A Game for Swallows by Zeina Abirached

Zeina was born into a civil war, and it is still raging on. Beirut is divided into the Christian East and the Muslim West, and Zeina lives in an apartment overlooking the demarcation line between them. She is used to the sounds of shelling and the constant blackouts. This day is different though. Her parents have gone out to visit her grandmother, and they haven't returned. It's not far, and it should be an easy trip, but even the simplest trip can turn deadly when snipers who fire at civilians are stationed on the roofs of the buildings. Her neighbors have gathered around to wait with her for her parents to return, and in the midst of tragedy they chat and laugh and live their lives. 

This comic is about people trying to live normal lives in extraordinary circumstances.The war is inescapable. It permeates every aspect of their lives in incredible ways. At one point someone takes out their wedding photos and describes how everyone had to run to the church amid sniper fire. The artwork is simple black and white drawings, but wonderfully creative and expressive. It's easy to read about a war and forget about the civilians and the children, committing acts of bravery all the time just by living. I'm glad that Abirached shared their story and hers with us.

A Game for Swallows: To Die, to Leave, to Return by Zeina Abirached

Erica's Picks
6th - 8th Grade
Tags: Biography, Comics, Family Life, Issues Fiction, People of Color

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