A heartbreaking story about a young boy who follows his brother across the Sahara. They then travel in a leaking boat across the Mediterranean, in an effort to make a new life and reunite with their sister in Italy.

There are many sad stories of lives lost along the way, dodging violent gangs, forced to trust conmen who steal their money, and hiding from the police since they don’t have ID or travel papers.
A lot of their refugee companions die on the road, and the story is mostly serious and sad, but there are some light moments with humor and a blazing hope that spurs the characters onward.

While I enjoyed reading the story and it tugged at my heart, there a couple of liberal/left ideas about immigration in the book that I did not agree with. Most of the book is a straightforward story-telling though, so the two leftist bits didn’t bother me much.

I love the soft art style. The colors are beautiful, and I love how clean each panel is, without a lot of clutter in the background. It makes what is important stand out clearly.

This is such a beautiful book about broken lives. It truly touched my heart.