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    Between Everything and Nothing: The Journey of Seidu Mohammed and Razak Iyal and the Quest for Asylum
    Unavailable
    Between Everything and Nothing: The Journey of Seidu Mohammed and Razak Iyal and the Quest for Asylum
    Unavailable
    Between Everything and Nothing: The Journey of Seidu Mohammed and Razak Iyal and the Quest for Asylum
    Ebook353 pages10 hours

    Between Everything and Nothing: The Journey of Seidu Mohammed and Razak Iyal and the Quest for Asylum

    By Joe Meno

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    A New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice, this harrowing true story of two young men from Ghana and their quest for asylum highlights not only the unjust political system of their homeland, but the chaos of the United States’ failing immigration system.

    Long before their chance meeting at a Minneapolis bus station, Ghanaian asylum seekers Seidu Mohammed and Razak Iyal had already crossed half the world in search of a new home. Seidu, who identifies as bisexual, lived under constant threat of exposure and violence in a country where same-sex acts are illegal. Razak’s life was also threatened after corrupt officials contrived to steal his rightful inheritance.

    Forced to flee their homeland, both men embarked on separate odysseys through the dangerous jungles and bureaucracies of South, Central, and North America. Like generations of asylum seekers before, they presented themselves legally at the U.S. border, hoping for sanctuary. Instead they were imprisoned in private detention facilities, released only after their asylum pleas were denied. Fearful of returning to Ghana, Seidu and Razak saw no choice but to attempt one final border crossing. Their journey north to Canada in the harsh, unforgiving winter proved more tragic than anything they had experienced before.

    Based on extensive interviews, Joe Meno’s intimate, novelistic account builds upon the international media attention Seidu and Razak’s story has already received, highlighting the harrowing journey of asylum seekers everywhere while adding dimension to one of the greatest humanitarian concerns facing the world.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCounterpoint
    Release dateJun 2, 2020
    ISBN9781640093157
    Unavailable
    Between Everything and Nothing: The Journey of Seidu Mohammed and Razak Iyal and the Quest for Asylum
    Author

    Joe Meno

    Joe Meno is the author of over five novels such as The Great Perhaps,which was a winner of the Great Lakes Book Award for Fiction in 2009 and a New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice. His short fiction has been published by the likes of McSweeney's, Witness and TriQuarterly. He is a professor of creative writing at Columbia College Chicago.

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    • 5/5
      Between Everything and NothingThe Journey of Seidu Mohammed and Razak Iyal and the Quest for AsylumBy: Joe MenoThis is a book I requested from the publisher and the review is voluntary.This story is so tragic from the very beginning. How the land of their birth betrayed them all the way through the process of trying to get asylum. From the the money hungry cops in Central America, the inhumane and rigged immigration system in America, to finally having to brave the elements to try to get to Canada and everything inbetween. They both would have been killed in their home country and almost died trying to make their way to freedom. It was an emotional trip with these men and an embarrassing one when it came to how they were treated in America. They were not criminals but treated like they were. The difference in how Canada and America treated these men were like day and night! How shameful our system is! So tragic! This really is a must read book!