The journey

“The water looks cold and my siblings rush into it, splashing and kicking and laughing. They lie down on hard stones that must dig into their spines and throw their heads back to take long, deep gulps. Mama sits at the river’s edge; the baby latches back on to a nipple and she smiles down at her, trickling water on Lama’s forehead, like a priest at a baptism. » p24

"« On the journey here many things were said about me, They called me a bad seed, a blight on the family honor, a brave one, a deviant held fast by jinn, the one who never smiles, a whore who sleeps with men for protection, good with the children, the strongest woman they had ever seen, the weakest, that my head is empty or my father cut out my tongue before I ran away, that I’m from this city, no, that city, from Syria, from Iraq, from Afghanistan. I am all these things at once. I am none of them. Perhaps the result is the same. »"p55

“I hold out my hands; I imagine warmth wrapping around my permanently chilly palms and brushing against my face. I try not to think of other fires I’ve stood in front of, fires that dot the dark European landscape like stars in the night sky, beautiful and alive and desperate. »"p71

“faces like gargoyles crying in the dark cold hands dry and rough like cardboard. its been three days with one flatbread” ‘sandwiches snatched out of outstretched hands, there was a man leading prayers down by a muddy river."p76

""“‘screaming today, pop pop pop of gunfire and the scent of scorched earth. Bombs in the clouds that you can hear but cant see Hanging. a nice volunteer on the macedonian border gave us water to clean our eyes. it was cold.” “The river is dirty here full of shit i dont want to go in who will smell me anyways maybe itll keep them away”"p78

“it seems I’ll never leave this beach. but at least ive avoided the jungle down that way. Because weve animals, right? bad things are happening there and they say it'll be closed or ruined or set fire to. There are crabs everywhere and little Black Flying things. Scratching is bad but i cant help myself. they say a man from Tategem will take us to uk but they’ve been saying this for a long while and im thinking maybe its all been for nothing” p80

"". We will be safe and you can be married and have a happy life.” I ran because I would not trade one oppression for another. »" p88