Book Review: The Road to the Sea by Samuel Kolawale - Immigration and Reality of Trafficking
Many books by Africans in the Diaspora carry that familiar ‘Americanah’ flow. You know the one that shares how the characters moved abroad, struggled with their identity and ended up finding a formula to navigate their new life. But not this one. The Road to the Salt Sea by Samuel Kolawale takes a different route, both literally and metaphorically. It explores the lesser-discussed, and dangerous, route through North Africa that people take in their pursuit of a “better life in Europe.”
The book dives into themes of immigration, corruption, and human trafficking by following Able God (a very Nigerian name), who despite being a graduate, cannot find a job. This forces him to take up a menial job at a hotel where the wealthy men come for business, sometimes with their ‘mistresses’. One of the ladies (mistress), who frequents the hotel with her ‘man’ has her eye on Able God. One day she almost kills her 'man', and this sets the book in motion, as Able God is forced to finish the job and they go on the run. Through connections from his football pals (real football, not American football) he ends up meeting Ben Ten who is in the 'immigration business’ (he helps people migrate to Europe through Niger, Libya, and across the Mediterranean to Italy). Sounds straight forward, right?
No it is not.
The rest of the book centers around that journey, from Nigeria to when Able God lands in Malta. It highlights
the dangers of crossing the desert and being followed by gangs,
the aspects of human trafficking, forced labor and prostitution immigrants undergo to repay the business people who organize their transportation and accommodation,
the corruption within humanitarian organizations,
the brutality immigrants who are caught at sea face by border patrol face at detention camps,
the horrifying and dangerous ways people cross the seas in un-seaworthy boats, with hopes that they will be rescued by Italian ships.
Though a fictional book, The Road to the Sea, sparked my curiosity about the people and systems at play. What does it say (about our people, our countries, our societies) when people would rather risk death crossing deserts, and then board plastic rafts, leaving their fate to the sea, the winds, and, hopefully, a coast guard?
Would definitely recommend the book, the storytelling is amazing and I definitely want to know why Ben Ten is, and how Able God is doing in Malta…wonder if he started a chess club? If the themes sparked your curiosity, I recommend
A 2020 Ross Kemp documentary (Extreme World: Libya) shows just how harsh that West Africa to Europe journey is.
Death on the Border: A 2022 BBC Africa Eye Documentary investigating the aftermath of violent clashes between migrants and Moroccan border guards.
