Refugee Week Book Blog: Butterfly. From Refugee to Olympian, My Story of Rescue, Hope and Triumph by Yusra Mardini

Before I read this book, I had a certain perception of who refugees were. This book really opened my eyes.

Yusra Mardini hit the headlines when she competed in the swiiming events as a member of the Refugee Team at 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Originally from Syria, this book is her story of her previous life in Syria and how all that changed. She fled from Syria, boarding a small dinghy headed for Greece. When the boat’s engine cut out still a distance from shore, her and her sister, as swimmers, slid into the water and pushed the boat to land.

Not to downplay this heroic act, Yusra herself comments, it is this feat that the journalists always hit upon and want to know more about. However, this book tells of more than simply this courageous act. It tells of the people Yusra and her family used to be and tells of the people they become as they begin their new lives in Germany. It outlines the difficulties of accepting charity when it was once you doing the giving.

It was this book that made me realise that the people fleeing lived very similar lives to ours – they had computers, they went out to restaurants, they had money. She is quite clear when she states that those fleeing on boats are the ones who can afford to pay the smugglers. Those who have no money cannot escape as her and her family are able to. It makes me reflect on what we would do if this were to happen here…

An amazing account of determination and drive and another example of a personal story behind the facts and figures.

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