Driven by a prophetic dream that keeps her awake at night, Gift sets out on a long journey toward Europe. With her striking false eyelashes, long glittery nails, and an inexhaustible determination to stand on her own two feet and make her own choices, she crosses West and North Africa. From Agadez in Niger, to Algeria and Tunisia, she braves the dangers of the journey, strengthened by the realization that you can only die once.
Ominous chapter titles such as “Sarcophagus” and “Resurrection” evoke the many forgotten stories of those who traveled this route before her. We see Gift spending aimless hours in near-darkness and having wistful conversations with her family, lit only by the screen of her phone. In the background is the constant threat of government repression and physical danger.
The result is a compelling portrait of a woman determined to forge her own path. The poetic, lyrical form creates a deliberate contrast with the uncertainty of a refugee’s journey.
