Review by Colin Credle
At the start of From Macedonia to France, author and illustrator Fabien Toulmé visits a high school to discuss Book 1 and Book 2. This opportunity is used to recap the journey of the Syrian refugee Hakim as well as to learn the perspective of French high school students on immigration to France. Hakim is a pseudonym, but he is a real person with a first-hand story of what led him to risk his life getting into a flaccid, inflatable boat in the Mediterranean at night with his one-year-old son to flee to France.
At this point in the odyssey, Hakim has made it to Macedonia through many travails, bolstered by unexpected acts of generosity and sheer luck. For much of the trip, he bumps into Syrian pharmacist Nirad, who is fleeing with his wife and two sons to Austria. Despite Hakim and his son Hadi trying to survive, to keep moving forward as their resources dwindle and Nirad’s understandable concern for his family, they continue to keep each other in mind and assist each other. An unexpected tangent is how different the Police are towards refugees in each country. Hakim makes it to Belgrade, Serbia where a woman agrees to rent him a room. She proves rather grumpy, reluctant and distant, but it’s more affordable than the hotels. Hakim intervenes and convinces his Serbian host to let Nirad and his family join him despite the late hour and the number of people.
The most gripping part of the journey is navigating through Hungary, a uniquely hostile country for refugees. Not only are authorities cruel and petty, but the rules and expectations are deviously confusing and clearly set up to thwart any success on the part of refugees. Hungarian citizens extend the pettiness and cruelty in surprising ways from the sidelines. Hakim has benefited from timing at each stage, proving that waiting for the next wave of refugees, the next set of local rules and regulations, could prove to end any progress. There are also friendly strangers, some with suspicious and opaque motives, but you learn quickly to just focus on Hakim and Hadi’s forward progress to France.
Since these three books are based on Hakim making it to France there is no surprise ending, but in this case, it really is about the journey. Toulmé’s straight-line illustrations, carefully crafted panels and well-structured outline keep us riveted and invested in the trials of Hakim’s journey. Do not neglect the mostly text epilogue updating on the many left behind and even those that helped him in Lebanon and Jordan. Toulmé is careful to emphasise that although the trip may seem to end nicely in France, refugee status remains precarious and, at the time, there was no clear end in sight to the vicious, indiscriminate and deadly destruction in Syria. What a relief that Hakim, his wife Najmeh their son Hadi and their newborn Sebastién are safe for now.
