in exchange for the review.

[Misha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exquisite book and an astonishing debut. The story of a family who flee Afghanistan for a better life in Australia, this novel is primarily told from the POV of Firuzeh, a young girl who watches her world evaporate. She is rendered with so much dimension: she is annoyed by her younger brother Nour and their banter and bickering brings friction and joy to the narrative and she is a good daughter who gets good marks who only wants to please and be seen by her parents.

Firuzeh's personality shines through in every page; she may be quiet, but she knows her mind. She stands up to the snobbery she encounters in Nasima, a fellow refugee girl she meets. (Nasima becomes an important part of Firuzeh's life, in ways I want to let the reader discover).

From a boat to a detention center and on to Melbourne where their status remains tenuous, Firuzeh narrates the stories and connections that sustain them as they encounter the ways in which they are dehumanized in the process of trying to find a new home free of mortar and fire. What I loved was the ways in which Yu shows that there is not always solidarity with other girls she meets that are also refugees--Firuzeh has to navigate the mean girl dynamics of camp and Melbourne schools; she finds those waves as tumultuous at times as the waves that brought her there.

There are also chapters told from the point of view of a prison guard, an English tutor, and a writer. I enjoyed the ways all of these perspectives interleaved with Firuzeh's, offering different vantages through which to see her and her family's story.

With elements of fantasy woven in, this is a subtle book that weaves heartbreak with humor, never losing sight of the very real lives at the center of what others would say is a political debate.

Those closing pages absolutely slayed me--just so gorgeous and emotional yet freeing all at once.
Every journey starts with holding on and ends or begins again with learning to let go.

Annotation for a patron list: On Fragile Waves by E. Lily Yu is the debut by a Seattle-area author that incorporates lots of omniscient exposition and multiple perspectives, and a dash of the fantastical, to tell the story of an Afghani family who become refugees in Australia. Told primarily through the eyes of a young girl, Firuzeh, Yu tells the tale of the challenges and joys of navigating to safe harbor with deft grace and power.

[Jordan Shiveley · Rating 5 out of 5]

In On Fragile waves E. Lily Yu has woven a story of shattered lives and the pieces that spiral out into galaxies of their own self-contained traumas and the people and things they pull into those orbits. With liltingly lyrical prose and razor-sharp insight into the lost forest trails grief can lead those who stumble into it mapless Yu cuts the reader to the bone repeated and then holds up a mirror for them to see it all from yet another angle, another echo, another lost possibility that only remains as a bitter aftertaste of a draught long run dry. On Fragile Waves is a story that is haunted just as much by the corpse of a denied future as it is the ghosts surrounding the protagonists. Each page is a lung-searing gulp of air that doubles you over but also gives you what you need to go on living in this world, a world where war and death are not the ends to dreams but just one more shard of a shattered windshield that we as well as the protagonists must learn to navigate through if there is ever to be any hope of arriving home.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

CW: Abuse, Self Harm, Depression

[Bhavana S · Rating 5 out of 5]

stunning, evocative and beautifully written

this was an absolutely gorgeous and heartbreaking book that the writer took so much care and intention with-- it felt well researched and dignified in its portrayal of the characters and their situation. the author portrays the perspective of a child so well, and the fantastical/magical realism elements woven throughout add so much to our understanding of the characters and their plight. I appreciate very much that this is a very political book that criticizes governments and the bureaucracy around granting asylum and visas and through the stories of these characters, shares the very real human cost of this political indifference and callousness

i also thought joy and childlike wonder and mischief peppered the pages so well among the sadness-- as a writer in the book is advised, she wrote about joy as well and it was beautiful to read about the teens sneaking off to the cinema and the family attending a barbecue, and getting those slices of life even with the suffering they are experiencing

[Mer Mendoza (Merlyn’s Book Hoard) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book will break your heart with beautiful prose for terrible grief.

Using a foundation of folktales, a young girl named Firuzeh tells stories to herself as a form of self defense, a barrier, and a lens to view the nightmare of her life as a refugee. The phantom of her drowned friend haunts the stories she tells herself—even as she tries to stretch the comfortingly traditional tales she grew up with into fitting as an overlay to the life she is living now—and they are tinged with a deep sense of grief and confusion and loss

I am glad I read this book, but I think my heart wouldn’t withstand a second go at it.

[Rowena Andrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a stunningly beautiful book that told an important story, and didn't shy away from the emotions behind it. In many ways the lyrical way that this book was written only heightened that, and this is a book that will wrap itself around you until you can't help but feel everything, and it's important that it is felt. However, on the other hand it is not the easiest prose style to get into, and as vital as it was to conveying this story, it was also the reason why I struggled to get into and continue with this book. Overall, I am glad that I continued though, because it is a fantastic story of family and home, and all the feelings that come with that.

[Morgan Meredith · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted so much to love this book, but I really struggled reading it. The combination of the child's perspective, switching perspectives, lack of dialogue indication, immersion into a culture which I have so much yet to learn about, and the gaps in reality/perception were all too much to overcome for me. There wasn't enough there for me to be able to orient myself within the narrative to understand what was going on, which made it pretty impossible to get immersed. I can appreciate the imagery, the emotion, the culture, and the artistry, I'm so happy this book exists, I'd love to try it again some day.

[Olivia Snell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book club pick for September—I’ve never read anything quite like this one. A creative yet heartbreaking story of a refugee family seeking asylum.

For such simple prose, I thought the characters and their dynamics jumped off the page. It took me awhile to get into the writing style, but then I began to really admire it. I almost think it made me visualize more of the story, and therefore feel more connected to the characters.

Struggling to say more, but wow, I’m in awe of this book and will be thinking about it for awhile!

[RoseMary Achey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The heartbreaking account of a family attempting to leave war torn Afghanistan and emigrate to Australia. Many reviewers have commented on the unusual writing style of the author. In my humble opinion, I thought the writing was beautiful. It touched a deep human instinct to make life better, to keep our children safe but also exposed despondency in the face of multiple disappointments. This is a very deep book.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

thoughts coming shortly

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Due to my long book backlist, it's been a while since I've last finished a book with days after its publication date. So I was really that glad I get to read On Fragile Waves in the last few days. This is a heartbreaking & poetic magic realism piece about an Afghan family escaping from war and finding new opportunities in Australia. With a unique writing style as well as careful research, E. Lily Yu painted a beautiful dreamscape that conveys both excellent storytelling as well as the undercurrents which shape / splinter the family.

Beautiful moments in On Fragile Waves are abundant and this is shown from the writing style. I have so many quotes highlighted on my iPad because the proses breathe life and are so gorgeous. To mention a few quotes I absolutely love:

"Moonlight washed the gnawed coral pinnacles, frosted the skeletal phosphate cranes, and drenched the canvas tents where a hundred dreamers dreamed gray, grim, and miserable dreams."

"There's something about beginnings and endings. That polishes them so smooth you can nearly see your face in them."

"Home is where you're safe, but sometimes it's not safe. Sometimes it's not yours, but you can shut your eyes and pretend it is."

"I was a daughter-shaped space in the universe."

Quotes like this demonstrated superb word-painting which brings the characters and settings alive. These proses conveyed the tragic experience of refugees seeking a stable home in a Australia, as well as the societal expectations of growing up. While the family suffered as they escaped the war, small & beautiful moments of storytelling was a welcoming relief. The stories that Firuzeh and Nour shared with each other during the times of hardship organically fleshes out the Afghan culture. These stories also have a tint of hopefulness as each of them seeks out the narratives throughout the novel. I'm particularly touched by Firuzeh's narrative of coming of age. So the writing left a lot of impression and emotional impact on me. It's thought-provoking and heartbreaking all the same.

While I love the writing style, there are a few minor concerns I had with On Fragile Waves. For instance, the spoken sections aren't embedded with quotation marks which can be difficult to follow. I don't think this is a big issue because these chapters are trying to convey finding a relief from the turbulent currents outside, through the storytelling & the fantasy worlds. I also think the multiple POV's was another part which initially threw me off, but as I crunched through the novel I realised how these additional POV's provided the context of the social dynamics in Australia and how the neighbours treated the family members. So I found these sections succinct and yet very well researched.

To sum it up, On Fragile Waves is a beautifully heartbreaking and thought-provoking body of work with excellent storytelling. I would highly recommend this to anyone who's into magic realism.

[Donna Bull · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heart-breaking, magically haunting, brutally honest tale of immigration. The story follows Firuzeh and her brother Nour, children in war torn Afghanistan, with parents who dream of a better life for their children in Australia. Without the option of legal immigration, the family pays for passage and documents out and survives a harrowing journey by boat towards Australia. Firuzeh meets Nasima on the boat journey, and as they settle into a guarded friendship, tragedy strikes the sea journey and the boat finally lands at Nauru. Through the trials of living in fenced, government compounds, the family uses stories and fairy tales from their homeland to try and cope with horrible living conditions, abusive captors and the struggle to try and adapt to a culture they cannot hope to understand. This is a difficult story and subject that lays out the struggles, hopelessness, fear, acceptance, and joy that buoy this family as they try to make a new life for themselves. I am so glad I was able to read this story, as it brings a journey so many of us are unfamiliar with to light and brings a level of understanding to what immigrants face as they search for a better life for their children. The lyrical way it is written, and the events Firuzeh is faced with and how she copes, and ultimately moves forward will stay with you long past finishing this novel. The fantasy elements only occasionally peak through but this is such an important story to read, to put yourself into a world and footsteps of a young girl and her family just seeking peace and stability.