Story You Don't Want To Read, About People You Don't Want To Meet by Aleksandra Osman #BookReview #StoryYouDontWantToRead #PeopleYouDontWantToMeet #AleksandraOsman

 

No one dreams of becoming a refugee. I know – I was one, a child fleeing war-torn Sarajevo. Though the Bosnian War has faded from global attention, for those it displaced, the struggle persists. Being a refugee is not a one-time event, but a lifelong series of petty humiliations as you chase the elusive prize of acceptance in a new homeland.

This collection shares raw stories from refugees like me who now call Canada home. On paper, Canada welcomes diversity; in reality, immigrants often face a glass ceiling that excludes us from full participation. With irony, in this multicultural nation we are made to feel like uncomfortable outcasts burdened by our pasts.

You may not want to hear our stories because they highlight bitter truths - that even in an open-armed country, refugees endure judgement and distance. But acknowledging these stories is the first step toward positive change. By reading about our intersecting struggles you become part of the solution helping to shift perspectives and bring us in from the margins. Our histories make some uncomfortable, but are essential to share if we hope to build a more inclusive society.

Story You Don't Want To Read, About People You Don't Want To Meet by Aleksandra Osman was published on 26 April 2024 by Austin Maccauley. My thanks to the author who sent my copy for review. 

When I was contacted by author Aleksandra Osman and she told me about her book, I was intrigued and agreed to read and review a copy. It is a slim book, with 115 pages in the paperback edition, but it really packs such a punch to the heart. 

We live in a time when the plight of so many refugees is all around us. On the news, on social media, in the newspapers. So many people have to flee their homes, many of these are women and children, and many of them will never return to their original countries. 

In the UK, it appears to me that just the word 'refugee' is enough to spark such heated debate, and often such hate and anger spills out in these discussions. Politicians use refugees as part of their campaigning and all too often, people assume that all refugees are illegal. Casting them into one category, without stopping to think about the fact that first and foremost, these are human beings. People who have an education, jobs, families. People who are loved and do love. Just as we are. 

Aleksandra Osman's book is a collection of stories from refugees who fled Bosnia, mainly Sarejevo, during and after the Bosnian War. All of the people in the book have settled in Canada, and all of them have heart breaking tales to tell. We like to think of the countries that offer safety to refugees as free places, where people can try to build their lives again. Where they will be offered opportunities and treated as equals.

Sadly, the tales told by the people in this book tell a different story. All so often, they have come across exclusion and difficulties in their new homeland. Some of them wanted to return to Bosnia because they just couldn't bear their treatment. 

Aleksandra has chosen the perfect title for this collection. On the whole, we shy away from these stories, we want to believe that when refugees finally reach 'safe' places that things will be better for them. The author wants us to acknowledge these facts and these stories, told by children, by men, by women are all testament to this. It may be difficult to read, but I feel it is essential, and maybe, one day, we can become really inclusive. 

A book that I will keep and return to and one that has left such an impression. 

Aleksandra Osman left native Bosnia in the midst of civil war and settled in Canada. 

With a university degree in Comparative Literature, Aleksandra is the author of several published works that pertain to human rights.