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Butterfly: From Refugee to Olympian, My Story of Rescue, Hope and Triumph
The inspiring story of how one woman saved fellow refugees from drowning--and how she went on to become an Olympic swimmer.
When young Syrian refugee Yusra Mardini realized her boat's engine shut down as she was traveling from Syria to Greece with other refugees, there was no hesitation: she dove into the water. Surfacing, she heard desperate prayers and sobbing from the passengers in the sinking boat above her. Between the waves, her elder sister Sarah screamed at her to get back on the boat. But Mardini was determined. She was not going to let Sarah do this alone. Grabbing the rope with one hand, she began kicking up the black water, inching the boat towards the distant shore.
This bold act of bravery saved the lives of a boatload of refugees heading to Turkey from Syria. After her arrival in Greece, Mardini, focused and undeterred, worked toward a lifelong goal: to compete in the Olympics. She succeeded, and competed in 2016 on the Refugee Olympic Team in Rio de Janeiro.
Butterfly tells her story, from Syria to the Olympics to her current work with the UN as a Goodwill Ambassador. Mardini is eager to tell her story in the hopes that readers will remember that refugees are ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, chased from their homes by a devastating war. In today's political climate, this story is guaranteed to inspire and educate readers from every background.
When young Syrian refugee Yusra Mardini realized her boat's engine shut down as she was traveling from Syria to Greece with other refugees, there was no hesitation: she dove into the water. Surfacing, she heard desperate prayers and sobbing from the passengers in the sinking boat above her. Between the waves, her elder sister Sarah screamed at her to get back on the boat. But Mardini was determined. She was not going to let Sarah do this alone. Grabbing the rope with one hand, she began kicking up the black water, inching the boat towards the distant shore.
This bold act of bravery saved the lives of a boatload of refugees heading to Turkey from Syria. After her arrival in Greece, Mardini, focused and undeterred, worked toward a lifelong goal: to compete in the Olympics. She succeeded, and competed in 2016 on the Refugee Olympic Team in Rio de Janeiro.
Butterfly tells her story, from Syria to the Olympics to her current work with the UN as a Goodwill Ambassador. Mardini is eager to tell her story in the hopes that readers will remember that refugees are ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, chased from their homes by a devastating war. In today's political climate, this story is guaranteed to inspire and educate readers from every background.
288 pages, Paperback
First published May 2, 2018
213 people are currently reading
6865 people want to read
About the author
Yusra Mardini
3 books43 followersYusra and her elder sister fled the Syrian war and set off on a perilous journey to find safety in Europe. In summer 2015, they travelled through Lebanon to Turkey before departing for Greece in an overcrowded dinghy.
Fifteen minutes into the sea crossing, the boat’s engine failed. As a professional swimmer, Yusra was determined not to let any of her fellow passengers drown. Yusra, her sister and two others jumped into the waves and swam for three and a half hours in open water to stop their dinghy capsizing, saving the lives of 20 people.
A year later, Yusra’s courage, determination and strong swimming skills were recognized by the International Olympic Committee and became a member of the first ever Refugee Olympic Team. Yusra competed at the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016, helping to represent 65 million displaced people worldwide.
Since then, Yusra has addressed the United Nations General Assembly and met world leaders such as US President Barack Obama and Pope Francis. She has been presented with a number of prestigious awards and has been recognized for her work by Time and People magazines.
Yusra now lives in Berlin, Germany and is concentrating on her professional swimming career. She aims to compete at the next Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020. Yusra is a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and works to alter global perceptions of refugees. Her message of hope, determination and courage reminds us that those who flee their countries are capable of achieving great things.
Fifteen minutes into the sea crossing, the boat’s engine failed. As a professional swimmer, Yusra was determined not to let any of her fellow passengers drown. Yusra, her sister and two others jumped into the waves and swam for three and a half hours in open water to stop their dinghy capsizing, saving the lives of 20 people.
A year later, Yusra’s courage, determination and strong swimming skills were recognized by the International Olympic Committee and became a member of the first ever Refugee Olympic Team. Yusra competed at the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016, helping to represent 65 million displaced people worldwide.
Since then, Yusra has addressed the United Nations General Assembly and met world leaders such as US President Barack Obama and Pope Francis. She has been presented with a number of prestigious awards and has been recognized for her work by Time and People magazines.
Yusra now lives in Berlin, Germany and is concentrating on her professional swimming career. She aims to compete at the next Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020. Yusra is a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and works to alter global perceptions of refugees. Her message of hope, determination and courage reminds us that those who flee their countries are capable of achieving great things.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 542 reviews
September 6, 2021
Una historia inspiradora.
Mardini es un ejemplo de perseverancia, resiliencia, determinación y agallas, nada la detiene.
Mardini es un ejemplo de perseverancia, resiliencia, determinación y agallas, nada la detiene.
October 26, 2018
4**
Refugee. An empty shell, barely even human. No money, no home, no background, no history, no personality, no ambition... Our past, present, future. All of it deleted and replaced by one devastating word.
I was completely captured and fascinated by Yusra Mardini's story back in 2016 when it was announced that there would be a refugee team for the Olympics in Rio. Like many people, I was curious as to who is this incredible young girl!? I was fully invested in discovering more about this young girl who was said to have "swam in the ocean for 3 hours" helping to get an over-packed boat of refugees to shore... however, we were not told much more. Through Yusra Mardini's book we get a full picture of her life before, her struggles to travel from Syria to Germany as a refugee, and her experiences from the Olympics and what we can expect from her next.
The title so aptly named, not only describes the transformation of a chrysalis into a butterfly, but also describes the type of swim stroke that Yusra competed in for the Olympics. The fascinating thing about this book is that it provides a fully fledged first-hand account of what it is like to leave a war-torn country and make the gruelling journey to try and find refuge in another one, and the barriers faced along the way.
Yusra acknowledges the privilege in her life before the war, during the war and even life in Germany, in comparison to so many other refugees experiences: she came from a family with a beautiful home, her dad was her swim coach from such a young age that she was swimming at a competitive level way before her training for the Olympics.
She acknowledges that at the time of the rough travel to Europe, her and her sister (Sara) were lucky in comparison to others... they could afford a hotel some nights, were able to pay smugglers, afford food when the opportunity arose, were able to travel with wonderful people, buy train tickets, etc. Yusra is very humble in describing her and Sara's travel and how this is not the definition of every refugee's story; some have had to sell their homes, cars, can’t afford to pay smugglers etc. so some people remain in their war torn countries, are sold, or were stuck in refugee camps and dodgy hotels for months. She reiterates that every refugee's story is unique with some people suffering the worst harm possible, and these stories need to be acknowledged and heard.
I don't have to win an Olympic medal just yet I should concentrate on having a voice.
This is not only the brave story of Yusra, but also the important and awe-inspiring story of her sister Sara. Sara was also on the side of the boat to help keep the boat afloat after the engine stopped and the weight on the boat caused it to drop. Sara helped turn the boat the right way when the waves were all too consuming of dragging the boat down. She was one of the first ones to jump into the water (so there was less weight in the boat) and stayed in the water a lot longer than the others to make sure the boat arrived safely to shore. Sara ensured the safety of Yusra at every step of their journey together to Germany... However, Sara was largely overlooked in media and this book gives her the recognition she deserves.
Yusra also praises the two men who were with them in the water, two men who could not swim.
Take your marks.
I tense and rock back.
Beep.
I dive into the glinting water.
This book did not just solely focus on the perception of Yusra as a refugee and the "boat story" that many have come to know. This was the story of a girl whose passion it always was to compete in the Olympics and her love for swimming and her family.
Refugee. An empty shell, barely even human. No money, no home, no background, no history, no personality, no ambition... Our past, present, future. All of it deleted and replaced by one devastating word.
I was completely captured and fascinated by Yusra Mardini's story back in 2016 when it was announced that there would be a refugee team for the Olympics in Rio. Like many people, I was curious as to who is this incredible young girl!? I was fully invested in discovering more about this young girl who was said to have "swam in the ocean for 3 hours" helping to get an over-packed boat of refugees to shore... however, we were not told much more. Through Yusra Mardini's book we get a full picture of her life before, her struggles to travel from Syria to Germany as a refugee, and her experiences from the Olympics and what we can expect from her next.
The title so aptly named, not only describes the transformation of a chrysalis into a butterfly, but also describes the type of swim stroke that Yusra competed in for the Olympics. The fascinating thing about this book is that it provides a fully fledged first-hand account of what it is like to leave a war-torn country and make the gruelling journey to try and find refuge in another one, and the barriers faced along the way.
Yusra acknowledges the privilege in her life before the war, during the war and even life in Germany, in comparison to so many other refugees experiences: she came from a family with a beautiful home, her dad was her swim coach from such a young age that she was swimming at a competitive level way before her training for the Olympics.
She acknowledges that at the time of the rough travel to Europe, her and her sister (Sara) were lucky in comparison to others... they could afford a hotel some nights, were able to pay smugglers, afford food when the opportunity arose, were able to travel with wonderful people, buy train tickets, etc. Yusra is very humble in describing her and Sara's travel and how this is not the definition of every refugee's story; some have had to sell their homes, cars, can’t afford to pay smugglers etc. so some people remain in their war torn countries, are sold, or were stuck in refugee camps and dodgy hotels for months. She reiterates that every refugee's story is unique with some people suffering the worst harm possible, and these stories need to be acknowledged and heard.
I don't have to win an Olympic medal just yet I should concentrate on having a voice.
This is not only the brave story of Yusra, but also the important and awe-inspiring story of her sister Sara. Sara was also on the side of the boat to help keep the boat afloat after the engine stopped and the weight on the boat caused it to drop. Sara helped turn the boat the right way when the waves were all too consuming of dragging the boat down. She was one of the first ones to jump into the water (so there was less weight in the boat) and stayed in the water a lot longer than the others to make sure the boat arrived safely to shore. Sara ensured the safety of Yusra at every step of their journey together to Germany... However, Sara was largely overlooked in media and this book gives her the recognition she deserves.
Yusra also praises the two men who were with them in the water, two men who could not swim.
Take your marks.
I tense and rock back.
Beep.
I dive into the glinting water.
This book did not just solely focus on the perception of Yusra as a refugee and the "boat story" that many have come to know. This was the story of a girl whose passion it always was to compete in the Olympics and her love for swimming and her family.
March 8, 2024
"مع الفريق أنا أمثل ستين مليون نازح في أنحاء العالم جميعها، إنها مسؤولية كبيرة ، لكنني أعرف مهمتي ، لدي رسالة لأبثها : لا أحد يختار أن يكون لاجئاً ، وبإمكان اللاجئين تحقيق أشياء عظيمة أيضاً."
يسري مارديني هى فتاة سورية والدها مدرب للسباحة علمها هى وأختها سارة السباحة قبل أن يتعلموا المشي ، كان يرغب في رؤية بناته سباحتان عالميتان . لم تختار كلاهما السباحة لكن كلاهما وُلدت لتسبح . وتمر سنوات في هدوء ثم تندلع الأحداث في سوريا وتنقلب الأمور راساً على عقب .
تقص علينا يسرى حكايتها وحكاية عائلتها المماثلة بالتأكيد الحكايات الكثيرين مثلها. وكيف كانت لا ترغب في مغادرة سوريا لفترة طويلة لإيمانها وامنياتها بأن تستقر الأحوال مرة أخرى. وكيف تحولت من فتاة تتعلم السباحة بسبب والدها ثم تتركها في وقت ما ثم تعود مرة أخرى بقرارها الشخصي للسباحة بعد توقف وتكافح لتعود كما كانت ونتعرف على اسباب تغيرها لرايها ورغبتها في ترك سوريا والذهاب لمكان آمن ليكون لها مستقبل ولتعود للسباحة والمنافسة في السباقات والوصول للاولمبيات .
" كيف أصبحت مصممة بصورة مفاجئة على مغادرة دمشق ، مغادرة سوريا مغادرة وطني ، كيف بلغت الأمور هذا الحد ؟ أربع سنوات من الحرب تُرفرف امام عيني، الدبابات ، والقنابل ، ومدافع الهاون ، وإطلاق النار، أود البقاء إذا توقفت جميعها غداً ، فقط إذا توقفت جميعها. "
فتقص لنا يسرى رحلتها مع أختها سارة وتركها لامها وأختها شهد ومرافقتها لمجموعة من اقاربها لتسافر إلى تركيا ومنها تلجأ للمهربين لتصل إلى اليونان عن طريق البحر فتحكي لنا ماحدث معهم وتوقف القارب وماذا فعلوا هى واختها واخرين لإنقاذ أنفسهم والبقية والوصول للبر .وتعرفها خلال ذلك على أشخاص أصبحوا من خلال تشارك المعاناة والمخاوف كعائلة واحدة .
" كيف بلغت الأمور هذا الحد ؟ متى صارت حياتنا بهذا الهوان؟ المخاطرة بكل شئ ، ودفع ثروة لركوب زورق مكتظ ، والمخاطرة في البحر! أهذا هو السبيل الوحيد ؟ الطريقة الوحيدة للهروب من القذائف في الوطن؟ "
ولم يكن الوصول لليونان هو هدف يسرى واختها وآخرين كانوا معهم لكنهم كانوا يرغبون في الوصول وطلب اللجوء في ألمانيا ثم تطالب يسرى بلم شمل عائلتها. فنستكمل مع يسرى وسارة والاخرين انتقالاتهم من اليونان وماواجهوه حتى وصولهم إلى ألمانيا ماحدث معهم هناك حتى يعودان للسباحة مرة أخرى والوصول الى للاولمبيات .
لكن تواجه يسرى هناك مشكلة أخرى وهى تراجع مستواها عن السابق وتأخرها عن الآخرين. حتى يعرض عليها ان تكون ضمن ضمن الفريق الأولمبي الأول للآجئين في ريو دي جانيرو عام ٢٠١٦ فتشعر يسري لفترة طويلة بالإهانة بسبب اختذالها في كلمة لاجئة .
شاركت يسرى في أولمبياد ريو ثم أصبحت بعد ذلك أصغر سفيرة للنوايا الحسنة للمفوضية السامية للأمم المتحدة لشئون اللاجئين، وتم اختيارها كواحدة من ٢٥ امرأة ممن غيرن العالم ومن الشباب الأكثر تأثيرا في عام ٢٠١٦ في مجلة Time.
"لقد منحتني هذه التجربة صوتاً وفرصة لإسماع صوتي .
أريد ان أساعد في تغيير تصورات الناس حول اللاجئين، لكي يعي الجميع أن فرار المرء من بلاده ليس اختياراً ، وأن اللاجئين بشر عاديون يمكنهم تحقيق إنجازات عظيمة إذا أتيحت لهم الفرصة "
أسلوب الكتاب جميل ويقدم قصة ملهمة ومهمة ومؤثرة وتم تحويل الكتاب لفيلم عام ٢٠٢٢ تحت اسم " the swimmers "
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يسري مارديني هى فتاة سورية والدها مدرب للسباحة علمها هى وأختها سارة السباحة قبل أن يتعلموا المشي ، كان يرغب في رؤية بناته سباحتان عالميتان . لم تختار كلاهما السباحة لكن كلاهما وُلدت لتسبح . وتمر سنوات في هدوء ثم تندلع الأحداث في سوريا وتنقلب الأمور راساً على عقب .
تقص علينا يسرى حكايتها وحكاية عائلتها المماثلة بالتأكيد الحكايات الكثيرين مثلها. وكيف كانت لا ترغب في مغادرة سوريا لفترة طويلة لإيمانها وامنياتها بأن تستقر الأحوال مرة أخرى. وكيف تحولت من فتاة تتعلم السباحة بسبب والدها ثم تتركها في وقت ما ثم تعود مرة أخرى بقرارها الشخصي للسباحة بعد توقف وتكافح لتعود كما كانت ونتعرف على اسباب تغيرها لرايها ورغبتها في ترك سوريا والذهاب لمكان آمن ليكون لها مستقبل ولتعود للسباحة والمنافسة في السباقات والوصول للاولمبيات .
" كيف أصبحت مصممة بصورة مفاجئة على مغادرة دمشق ، مغادرة سوريا مغادرة وطني ، كيف بلغت الأمور هذا الحد ؟ أربع سنوات من الحرب تُرفرف امام عيني، الدبابات ، والقنابل ، ومدافع الهاون ، وإطلاق النار، أود البقاء إذا توقفت جميعها غداً ، فقط إذا توقفت جميعها. "
فتقص لنا يسرى رحلتها مع أختها سارة وتركها لامها وأختها شهد ومرافقتها لمجموعة من اقاربها لتسافر إلى تركيا ومنها تلجأ للمهربين لتصل إلى اليونان عن طريق البحر فتحكي لنا ماحدث معهم وتوقف القارب وماذا فعلوا هى واختها واخرين لإنقاذ أنفسهم والبقية والوصول للبر .وتعرفها خلال ذلك على أشخاص أصبحوا من خلال تشارك المعاناة والمخاوف كعائلة واحدة .
" كيف بلغت الأمور هذا الحد ؟ متى صارت حياتنا بهذا الهوان؟ المخاطرة بكل شئ ، ودفع ثروة لركوب زورق مكتظ ، والمخاطرة في البحر! أهذا هو السبيل الوحيد ؟ الطريقة الوحيدة للهروب من القذائف في الوطن؟ "
ولم يكن الوصول لليونان هو هدف يسرى واختها وآخرين كانوا معهم لكنهم كانوا يرغبون في الوصول وطلب اللجوء في ألمانيا ثم تطالب يسرى بلم شمل عائلتها. فنستكمل مع يسرى وسارة والاخرين انتقالاتهم من اليونان وماواجهوه حتى وصولهم إلى ألمانيا ماحدث معهم هناك حتى يعودان للسباحة مرة أخرى والوصول الى للاولمبيات .
لكن تواجه يسرى هناك مشكلة أخرى وهى تراجع مستواها عن السابق وتأخرها عن الآخرين. حتى يعرض عليها ان تكون ضمن ضمن الفريق الأولمبي الأول للآجئين في ريو دي جانيرو عام ٢٠١٦ فتشعر يسري لفترة طويلة بالإهانة بسبب اختذالها في كلمة لاجئة .
" ما الذي سيحدث لو أخبرتهم بالحقيقة الصادقة؟ إذا أخبرتهم عن شعور المرء حينما يُختذل بكلمة واحدة، وحاولت توضيح معنى هذه الكلمة بالنسبة إلى أولئك الذين أُجبروا على الانضواء تحت مسماها ، لاجئ ، قوقعة فارغة، وبالكاد إنسان ، ولامال ، ولا مأوى ، ولا مرجعية، ولا تاريخ ، ولا شخصية ، ولا طموح ، ولا مسار ، ولا شغف. ماضينا ، وحاضرنا، ومستقبلنا ، تلاشت جميعها، واستُبدلت بها تلك الكلمة المدمرة "
شاركت يسرى في أولمبياد ريو ثم أصبحت بعد ذلك أصغر سفيرة للنوايا الحسنة للمفوضية السامية للأمم المتحدة لشئون اللاجئين، وتم اختيارها كواحدة من ٢٥ امرأة ممن غيرن العالم ومن الشباب الأكثر تأثيرا في عام ٢٠١٦ في مجلة Time.
"لقد منحتني هذه التجربة صوتاً وفرصة لإسماع صوتي .
أريد ان أساعد في تغيير تصورات الناس حول اللاجئين، لكي يعي الجميع أن فرار المرء من بلاده ليس اختياراً ، وأن اللاجئين بشر عاديون يمكنهم تحقيق إنجازات عظيمة إذا أتيحت لهم الفرصة "
أسلوب الكتاب جميل ويقدم قصة ملهمة ومهمة ومؤثرة وتم تحويل الكتاب لفيلم عام ٢٠٢٢ تحت اسم " the swimmers "
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September 14, 2019
Εξαιρετικά ενδιαφέρουσα ιστορία. Για να μαι απόλυτα ειλικρινής λόγω δουλειάς έχω έρθει τα τελευταία χρόνια σε επαφή με αρκετούς πρόσφυγες και μετανάστες και έχουν ακούσει τις δικές τους λυπητερές ιστορίες μέχρι να βρουν ένα νέο σπιτικό, οπότε έχοντας γίνει μάρτυρας ανάλογων διήγησεων η ιστορία κάθε αυτή δε μου προκάλεσε κατάπληξη αν και όσες φορές και ν’ ακούσεις την ίδια ιστορία δεν παύει να σε συγκλονίζει ότι εν έτη 2019 συμβαίνουν καταστάσεις ανάλογες με αυτές που περιγράφονται στο βιβλίο. Ο αγώνας για επιβίωση της Γιουσρά θα έπρεπε να αποτελεί παράδειγμα για όλους μας. Ένα μάθημα ζωής ότι με πίστη, κουράγιο και πείσμα μπορείς να πραγματοποιήσεις ακόμα και το πιο άπιαστο όνειρο.
Ένας αγώνας ζωής από το Λίβανο με σταθμούς στην Ελλάδα, την Τουρκία, την Ουγγαρία, τη Γερμανία με τελευταίο σταθμό το Ρίο και τη συμμετοχή στους Ολυμπιακούς αγώνες του 2016. Η Γιουσρά κολύμπησε στα βαθιά και κατέκτησε τη δική της στεριά. Αξιοπρόσεκτο και άκρως διδακτικό.
Ένας αγώνας ζωής από το Λίβανο με σταθμούς στην Ελλάδα, την Τουρκία, την Ουγγαρία, τη Γερμανία με τελευταίο σταθμό το Ρίο και τη συμμετοχή στους Ολυμπιακούς αγώνες του 2016. Η Γιουσρά κολύμπησε στα βαθιά και κατέκτησε τη δική της στεριά. Αξιοπρόσεκτο και άκρως διδακτικό.
August 1, 2019
Overall: An inspiring true story of determination, survival, and love. Ysura is a young refugee from Syria who goes on to become an Olympic swimmer. This story is inspiring, will bring you to tears, and will open your eyes to many of the issues surrounding refugees 8/10 or 4/5
Summary: Yusra Mardini is a teenager when she and her sister escape from Syria. They help get a boat filled with refugees across the ocean, travel to Germany, and start a new life which ultimately leads to Ysura going to the Olympics as a member of their refugee swimming team in 2016 Ysura is known for her “boat story” and it is incredible; but even more amazing is her strength, determination, and resiliency in escaping a war-torn country, becoming an Olympian, and ultimately an extremely important voice for women and refugees around the world.
The Good: This biography is engaging, very readable, and one that will stay with me for awhile. I loved Ysura and her story and this really opened my eyes to many of the problems surrounding refugees. Butterfly gives readers an excellent insight into why these refugees have left everything in order to start again elsewhere and the many challenges and barriers faced along the way. Though this is Yusra’s story, her family and especially her sister are extremely important I really enjoyed learning about all of them. The book is written in such a way that you feel like you know them by the end.
Not only is this an incredible story of strength, determination, and resiliency but it is also deeply inspiring. Not only is Ysura driven to the Olympics by her passion for swimming but she becomes a voice for refugees around the world.
“I don't have to win an Olympic medal just yet I should concentrate on having a voice.”
Ysura has a powerful voice that will inspire and touch you deeply. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
The Bad: I wish this book was just a bit deeper. It is impossible to not love Ysura and her family and root for them every step of the way. They are exactly the people everyone would want to help and Ysura recognizes how privileged they are. Ysura and her whole family enter Germany legally and you see the many hurdles that they have to face in doing everything the legal way. However, there are lots of refugees that do not play by the rules and may not be as likable as Ysura and I wish I got to see a bit more depth on some of those issues.
Favorite Quote:
Refugee. An empty shell, barely even human. No money, no home, no background, no history, no personality, no ambition... Our past, present, future. All of it deleted and replaced by one devastating word.
Summary: Yusra Mardini is a teenager when she and her sister escape from Syria. They help get a boat filled with refugees across the ocean, travel to Germany, and start a new life which ultimately leads to Ysura going to the Olympics as a member of their refugee swimming team in 2016 Ysura is known for her “boat story” and it is incredible; but even more amazing is her strength, determination, and resiliency in escaping a war-torn country, becoming an Olympian, and ultimately an extremely important voice for women and refugees around the world.
The Good: This biography is engaging, very readable, and one that will stay with me for awhile. I loved Ysura and her story and this really opened my eyes to many of the problems surrounding refugees. Butterfly gives readers an excellent insight into why these refugees have left everything in order to start again elsewhere and the many challenges and barriers faced along the way. Though this is Yusra’s story, her family and especially her sister are extremely important I really enjoyed learning about all of them. The book is written in such a way that you feel like you know them by the end.
Not only is this an incredible story of strength, determination, and resiliency but it is also deeply inspiring. Not only is Ysura driven to the Olympics by her passion for swimming but she becomes a voice for refugees around the world.
“I don't have to win an Olympic medal just yet I should concentrate on having a voice.”
Ysura has a powerful voice that will inspire and touch you deeply. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
The Bad: I wish this book was just a bit deeper. It is impossible to not love Ysura and her family and root for them every step of the way. They are exactly the people everyone would want to help and Ysura recognizes how privileged they are. Ysura and her whole family enter Germany legally and you see the many hurdles that they have to face in doing everything the legal way. However, there are lots of refugees that do not play by the rules and may not be as likable as Ysura and I wish I got to see a bit more depth on some of those issues.
Favorite Quote:
Refugee. An empty shell, barely even human. No money, no home, no background, no history, no personality, no ambition... Our past, present, future. All of it deleted and replaced by one devastating word.
August 22, 2021
Πώς μπορείς να εκφράσεις άποψη για ένα βιβλίο που εξιστορεί τον αγώνα επιβίωσης ενός ανθρώπου; Πώς μπορείς να πεις ότι καταλαβαίνεις, έστω και στο ελάχιστο, την αγωνία, τους φόβους ή την απόγνωση ενός κοριτσιού που χάνει τα πάντα, παρατάει τα πάντα και ορμάει στο άγνωστο, με όλους τους κινδύνους που αυτό συνεπάγεται για ένα καλύτερο αύριο;
Εδώ δεν υφίσταται λογοτεχνία ώστε να ακολουθήσεις την πλοκή και να καταλήξεις στο αν και πόσο σου άρεσε το βιβλίο. Η Γιουσρά διηγείται την ιστορία της, εξ ου και ο λόγος της είναι πολύ απλός. Έχουν άλλωστε τόση βαρύτητα οι εμπειρίες της που δεν χρειάζεται κάτι παραπάνω.
Στο τέλος δεν μπορείς παρά να την θαυμάσεις για το κουράγιο της, την επιμονή της, το θάρρος της και όσα πέτυχε ή θα πετύχει στο μέλλον. Πράγματι υπήρξε από τους τυχερούς και φαίνεται στο λόγο της καθώς η ίδια είναι αρκετά συγκροτημένη ως άνθρωπος. Η διήγησή της δεν σου εκβιάζει το συναίσθημα, ούτε και επιδιώκει ειδική μεταχείριση.
Ο στόχος της και το όραμά της την οδηγούν, δείχνοντάς μας ότι το θάρρος και η επιμονή ανταμοίβονται. Όχι πάντα, αλλά συμβαίνει. Ας το θυμόμαστε και οι υπόλοιποι που καθαρά από τύχη δεν έχουμε βρεθεί στη θέση της.
Εδώ δεν υφίσταται λογοτεχνία ώστε να ακολουθήσεις την πλοκή και να καταλήξεις στο αν και πόσο σου άρεσε το βιβλίο. Η Γιουσρά διηγείται την ιστορία της, εξ ου και ο λόγος της είναι πολύ απλός. Έχουν άλλωστε τόση βαρύτητα οι εμπειρίες της που δεν χρειάζεται κάτι παραπάνω.
Στο τέλος δεν μπορείς παρά να την θαυμάσεις για το κουράγιο της, την επιμονή της, το θάρρος της και όσα πέτυχε ή θα πετύχει στο μέλλον. Πράγματι υπήρξε από τους τυχερούς και φαίνεται στο λόγο της καθώς η ίδια είναι αρκετά συγκροτημένη ως άνθρωπος. Η διήγησή της δεν σου εκβιάζει το συναίσθημα, ούτε και επιδιώκει ειδική μεταχείριση.
Ο στόχος της και το όραμά της την οδηγούν, δείχνοντάς μας ότι το θάρρος και η επιμονή ανταμοίβονται. Όχι πάντα, αλλά συμβαίνει. Ας το θυμόμαστε και οι υπόλοιποι που καθαρά από τύχη δεν έχουμε βρεθεί στη θέση της.
April 24, 2020
What every woman knows (woman, because I am a woman but not your idea of it) is that to make their own way, they have to struggle, fight, fight harder than they have ever fought and stand up after falling down. Yusra Mardini is one such woman (even though she is very, very young). I picked up Butterfly by Yusra Mardini on an impulse. Though I was not sure if I was prepared to read a non-fiction, I loved EVERY PAGE OF IT. I do not generally pick up non-fiction books by women who inspire me because I am sure that I do not need motivation and inspiration in my life. But who am I kidding? I do not know about you, but Butterfly and other books by women I look upto are the kind of books I need in my life but I often disregard because duh, I am not going to read a non-fiction (I know perfectly how wrong that assumption is).
Growing up in Syria, Yusra's life changes very rapidly. Like all changes, the alterations of her life do not happen overnight. She lives a fairly comfortable life, looking forward to compete in the Olympics but on one fateful day, a bomb drops in the swimming pool she practices in. She saw people around her dying, people she had been friends with, people who had an important presence in her life. She and her sister, Sara, knew they had to leave their beloved home, the country they were born in, if they have to continue dreaming. And thus ensues a terrible journey of fleeing from one's country in order to live.
People around the world often see "refugees" as a nuisance when they are just like the people around us who want to live their life in peace (Yusra's words with which I agree). Yusra, along with the "family" with which she was undergoing a terrible journey, faced racism along their way. A restaurant refused to give them drinking water and several hotels refused to provide them rooms even when they had money to pay for the services that they were asking. The long line of waiting, the inedible food, sleeping in parks, not showering for several days (it was not a voluntary choice), refugees around the world face such problems on a daily basis. Yusra is the lucky one and she knew about it after a point. Imagine the pain of millions of refugees whom we will keep calling refugees (without asking them if they want to be called so) and forget that they are human beings, like us, and that they had no role to play in the country or region they were born into.
Also on Instagram.
Growing up in Syria, Yusra's life changes very rapidly. Like all changes, the alterations of her life do not happen overnight. She lives a fairly comfortable life, looking forward to compete in the Olympics but on one fateful day, a bomb drops in the swimming pool she practices in. She saw people around her dying, people she had been friends with, people who had an important presence in her life. She and her sister, Sara, knew they had to leave their beloved home, the country they were born in, if they have to continue dreaming. And thus ensues a terrible journey of fleeing from one's country in order to live.
People around the world often see "refugees" as a nuisance when they are just like the people around us who want to live their life in peace (Yusra's words with which I agree). Yusra, along with the "family" with which she was undergoing a terrible journey, faced racism along their way. A restaurant refused to give them drinking water and several hotels refused to provide them rooms even when they had money to pay for the services that they were asking. The long line of waiting, the inedible food, sleeping in parks, not showering for several days (it was not a voluntary choice), refugees around the world face such problems on a daily basis. Yusra is the lucky one and she knew about it after a point. Imagine the pain of millions of refugees whom we will keep calling refugees (without asking them if they want to be called so) and forget that they are human beings, like us, and that they had no role to play in the country or region they were born into.
Also on Instagram.
July 10, 2018
I had not heard of Yusra or her boat story prior to seeing this book at my library. But I was a swimmer in high school and I wanted to know more about the refugee experience so I picked it up. Yusra is very real and down to earth in her story I felt like it could be any young girl's story she was telling which as she makes clear at the end is the part of the message she is trying to get out, that refugees are just people who have had unfortunate things happen in their lives and who want to achieve the same things as anyone else.
Popsugar challenge 2018: A book with an animal in the title.
Popsugar challenge 2018: A book with an animal in the title.
May 21, 2020
Pensamos en refugiados y guerra y la cabeza se nos llena de imágenes terregosas con gente en condiciones miserables, y por alguna razón creemos que incluso antes de los conflictos siempre vivieron así, es por eso, que Mariposa me hizo sentir muy cercana a sus protagonistas, porque su día a día era tan normal como el nuestro: escuela, salidas con amigos, tecnología, programas de televisión, pasatiempos, sueños y aspiraciones.
Escucha la reseña completa aquí: https://spoti.fi/2ZpsZ6B
Escucha la reseña completa aquí: https://spoti.fi/2ZpsZ6B
March 7, 2019
What a heartbreaking and touching book! I picked this book up because I wanted to know more about the refugee crisis and the journey they have to make, and it did not disappoint. I am not the biggest fan of the writing style though. Sometimes various flashbacks to Damascus or bombings are incorporated into the book, and while I totally agree that they add something to the story, it is not always clear when Yusra observing “normal” life morphs into Yusra having a flashback. Other than that, this is a great book to read for people who want to know more about refugees.
October 24, 2024
I found this book to be an incredibly inspiring and deeply moving memoir that captures the strength of the human spirit. Yusra’s journey from war-torn Syria to becoming an Olympic swimmer is nothing short of remarkable. Her resilience, courage, and determination shine through on every page, and her story is a powerful reminder of the struggles refugees face and the hope that most carry with them. Mardini’s writing is honest and raw, allowing readers to truly connect with her experiences. This book is not just about sports or survival; it’s about triumph over adversity.
November 27, 2019
This book. This story. What this young woman and her family went through, what countless people have gone through, are going through and sadly, will be going through, is nothing short of amazing. This book is SO timely and is important for all people to read, think on and act on.
I don't want to try to speak for this book, other than to say, please, READ it. Share it with others and let it inspire you to act. Whether it's writing a letter to a politician, giving money to a charity that helps refugees, or even meeting and helping them face-to-face, every action helps.
The best way to help those in the future from having to abandon their home is to help the situation there. Why are they fleeing? They don't WANT to leave their home, their country, their homeland. They just want to be safe and have enough to be safe and comfortable, what everyone wants. What is preventing that from happening and can we help? One person might not be able to, but if every one person got together and acted, then it transforms from a single snowflake into a blizzard or an avalanche.
I can't even begin to imagine having to leave everything I know and love, the people I love, just for a chance to be free and safe. This book helped me to imagine that, if only for a moment. This is so important for today, to be read and shared. This isn't a WWII holocaust book, talking about the candle that didn't go out. This isn't history for us, for us, it is NOW. This will be history to talk about later. Will the next generations to come talk about how we kept that candle lit and spread or will they be talking about how we blew that candle out?
5, this should be world required reading, stars. Recommended for all.
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
I don't want to try to speak for this book, other than to say, please, READ it. Share it with others and let it inspire you to act. Whether it's writing a letter to a politician, giving money to a charity that helps refugees, or even meeting and helping them face-to-face, every action helps.
The best way to help those in the future from having to abandon their home is to help the situation there. Why are they fleeing? They don't WANT to leave their home, their country, their homeland. They just want to be safe and have enough to be safe and comfortable, what everyone wants. What is preventing that from happening and can we help? One person might not be able to, but if every one person got together and acted, then it transforms from a single snowflake into a blizzard or an avalanche.
I can't even begin to imagine having to leave everything I know and love, the people I love, just for a chance to be free and safe. This book helped me to imagine that, if only for a moment. This is so important for today, to be read and shared. This isn't a WWII holocaust book, talking about the candle that didn't go out. This isn't history for us, for us, it is NOW. This will be history to talk about later. Will the next generations to come talk about how we kept that candle lit and spread or will they be talking about how we blew that candle out?
5, this should be world required reading, stars. Recommended for all.
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
August 8, 2018
What a powerful memoir that the world needs right now. Yusra Mardini was a young girl living in Syria in 2015 as her home and city are ripped apart from the war. She wants nothing more than to become a swimmer for her country in the Olympics but when the bombs finally make their way into her training pool, she decides that she must leave her home if she ever wants her swimming dreams to come true. Yusra and her sister Sara decide to flee the country with cousins, while leaving her parents and younger sister behind, in order to seek a better life. The details she shares about her journey to seek asylum in Germany will open your eyes to what it was like for so many people who have had to leave their homes due to war, persecution or other worldly disasters. This book truly shows the bravery of those who have suffered like Yusra and I hope it inspires more compassion for refugees around the world. This young woman is incredible!
December 28, 2019
I’m still in awe, Yusra is such a remarkable person. Her determination, courage, ambition and pride are absolutely impressive and her message is so vitally important, it should reach every single person on earth. Being a refugee is not a choice. The difference between you and someone fleeing their home is luck and a safe home country. You do not lose your humanity and history when you lose your home.
I would definitely recommend this book. Yusra’s and Sara’s story is impressive, moving and will stay with me for a very long time. I hope to remember their lessons in the right moments.
I would definitely recommend this book. Yusra’s and Sara’s story is impressive, moving and will stay with me for a very long time. I hope to remember their lessons in the right moments.
May 7, 2020
Yusra is the middle sister of three daughters living with their parents in Damascus. Their father is a swimming coach, obsessed with training his two eldest girls to excel. Being in the pool is one of their first memories and being pushed to succeed an ordinary part of childhood, as habitual as their going to school.
Not everyone in the community approves of the girls swimming, it clashes with tradition, despite the diversity that exists.
Nothing gets in the way of the girls training, even when they don't feel like it or have an injury, it's clear their Dad is a disciplinarian and is instilling strength and resilience in his daughters, while their mother is there watching, waiting and supporting them all the way through.
When Yusra is six they watch they watch the finals of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games on television. It's the 100m men's butterfly and their Dad tells them to watch lane four. It's the American Michael Phelps. It's a defining moment for the Yusra.
Though she is in the background of Yusra's story, I find the mother's quiet strength and nurturing of significance in the story. Both her own personal development and her continuity in being there for the girls.
Following a terrible scene where her elder sister Sara is having her shoulders stretched and her collar-bone is broken, the doctor insists she rests. Her father is displeased, while her mother tries to help.
As the political situation in Syria deteriorates, it becomes dangerous for them to return to their home, culminating in one evening when they return from visiting family to find tanks at either end of their street. A soldier holding his assault rifle in the air tells him to take his family and leave.
He drives them some distance away, then sets off on foot alone to return to their home, a mistake, though he won't learn his lesson yet. They are forced to abandon their home and stay with family, until they find another apartment in a quieter part of town.
Though they continue at school and in the pool, people are beginning to leave. Their father is offered a coaching job in Jordan and departs, alone, sending his salary to them regularly.
Yusra turns seventeen, her sister has quit swimming and for a period she does as well, without her father there fighting in her corner, she loses some of her will, until she meets her friends again and decides to return. But when a bomb falls on the building, everything changes.
Sara announces she is leaving, and Yusra will go with her. They will send for their mother and younger sister when they arrive in Europe. They are heading for Germany and will have to take a small boat from Turkey across to Greece, paying smugglers at various places along the way.
It's a fraught journey, the boat crossing particularly, an overloaded vessel that looks like it won't make it, that forces the sisters into the water for hours to lighten the load to prevent it sinking. The sea is a danger, but there will be more worrying experiences ahead as they attempt to cross hostile borders and find accommodation in some countries that refuse to rent rooms to Syrians.
It's not until they arrive safely in Berlin that it begins to dawn on them, the immensity of what they have been through. Once settled in the refugee camp and as they begin their asylum process, Yusra finds a pool to train in and opportunities open up for her and Sara, and soon she is on track to attain that childhood dream, though not in the manner she expected, there remain hurdles to confront. And the trauma of others which they're seeing daily on their Facebook timelines continues, lessening any joy they might feel.
When she is struggling to accept the offer of being part of the newly formed Refugee Olympic Team, it is her father who reminds her that it isn't always about the swimming.
It's an incredible story of a young woman and her family, who becomes something of a reluctant heroine and inspiration for young people from the region and for refugees everywhere. It's very honest, she shares her struggles in accepting the role and opportunity she is given, while being grateful to those who've welcomed, helped and made it possible, all the while aware of the continued struggles and horrors being faced by those who couldn't leave or died trying.
Not everyone in the community approves of the girls swimming, it clashes with tradition, despite the diversity that exists.
A lot of people don't understand about us swimming. They don't see the hard work and dedication it takes us to swim. They just see the swimsuit. Neighbours and parents of kids at our school tell Mum they don't approve. Some say wearing a swimsuit past a certain age is inappropriate for a young girl. Mum ignores them. The summer I'm nine, Mum even decides to learn to swim herself.
Nothing gets in the way of the girls training, even when they don't feel like it or have an injury, it's clear their Dad is a disciplinarian and is instilling strength and resilience in his daughters, while their mother is there watching, waiting and supporting them all the way through.
When Yusra is six they watch they watch the finals of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games on television. It's the 100m men's butterfly and their Dad tells them to watch lane four. It's the American Michael Phelps. It's a defining moment for the Yusra.
I never chose to be a swimmer. But from that moment on I'm hooked. My gut burns with ambition. I clench my fists. I no longer care what it takes. I'll follow Phelps to the top. To the Olympics. To gold. Or die trying.
Though she is in the background of Yusra's story, I find the mother's quiet strength and nurturing of significance in the story. Both her own personal development and her continuity in being there for the girls.
Following a terrible scene where her elder sister Sara is having her shoulders stretched and her collar-bone is broken, the doctor insists she rests. Her father is displeased, while her mother tries to help.
Since learning to swim she's been teaching water aerobics at a hot springs spa south of Damascus, close to the city of Daraa. She's branched out into massage therapy and tries her new skills out on Sara's shoulders.
As the political situation in Syria deteriorates, it becomes dangerous for them to return to their home, culminating in one evening when they return from visiting family to find tanks at either end of their street. A soldier holding his assault rifle in the air tells him to take his family and leave.
'I'm not leaving my house,' he says.
'Then get us out of here at least,' says Mum, her voice choked with panicked tears.
He drives them some distance away, then sets off on foot alone to return to their home, a mistake, though he won't learn his lesson yet. They are forced to abandon their home and stay with family, until they find another apartment in a quieter part of town.
Though they continue at school and in the pool, people are beginning to leave. Their father is offered a coaching job in Jordan and departs, alone, sending his salary to them regularly.
One by one, friends and neighbours drift away. Groups of siblings, whole friendship groups, families disappear. The majority leave for Lebanon or Turkey and then overstay their tourist visas. Some of them end up in Europe. Most of the boys my age are either planning to leave or have already gone. Once guys hit eighteen, they're eligible for compulsory military service in the army. Only students and men without brothers are exempt. In normal times, its just a fact of Syrian life. But now there's no doubt: going into the army means kill or be killed.
Yusra turns seventeen, her sister has quit swimming and for a period she does as well, without her father there fighting in her corner, she loses some of her will, until she meets her friends again and decides to return. But when a bomb falls on the building, everything changes.
Sara announces she is leaving, and Yusra will go with her. They will send for their mother and younger sister when they arrive in Europe. They are heading for Germany and will have to take a small boat from Turkey across to Greece, paying smugglers at various places along the way.
It's a fraught journey, the boat crossing particularly, an overloaded vessel that looks like it won't make it, that forces the sisters into the water for hours to lighten the load to prevent it sinking. The sea is a danger, but there will be more worrying experiences ahead as they attempt to cross hostile borders and find accommodation in some countries that refuse to rent rooms to Syrians.
It's not until they arrive safely in Berlin that it begins to dawn on them, the immensity of what they have been through. Once settled in the refugee camp and as they begin their asylum process, Yusra finds a pool to train in and opportunities open up for her and Sara, and soon she is on track to attain that childhood dream, though not in the manner she expected, there remain hurdles to confront. And the trauma of others which they're seeing daily on their Facebook timelines continues, lessening any joy they might feel.
When she is struggling to accept the offer of being part of the newly formed Refugee Olympic Team, it is her father who reminds her that it isn't always about the swimming.
'Very few Syrians get this chance to speak up,' he says. 'You can be their voice. You know a big part of their story because you've been through it too. It's an opportunity for all of us to be heard.'
It's an incredible story of a young woman and her family, who becomes something of a reluctant heroine and inspiration for young people from the region and for refugees everywhere. It's very honest, she shares her struggles in accepting the role and opportunity she is given, while being grateful to those who've welcomed, helped and made it possible, all the while aware of the continued struggles and horrors being faced by those who couldn't leave or died trying.
June 4, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Butterfly” by Yusra Mardini was a touching, thoughtful memoir. Mardini tells the harrowing journey from war torn Syria to Turkey, to Greece, to Serbia, to Hungary, to Austria, and finally to Germany.
The story itself was often somber when noting the unrest and increase in mortar and violence in a once peaceful country. Considering the Mardini family wasn’t involved with the politics, they really were in the middle of a horrific situation. At times the narrative felt naive, and demonstrated the author’s young life and lack of experience. The typical and not so typical experiences and feelings of a young person is clearly portrayed throughout the book. People will get used to any environment, and the family did their best considering. Swimming and survival were the main two themes of the book, which were pivotal for the Mardini sisters. I’m sure readers can still recognize the development and growth of Yusra throughout her account, especially when her indecisiveness interrupted her swimming dreams.
The final chapters were written years after the book was published and show a jump in maturity, wisdom, and poise. Naturally, the many details within the memoir seemed slightly choppy or crammed to account for the complexity and many years of her history.
I enjoyed learning more about the subject and her story in particular. I asked a few of my Syrian students about the complexity of the war, and honestly it’s still not clear to me (or even to my students). Either way, stories about people who need to leave their homeland for a safer future is important. It’s commendable for Yusra to share her and her family’s story, to recognize being a refugee does not make you less than. If anything, it makes you more human, more empathetic. Showing the world we need to take care of one another and to be a voice for the voiceless is a great way to make the world a better place.
If you’re interested in learning more about the refugee crisis and the subsequent Olympic dream of one young woman, then this would be a read I’d recommend.
“Butterfly” by Yusra Mardini was a touching, thoughtful memoir. Mardini tells the harrowing journey from war torn Syria to Turkey, to Greece, to Serbia, to Hungary, to Austria, and finally to Germany.
The story itself was often somber when noting the unrest and increase in mortar and violence in a once peaceful country. Considering the Mardini family wasn’t involved with the politics, they really were in the middle of a horrific situation. At times the narrative felt naive, and demonstrated the author’s young life and lack of experience. The typical and not so typical experiences and feelings of a young person is clearly portrayed throughout the book. People will get used to any environment, and the family did their best considering. Swimming and survival were the main two themes of the book, which were pivotal for the Mardini sisters. I’m sure readers can still recognize the development and growth of Yusra throughout her account, especially when her indecisiveness interrupted her swimming dreams.
The final chapters were written years after the book was published and show a jump in maturity, wisdom, and poise. Naturally, the many details within the memoir seemed slightly choppy or crammed to account for the complexity and many years of her history.
I enjoyed learning more about the subject and her story in particular. I asked a few of my Syrian students about the complexity of the war, and honestly it’s still not clear to me (or even to my students). Either way, stories about people who need to leave their homeland for a safer future is important. It’s commendable for Yusra to share her and her family’s story, to recognize being a refugee does not make you less than. If anything, it makes you more human, more empathetic. Showing the world we need to take care of one another and to be a voice for the voiceless is a great way to make the world a better place.
If you’re interested in learning more about the refugee crisis and the subsequent Olympic dream of one young woman, then this would be a read I’d recommend.
September 29, 2019
Reviewed for THC Reviews
Butterfly was brought to my attention by Emma Watson’s GoodReads group, Our Shared Shelf. I, in turn, shared it with my book club and it was chosen as our latest read. It’s an inspiring memoir of a Syrian young woman who undertook a harrowing journey from her war-torn country to Germany in hopes of a better life and the opportunity to continue her swimming training and someday become an Olympian. Ms. Mardini grew up in what appears to have been a normal middle-class family in Damascus where all she’d ever really known was swimming. Her father was a swimming coach, so he put her and her sister in the water at a very young age. In the beginning, he pushed his daughters very hard, almost like a stage parent might do. Eventually, though, she grew to love the sport until it became her life’s passion and she won several medals for Syria. But following the Arab Spring, violence erupted throughout Syria, leading to civil war. Ms. Mardini’s family lost the home she grew up in when they were no longer able to access it due to the battles being waged nearby, and over the next few years, they had to keep moving around in an attempt to stay out of the path of the bombs. It didn’t entirely work, though, as more than one still fell very near them, leading to some extremely close calls. They kept waiting for things to get better, and when they didn’t and no end to the war seemed to be in sight, Ms. Mardini’s sister, Sara, decided she wanted to head for Germany where a friend had emigrated. Ms. Mardini decided to go with her, because as a seventeen-year-old minor, once there, she would be able to petition for family reunification to get her father, mother, and younger sister there legally.
The two sisters, along with two male extended family members, set out on a harrowing journey, first flying to Turkey and then taking a smuggler’s boat across the Aegean Sea to Greece. The boat trip was the part of her story that everyone became fascinated with, because during the crossing, the motor failed, leaving them adrift in a choppy sea. With too many people on the raft, it was going to capsize until the sisters led the way by leaping overboard, not only to lighten the load but also to keep the boat headed in the right direction, while praying and hoping against hope that the currents might eventually take them to shore. I’m absolutely astounded and inspired by what these two brave young women did when many of the men on board were either too terrified to take action or lacked the stamina to stay in the water for long. I won’t ruin the story by giving away any more details, but suffice it to say that the Mardini sisters swam for over three hours and their courageous act likely saved every life on that raft.
However, getting to land wasn’t the only dangerous part of their journey. They had to evade police to sneak across the border into Hungary, a country that is extremely inhospitable to refugees, and then spent a number of frustrating days there trying to find passage to the Austrian border. They were taken advantage of by unscrupulous smugglers, nearly imprisoned by a gang of thugs who would've drained their financial resources and possibly harmed them in other ways, and later spent the night in a Hungarian jail before finally finding their way to freedom in Germany. Once there, after applying for asylum, Ms. Mardini was able to find a swimming club, a coach, and many kind, generous people who helped her start training again. Then the International Olympic Committee announced a plan to form an Olympic team made up entirely of refugees who no longer had a country for which to compete and who would instead compete under the Olympic flag. In part because of her inspiring story, Ms. Mardini was chosen as one of those athletes, fulfilling a lifelong dream and opening doors to be a spokesperson for refugees worldwide.
Butterfly is a beautiful and inspiring story. I was struck by how, even after the bombs started falling, the author still led a fairly normal life in her home country. Of course, she and her family had many close calls and had to move several times, but she and her sister still behaved like average teenage girls, going out with friends and such. It’s a real testament to the resilience of the human spirit that they could make room for the mundane in the midst of extraordinary circumstances. I think it was also very brave for these two young women to set out without their parents to seek a new life in Europe, and without question, what they did to help save their little raft of refugees from being claimed by the sea was incredibly courageous. Yet, Ms. Mardini is very humble about it. Her attitude was similar to what is often seen from military or first responders who are dubbed as heroic, that of someone who was just doing their job. She was a swimmer, so that’s what she did, because she could. She didn’t really feel like a hero even though others lauded her as such, and she at first resisted talking about what she called “the boat story.”
Of course that’s what the media wanted to hear about and what garnered her the most attention, but it took her a while to come to terms with the necessity of talking about it. She was also reluctant to accept what she viewed as charity from others, which is the opposite of how many people try to paint refugees and immigrants. She was even reluctant to accept a place on the Refugee Olympic Team, because she wanted to earn her spot rather than being handed it. While she may have needed a leg up once in Germany, I was also impressed by her admission that she was among the “lucky” ones, although I hesitate to call what she had to endure “lucky.” However, as she points out, her family actually had the money to send her and her sister on their journey, while many who were too poor to pay smugglers or to even afford food and lodging, wound up in refugee camps somewhere along the way. In any case, I greatly admire all that Ms. Mardini has accomplished in her relatively short life and her willingness to provide a voice for the voiceless. I can’t wait to see if she makes the 2020 Olympics, but regardless I think she’s destined for great things.
Butterfly was brought to my attention by Emma Watson’s GoodReads group, Our Shared Shelf. I, in turn, shared it with my book club and it was chosen as our latest read. It’s an inspiring memoir of a Syrian young woman who undertook a harrowing journey from her war-torn country to Germany in hopes of a better life and the opportunity to continue her swimming training and someday become an Olympian. Ms. Mardini grew up in what appears to have been a normal middle-class family in Damascus where all she’d ever really known was swimming. Her father was a swimming coach, so he put her and her sister in the water at a very young age. In the beginning, he pushed his daughters very hard, almost like a stage parent might do. Eventually, though, she grew to love the sport until it became her life’s passion and she won several medals for Syria. But following the Arab Spring, violence erupted throughout Syria, leading to civil war. Ms. Mardini’s family lost the home she grew up in when they were no longer able to access it due to the battles being waged nearby, and over the next few years, they had to keep moving around in an attempt to stay out of the path of the bombs. It didn’t entirely work, though, as more than one still fell very near them, leading to some extremely close calls. They kept waiting for things to get better, and when they didn’t and no end to the war seemed to be in sight, Ms. Mardini’s sister, Sara, decided she wanted to head for Germany where a friend had emigrated. Ms. Mardini decided to go with her, because as a seventeen-year-old minor, once there, she would be able to petition for family reunification to get her father, mother, and younger sister there legally.
The two sisters, along with two male extended family members, set out on a harrowing journey, first flying to Turkey and then taking a smuggler’s boat across the Aegean Sea to Greece. The boat trip was the part of her story that everyone became fascinated with, because during the crossing, the motor failed, leaving them adrift in a choppy sea. With too many people on the raft, it was going to capsize until the sisters led the way by leaping overboard, not only to lighten the load but also to keep the boat headed in the right direction, while praying and hoping against hope that the currents might eventually take them to shore. I’m absolutely astounded and inspired by what these two brave young women did when many of the men on board were either too terrified to take action or lacked the stamina to stay in the water for long. I won’t ruin the story by giving away any more details, but suffice it to say that the Mardini sisters swam for over three hours and their courageous act likely saved every life on that raft.
However, getting to land wasn’t the only dangerous part of their journey. They had to evade police to sneak across the border into Hungary, a country that is extremely inhospitable to refugees, and then spent a number of frustrating days there trying to find passage to the Austrian border. They were taken advantage of by unscrupulous smugglers, nearly imprisoned by a gang of thugs who would've drained their financial resources and possibly harmed them in other ways, and later spent the night in a Hungarian jail before finally finding their way to freedom in Germany. Once there, after applying for asylum, Ms. Mardini was able to find a swimming club, a coach, and many kind, generous people who helped her start training again. Then the International Olympic Committee announced a plan to form an Olympic team made up entirely of refugees who no longer had a country for which to compete and who would instead compete under the Olympic flag. In part because of her inspiring story, Ms. Mardini was chosen as one of those athletes, fulfilling a lifelong dream and opening doors to be a spokesperson for refugees worldwide.
Butterfly is a beautiful and inspiring story. I was struck by how, even after the bombs started falling, the author still led a fairly normal life in her home country. Of course, she and her family had many close calls and had to move several times, but she and her sister still behaved like average teenage girls, going out with friends and such. It’s a real testament to the resilience of the human spirit that they could make room for the mundane in the midst of extraordinary circumstances. I think it was also very brave for these two young women to set out without their parents to seek a new life in Europe, and without question, what they did to help save their little raft of refugees from being claimed by the sea was incredibly courageous. Yet, Ms. Mardini is very humble about it. Her attitude was similar to what is often seen from military or first responders who are dubbed as heroic, that of someone who was just doing their job. She was a swimmer, so that’s what she did, because she could. She didn’t really feel like a hero even though others lauded her as such, and she at first resisted talking about what she called “the boat story.”
Of course that’s what the media wanted to hear about and what garnered her the most attention, but it took her a while to come to terms with the necessity of talking about it. She was also reluctant to accept what she viewed as charity from others, which is the opposite of how many people try to paint refugees and immigrants. She was even reluctant to accept a place on the Refugee Olympic Team, because she wanted to earn her spot rather than being handed it. While she may have needed a leg up once in Germany, I was also impressed by her admission that she was among the “lucky” ones, although I hesitate to call what she had to endure “lucky.” However, as she points out, her family actually had the money to send her and her sister on their journey, while many who were too poor to pay smugglers or to even afford food and lodging, wound up in refugee camps somewhere along the way. In any case, I greatly admire all that Ms. Mardini has accomplished in her relatively short life and her willingness to provide a voice for the voiceless. I can’t wait to see if she makes the 2020 Olympics, but regardless I think she’s destined for great things.
July 11, 2019
Het verhaal van Yusra is fascinerend en inspirerend.
Yusra is een jong meisje met als droom Olympisch zwemmer te worden. Wanneer er oorlog uitbreekt in haar land vlucht ze naar Duitsland in hoop op een betere toekomst.
Helaas is de tocht alles behalve makkelijk. De boot gaat kapot en Yusra en haar zus gaan 10 kilometer zwemmen en trekken een boot vol vluchtelingen achter zich aan. Eenmaal op land wordt het niet makkelijker...
Ondanks alle gevaren lukt het Yusra en haar familie om Duitsland te bereiken. Ook daar werkt Yusra hard aan haar droom om Olympisch zwemmer te worden, en daarnaast is ze ook bezig met haar boodschap naar buiten te brengen:
Een vluchteling is ook gewoon een mens, en ook zij kunnen grootse dingen bereiken.
Heel interessant boek om te lezen. Ongelofelijk wat een tocht vluchtelingen moeten maken, welke gevaren ze allemaal tegenkomen, terwijl je zo wanhopig bent naar een betere plek.
Helaas was ik geen fan van de schrijfstijl, het was wat simpel en ik miste karakter. Graag had ik wat meer emotie in dit boek gevoeld. Misschien komt dat omdat Engels niet Yusra haar moedertaal is, maar toch.
Edit: toch een extra ster gegeven omdat ik er maar aan blijf denken..
Yusra is een jong meisje met als droom Olympisch zwemmer te worden. Wanneer er oorlog uitbreekt in haar land vlucht ze naar Duitsland in hoop op een betere toekomst.
Helaas is de tocht alles behalve makkelijk. De boot gaat kapot en Yusra en haar zus gaan 10 kilometer zwemmen en trekken een boot vol vluchtelingen achter zich aan. Eenmaal op land wordt het niet makkelijker...
Ondanks alle gevaren lukt het Yusra en haar familie om Duitsland te bereiken. Ook daar werkt Yusra hard aan haar droom om Olympisch zwemmer te worden, en daarnaast is ze ook bezig met haar boodschap naar buiten te brengen:
Een vluchteling is ook gewoon een mens, en ook zij kunnen grootse dingen bereiken.
Heel interessant boek om te lezen. Ongelofelijk wat een tocht vluchtelingen moeten maken, welke gevaren ze allemaal tegenkomen, terwijl je zo wanhopig bent naar een betere plek.
Helaas was ik geen fan van de schrijfstijl, het was wat simpel en ik miste karakter. Graag had ik wat meer emotie in dit boek gevoeld. Misschien komt dat omdat Engels niet Yusra haar moedertaal is, maar toch.
Edit: toch een extra ster gegeven omdat ik er maar aan blijf denken..
August 5, 2022
Una historia real, donde alcanzar un sueño se vuelve una prioridad y sin importar los riesgos Yusra y Sara lo logran. Es doloroso saber por todo lo que pasan los inmigrantes, no importa el motivo que los hace salir de su país, son seres humanos que luchan por una vida mejor y tienen que verse discriminados, estafados y viviendo el día a día como si fuera el último ya que es poca la ayuda que llegan a recibir. Hubo partes del libro que me molestó la actitud de ellas, pero son adolecentes al fin de cuentas y les tocó madurar de golpe y entender la realidad del mundo de golpe. Hoy son un gran ejemplo de lucha, superación y resilencia para muchas personas.
January 22, 2023
Okay, I’ll admit it, I picked this up after watching “The Swimmers” on Netflix. Honestly, I hadn’t heard Yusra’s story before that movie.
I was encouraged, inspired, and motivated by her story and her courage to be a voice to so many people who are ostracized and belittled for who they are. I also loved her thoughts on the word “refugee” and how refugees are just normal people who don’t “choose” to be a refugee, but rather we’re forced to leave everything to survive.
Favorite quote: “I don’t believe the secret of being happy is living a life free of problems. It’s about being able to smile despite the hardships. So I block out the negative voices and listen to those who believe in me… it isn’t easy. There are times when I give everything and it still isn’t enough. Then I close my eyes and conjure that desperate moment in the sea when everything seemed hopeless. When the taunting voice told me to give up and get death over with. I remember how I fought, and won… whatever happens, I’ll get up. I’ll swim on. I’ll survive.”
I was encouraged, inspired, and motivated by her story and her courage to be a voice to so many people who are ostracized and belittled for who they are. I also loved her thoughts on the word “refugee” and how refugees are just normal people who don’t “choose” to be a refugee, but rather we’re forced to leave everything to survive.
Favorite quote: “I don’t believe the secret of being happy is living a life free of problems. It’s about being able to smile despite the hardships. So I block out the negative voices and listen to those who believe in me… it isn’t easy. There are times when I give everything and it still isn’t enough. Then I close my eyes and conjure that desperate moment in the sea when everything seemed hopeless. When the taunting voice told me to give up and get death over with. I remember how I fought, and won… whatever happens, I’ll get up. I’ll swim on. I’ll survive.”
December 19, 2022
Increíble testimonio
July 3, 2022
Soon will be reviewed after leaving hometown!
Update: I recommend to for those who were looking for the book you would like to put at the storefront, or library, this book will suit the best..
Read my further review on:
https://fictionornonareokay.wordpress...
Update: I recommend to for those who were looking for the book you would like to put at the storefront, or library, this book will suit the best..
Read my further review on:
https://fictionornonareokay.wordpress...
August 31, 2021
Esta autobiografía evidentemente deja entrever el esfuerzo y dedicación por salir adelante, su logro personal al competir en las Olimpiadas y su travesía para lograrlo.
Evidentemente no está escrita por una escritora y en lo personal ellos se nota pues me hubiera gustado en algunos capítulos muchas más descripciones, en otros logr perfectamente adentrarnos en su contexto.
A juicio muy personal, en ocasiones me parecióun tanto petulante y hasta falta de humildad frente a las situaciones de los refugiafos, pues muchos de ellos -la mayoría- salen verdaderamente sin nada y jamás dormirán en un hotel lujoso. Salvo esto, un verdadero ejemplo de cómo se pueden lograr los sueños de la niñez sin olvidar a la familia.
Evidentemente no está escrita por una escritora y en lo personal ellos se nota pues me hubiera gustado en algunos capítulos muchas más descripciones, en otros logr perfectamente adentrarnos en su contexto.
A juicio muy personal, en ocasiones me parecióun tanto petulante y hasta falta de humildad frente a las situaciones de los refugiafos, pues muchos de ellos -la mayoría- salen verdaderamente sin nada y jamás dormirán en un hotel lujoso. Salvo esto, un verdadero ejemplo de cómo se pueden lograr los sueños de la niñez sin olvidar a la familia.
October 16, 2018
إنها قصة واحدة من آلاف السوريين الذين تركوا سوريا في ليلة لم يُعدوا لها مسبقاً أو تخيلوها في أذهانهم، مع فارق بسيط بينها وبين أولئك الآلاف .. ألا وهو الحظ أو لنصحح الكلمة الإرادة الإلهية.
يسرى مارديني رياضية سورية من مواليد عام ١٩٩٨ غادرت بلدها مع أختها سارة طالبة اللجوء إلى ألمانية عام ٢٠١٥ ..
رحلة نضالها للوصول إلى برلين، إصرارها على المشاركة في الأولمبيات كسبّاحة ماهرة، تصوير مشاعرها تجاه بلدها وما يحدث فيه من مآسي .. كل ذلك هو فحوى كتابها هذا ..
أعادت إليّ يسرى ذكريات كثيرة في دمشق وآلمني غيابي عنها لأكثر من ٧ سنوات ، فمتى يا بلد الياسمين تزهرين من جديد ؟!
يسرى مارديني رياضية سورية من مواليد عام ١٩٩٨ غادرت بلدها مع أختها سارة طالبة اللجوء إلى ألمانية عام ٢٠١٥ ..
رحلة نضالها للوصول إلى برلين، إصرارها على المشاركة في الأولمبيات كسبّاحة ماهرة، تصوير مشاعرها تجاه بلدها وما يحدث فيه من مآسي .. كل ذلك هو فحوى كتابها هذا ..
أعادت إليّ يسرى ذكريات كثيرة في دمشق وآلمني غيابي عنها لأكثر من ٧ سنوات ، فمتى يا بلد الياسمين تزهرين من جديد ؟!
April 23, 2023
Que livro bonito e triste ao mesmo tempo...
Li este livro após me ter sentido inspirada pelo filme da netflix baseado na mesma história. Ainda assim, fui incapaz de não me sentir comovida com o livro da Yusra.
Seria um crime comparar-me com a Yusra, depois de tudo o que passou e conquistou; porém, faz parte da experiência do leitor identificar-nos, de certa forma, com a personagem principal. Sendo a Yusra quase da minha idade e com a mesma paixão em natação, é impossível não mexer com o meu psicológico. Toda a coragem que ela teve, todas as experiências menos boas transformadas num ato final de extrema força e importância para ela e para todos os refugiados que não escolheram ter esse nome. São apenas seres humanos que, contra a vontade deles, viram-se obrigados a fugir do país para sobreviverem. Também eles têm direitos e talentos que não podemos desvalorizar.
Também me identifiquei imenso através da relação com a minha irmã mais velha e a relação da Yusra e da Sara. A teimosia que as caracteriza e as picardias, mas não se troca por nada um amor de um irmão que nos apoia o tempo todo. Ambas conquistaram imenso e fizeram mais do que a sua obrigação para expôr ao mundo os problemas dos refugiados.
Elas sobreviveram e ainda bem. Juntas nadaram durante 3 horas num mar gelado e agitado para não só chegarem vivas à costa, como também imepdirem um barco sobrelotado de se afundar puxando-o com a própria força. Elas sobreviveram e enfrentaram mais do que a força humana prometia. Puseram de parte a fragilidade da vida e mostraram que com o verdadeiro mindset tudo é possível.
Podia passar horas a falar sobre isto e o quanto me inspirou, no entanto, por vezes, não há palavras capazes de exprimir o quanto uma história significa para uma pessoa. Dito isto, aconselho a todos esta leitura e se o fizerem, estejam prontos com um lencinho ao lado.
Para acabar, foi provavelmente o primeiro livro em que até os agradecimentos li e também esses tiveram direito a uma lagriminha. A Yusra, Sara e Sven têm a minha admiração <3
Li este livro após me ter sentido inspirada pelo filme da netflix baseado na mesma história. Ainda assim, fui incapaz de não me sentir comovida com o livro da Yusra.
Seria um crime comparar-me com a Yusra, depois de tudo o que passou e conquistou; porém, faz parte da experiência do leitor identificar-nos, de certa forma, com a personagem principal. Sendo a Yusra quase da minha idade e com a mesma paixão em natação, é impossível não mexer com o meu psicológico. Toda a coragem que ela teve, todas as experiências menos boas transformadas num ato final de extrema força e importância para ela e para todos os refugiados que não escolheram ter esse nome. São apenas seres humanos que, contra a vontade deles, viram-se obrigados a fugir do país para sobreviverem. Também eles têm direitos e talentos que não podemos desvalorizar.
Também me identifiquei imenso através da relação com a minha irmã mais velha e a relação da Yusra e da Sara. A teimosia que as caracteriza e as picardias, mas não se troca por nada um amor de um irmão que nos apoia o tempo todo. Ambas conquistaram imenso e fizeram mais do que a sua obrigação para expôr ao mundo os problemas dos refugiados.
Elas sobreviveram e ainda bem. Juntas nadaram durante 3 horas num mar gelado e agitado para não só chegarem vivas à costa, como também imepdirem um barco sobrelotado de se afundar puxando-o com a própria força. Elas sobreviveram e enfrentaram mais do que a força humana prometia. Puseram de parte a fragilidade da vida e mostraram que com o verdadeiro mindset tudo é possível.
Podia passar horas a falar sobre isto e o quanto me inspirou, no entanto, por vezes, não há palavras capazes de exprimir o quanto uma história significa para uma pessoa. Dito isto, aconselho a todos esta leitura e se o fizerem, estejam prontos com um lencinho ao lado.
Para acabar, foi provavelmente o primeiro livro em que até os agradecimentos li e também esses tiveram direito a uma lagriminha. A Yusra, Sara e Sven têm a minha admiração <3
April 21, 2020
Yusra Mardini and her sister Sara are two of the bravest people I've ever read about. They had to leave their lives in Syria when their home became a warzone, and paid smugglers to help them get to Europe so they could seek asylum. The extortionate fee bought them passage on a glorified dinghy that was so overcrowded it took on water in the rough waves. Somewhere between Turkey and Greece, the engine died. They desperately called the coastguard, who told them to go back to Turkey. The teenage sisters - and other passengers who took turns - jumped into the sea to keep the boat steady and on course. They survived the terrifying crossing (and the rest of the ordeal of trekking through Europe), but many people don't. Yusra's story, and her background as a swimmer for the Syrian national team, eventually earns her a place on the Rio 2016 Olympic Refugee Team.
I know I'm weirdly obsessed with books about swimming, but I honestly think this is one of the most inspirational stories I've ever read. It's told in a very simplistic narrative style, and Yusra's main aim with the book is to give a voice to refugees. She points out in a very poignant way that her middle-class upbringing meant that her and her sister had enough money to make the journey in the first place, and also to reduce the danger with occasional nights in hotels, but many people in dangerous situations can't afford to get out. Such a worthwhile read! I'll be looking out for her in the next Olympic Games, whenever that will be...
I know I'm weirdly obsessed with books about swimming, but I honestly think this is one of the most inspirational stories I've ever read. It's told in a very simplistic narrative style, and Yusra's main aim with the book is to give a voice to refugees. She points out in a very poignant way that her middle-class upbringing meant that her and her sister had enough money to make the journey in the first place, and also to reduce the danger with occasional nights in hotels, but many people in dangerous situations can't afford to get out. Such a worthwhile read! I'll be looking out for her in the next Olympic Games, whenever that will be...
August 1, 2019
Butterfly is a touching and inspiring memoir of determination, strength, courage and selflessness. Mardini tells the story of her and her family’s experience living in and eventually fleeing from war-torn Syria, and her continual dedication to her dream of becoming an Olympic athlete.
Refreshingly honest and heartfelt, Mardini’s writing style and outlook was befitting her age and experience. Though some elements felt like they were told from a more neutral rather than a deeply emotive or reflective perspective, that was understandable for someone who truly went through hell and likely compartmentalized some of her experiences—or as she said herself, some elements were just so ingrained in her every day life that they didn’t seem shocking. However, there were quite a few other times when I found myself tearing up or feeling anger at everything these refugees have to deal with, and her memoir kept me captivated from start to finish.
Though her message got a touch repetitive at times, I appreciated that she spoke to how she seeks to use her notoriety to bring awareness to the refugee crisis, and how she did what she could to try and turn the spotlight off of her and back onto her other Refugee Olympic Team teammates as well as refugees as a whole.
I look forward to following Yusra in the 2020 Olympics if she makes the team, along with all the other courageous refugee athletes.
Refreshingly honest and heartfelt, Mardini’s writing style and outlook was befitting her age and experience. Though some elements felt like they were told from a more neutral rather than a deeply emotive or reflective perspective, that was understandable for someone who truly went through hell and likely compartmentalized some of her experiences—or as she said herself, some elements were just so ingrained in her every day life that they didn’t seem shocking. However, there were quite a few other times when I found myself tearing up or feeling anger at everything these refugees have to deal with, and her memoir kept me captivated from start to finish.
Though her message got a touch repetitive at times, I appreciated that she spoke to how she seeks to use her notoriety to bring awareness to the refugee crisis, and how she did what she could to try and turn the spotlight off of her and back onto her other Refugee Olympic Team teammates as well as refugees as a whole.
I look forward to following Yusra in the 2020 Olympics if she makes the team, along with all the other courageous refugee athletes.
July 17, 2024
Je chercherai longtemps les bons mots pour décrire ce livre qui raconte la terrible réalité de millions de réfugiés qui fuient chaque jour leur pays au péril de leur vie. Ce que je peux dire, c’est que CHAQUE humain vivant dans un pays qui accueille des demandeurs d’asile devrait obligatoirement lire ce livre. C’est une histoire vraie qui me marquera longtemps et qui à mon avis mérite bien plus que 5 étoiles!!! Maintenant, je m’empresse d’aller écouter le film qui vient de sortir sur Netflix (les nageuses) pour voir s’il évoque les mêmes émotions que ce livre que je referme beaucoup trop vite.
June 8, 2022
February book
I really liked this book, I feel that I was able to connect to this book due to the fact that I used to be a swimmer. I really liked the whole set up of the book, how she started with how normal her life was and all the goals she wished to accomplish in her life. To the gradual progress of the severity of the war in Syria. I like how as you read the book you could feel all the different emotions going through her head and the major affects the war had on her life.
I really liked this book, I feel that I was able to connect to this book due to the fact that I used to be a swimmer. I really liked the whole set up of the book, how she started with how normal her life was and all the goals she wished to accomplish in her life. To the gradual progress of the severity of the war in Syria. I like how as you read the book you could feel all the different emotions going through her head and the major affects the war had on her life.
June 6, 2023
Good read and very interesting look into what it is like to become a refugee (horrifying) Really appreciated her commentary about the label of “refugee” and what it means etc. as well as her details about the challenges of the journey itself. Also the layer of what it is like to be a millennial teenager as a refugee
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