“The distinction to be made was not between one man who’s drowning and another man who’s drowning, but between the reasons, how they came to be in this situation. The distinction to be made is why people leave, why thirty people might set out in a little nut shell and not all alone in their First 24.” (pg.21).
Small Boat is a quick read at 122 pages. It’s a work of fiction based on a tragic incident that occurred in November 2021 when a boat carrying migrants from France to the United Kingdom overturned in the Channel causing the death of 27 of the 29 people on board. While the boat was stranded and sinking the people onboard made numerous calls for help to the French authorities who told them that they were in British waters so they needed to call the British authorities. Tragically, when help did arrive all but two of the people on the boat had died. The book is mostly from the point of view of the French rescue dispatcher who took the calls from the people on the boat during the investigation after the boat capsized. There will be some people who will relate to the dispatcher’s point of view and some who will not. I think this book is a good way to test how well you know the views of the people around you with regard to the themes of immigration and transit of people which are very relevant for the world we live in today.
I found a good interview with the author here.
Stardate:2500009.09
