Let Me Tell You My Story: Refugee Stories of Hope, Courage, and Humanity

by Their Story Is Our Story, Christophe Mortier (Photographer), Lindsay Allen Silsby (Photographer), Kristi Libutti Burton (Photographer), Elizabeth Benson Thayer (Illustrator)

Overview

Over the course of two years, a group of award-winning photographers, filmmakers, painters, and writers trailed and documented the flood of refugees pouring into the West from the Middle East and Africa, recording the refugees’ firsthand accounts of who they are and what made them refugees. Spare, haunting, utterly magnificent, and profoundly human, this inspiring collection creates a portrait of the greatest humanitarian crisis of modern history. From the pregnant mother in the dusty warehouse-turned-refugee-camp in Greece to the emaciated child in a mud-filled tent in Bangladesh to the lone Sudanese crouched under an overpass in Italy—the people inside this remarkable volume of exquisite photography and stories of resilience will teach you that the surest way to draw humans together begins with the words “I want to tell you my story . . . ”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781641700498
Publisher:	Familius
Publication date:	10/01/2018
Pages:	232
Sales rank:	664,036
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

TSOS uses art to shape international dialogue about refugees, with the intent to better the situation of refugees worldwide. We help refugees to tell their stories in a way that is intimate and emotionally authentic.

What People are Saying About This

founder of Humans of New York Brandon Stanton

"With no political power, refugees are often left without a voice.Let Me Tell You My Storyhelps refugees reclaim some power and dignity by giving them a platform to tell their stories. It is a meaningful and important collection."

Dr. Reece Jones

“The poignant stories and compelling images in this volume provide a powerful counterpoint to the dehumanization of people on the move in Europe and around the world. Highly recommended.”

-Dr. Reece Jones
Professor and Graduate Chair, Dept. of Geography University of Hawaii at Manoa
Author: Violent Borders: Refugees and the Right to Move

Karen Lynn Williams

"These simple stories speak volumes about the plight of refugees around the world. Through paintings and photographs, full of beauty and dignity, we are privileged to meet real people living the tragedy of refugee life. They are school children, wives and mothers, musicians, journalists, teachers, husbands and fathers. They are African, Asian, Middle Eastern. They are of the world we share. Their loss is palpable, and their courage and yearning to be free shines through on the page. With this book comes hope and a way for readers of all ages to share the emotion and trauma of refugee life and to recognize our shared humanity."

author of Humans of New York Brandon Stanton

"With no political power, refugees are often left without a voice.Let Me Tell You My Storyhelps refugees reclaim some power and dignity by giving them a platform to tell their stories. It is a meaningful and important collection."

-Brandon Stanton, author of Humans of New York

Editorial Reviews

"Common threads are the resilience of the protagonists, the search for a dignified life with the ability to work, the desire to reunite with family, and the inhumanity and exploitation of smugglers. Many stories are incredibly touching and accessible."
—Kirkus Reviews

"An extraordinary collection of extraordinary lives lived out in extraordinary circumstances, Let Me Tell You My Story is a compelling read and one that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself is finished and set back upon the shelf. A unique and outstanding contribution to our contemporary national discussion over refugees and immigration, Let Me Tell You My Story should be a part of every community and academic library collection in the country." 
—Mary Cowper, Midwest Book Review
 
"This is a book that can grace any library shelf and would have a natural place in a school's office. It can lead to important discussions with students of all ages."
—The International Educator
 

“The poignant stories and compelling images in this volume provide a powerful counterpoint to the dehumanization of people on the move in Europe and around the world. Highly recommended.”

"With no political power, refugees are often left without a voice. Let Me Tell You My Story helps refugees reclaim some power and dignity by giving them a platform to tell their stories. It is a meaningful and important collection."

"These simple stories speak volumes about the plight of refugees around the world. Through paintings and photographs, full of beauty and dignity, we are privileged to meet real people living the tragedy of refugee life. They are school children, wives and mothers, musicians, journalists, teachers, husbands and fathers. They are African, Asian, Middle Eastern. They are of the world we share. Their loss is palpable, and their courage and yearning to be free shines through on the page. With this book comes hope and a way for readers of all ages to share the emotion and trauma of refugee life and to recognize our shared humanity."

From the Publisher

This is a book that can grace any library shelf and would have a natural place in a school's office. It can lead to important discussions with students of all ages.

The International Educator

"An extraordinary collection of extraordinary lives lived out in extraordinary circumstances, "Let Me Tell You My Story" is a compelling read and one that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself is finished and set back upon the shelf. A unique and outstanding contribution to our contemporary national discussion over refugees and immigration, "Let Me Tell You My Story" should be a part of every community and academic library collection in the country."

Midwest Book Review - Mary Cowper

Critique: An extraordinary collection of extraordinary lives lived out in extraordinary circumstances, "Let Me Tell You My Story" is a compelling read and one that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself is finished and set back upon the shelf. A unique and outstanding contribution to our contemporary national discussion over refugees and immigration, "Let Me Tell You My Story" should be a part of every community and academic library collection in the country.

Mary Cowper, Reviewer - Midwest Book Review

A collection of true stories of people who left the Middle East and Africa seeking refuge in the West, highlighting their risky journeys and motivations for leaving, as well as of the volunteers who created the book and what inspired them to get involved.

Accompanied by captivating photographic portraits, the stories illustrate the volume of suffering endured and witnessed by the interviewees. A pregnant woman crosses the border, traveling by boat with her children and afraid for their lives, to give birth in a refugee camp. A university professor flees for the sake of his family’s safety after witnessing his friends die in the war. These are just a few of the stories of refugees, young and old. Common threads are the resilience of the protagonists, the search for a dignified life with the ability to work, the desire to reunite with family, and the inhumanity and exploitation of smugglers. Many stories are incredibly touching and accessible, but with a cost. Their brevity—and perhaps editing—potentially simplifies the complexity of human agency. The absence of refugees of the depicted crisis in the creative team interestingly highlights the stories of the two groups as separate and may reinforce the subjectivity and otherness of the refugees. Also, a pronounced focus on religious-based violence as cause for refuge (mainly Islam) and religion as a source of strength (mainly Christianity) reinforces some unfortunate dominant Western narratives.

A heartening and sometimes overwhelming introduction to refugee voices, with accessible stories that may simplify the complexity of human agency and situations leading to seeking refuge. (Nonfiction. 14-adult)

Kirkus Reviews