The Lightless Sky

This is a shocking, eye opening book about a young adolescent sent from war torn Afghanistan to Europe. Gulwali’s mother send him and his brother away to escape the war and Taliban fighter in Afghanistan. The brothers become separated soon after leaving their mother. Gulwali has a year long harrowing travel in his effort to reach England. He experiences prison, hunger, thieves, as well as travelers willing to help a young boy safely reach his goal. This book should be required reading for all people in public service to understand the complexities of refugees and the desire to find a safe, secure place to live. All over the world people are being forced to leave their homes due to threats of harm. Through this story of hardship, Galwali also encounters people willing to help him. As humans, we all make choices each day as to how we behave and treat others. This book has shown me I need to be more observant and charitable as I go about my day. This book will stay with me in my heart for a long time. Understanding other’s cultures, habits and beliefs is important to understanding the conflicts in the world. Thank you for this revealing book.

This seems like a long, hard read with an unknowable end. That is also the short life story of this very determined and able young man. It cannot help but stir your thinking about the events around the world and question what should our role be. What is it that America hopes to accomplish in going into other troubled countries and trying to “help” establish democracy? Our ideals do not fit into the culture that has been passed down thousands of years and generations. One size does not fit all. Everyone does not yearn to be free in the sense of freedom we imagine. We want to label the “good” guys and the “bad” guys. Oh that life were so simple. This well told story will make you question and think. That is what a great book should do.

This book is an amazing account as told by an Afghan refugee. It also delves into what “jihad” really means. It is so sad that people have to go through what Gulwali experienced, but amazing how he is able to rises up through the adversity and become an incredible human being that I am sure will go on to do great things.

I loved this book especially the description of a 12 year old boy who was forced to leave his home in Afganistan and travel without parents to a safer country. The real life story sheds light on the many unaccompanied youth who are representative of the refugee crisis of this day.

With determination and a lot of luck, Gulwali Passarlay makes his way across the continent of Europe with the goal of reaching the U.K. This is a story full of suffering, human exploitation, and bad luck.
What stands out through this entire story is the indomitable strength of the human spirit found in a twelve year old boy. Throughout the story Gulwali endures as a figure of great strength eventually reaching his goal only to be entangled in a morass of bureaucratic struggles with the British government. And yet, Gulwali succeeds,and with so many others like him, he finds a new life in the U.K.
The refugee crisis in Europe is a byproduct of the failed states in the Middle East and Africa. These states have universally failed on delivering a better life for their people. These states have failed on delivering modernity, transforming themselves into modern states, transparent in their governance and free of corruption.
Unless we understand the refugee problem through the lens of these failed states, we will never understand the real drivers of the problem. This is a problem less of politics than a problem of people looking for a better life.
Unfortunately there are many more people just like Gulwali out there and so more on the way.

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