 A
multi-faceted book, The Road to Chlifa tells the tale
of Karim, a refugee boy from Lebanon. The story is told
through the eyes of three people: a classmate,
a narrator, and Karim. Karim’s classmate details Karim’s
life exiled in Montréal. Despite Karim being an outsider,
because he is a newcomer, he is the centre of attention.
His handsome looks threaten the other males in the class,
and his ethnic background makes him a target of racism.
Using his diary, Karim describes the challenges of his
new home. He shares his loneliness and disdain for Montréal:
the people, the language, the culture and the weather.
He is also haunted by memories of the struggle to get
to Canada. He pines for his long lost love, Maha.
The narrator relates Karim’s journey from Beirut, his
home city, through the mountains of Lebanon to Chlifa.
In Chlifa, he hopes to find safety with Maha and Jad.
Karim, separated from his parents, has lost everything
in the war. He learns many lessons about hope, compromise,
friendship, love, death and war. At the young age of twelve,
Karim comes face to face with the grim reality of war
and a world of chaos and cruelty. |