I Just Wanted to Save My Family

by Stephan Pelissier, Adriana Hunter (Translator)

The timely, powerful memoir of a man unjustly charged with a crime for helping his relatives, refugees from Syria.

For trying to save his in-laws, who were fleeing certain death in Syria, Stephan Pelissier was threatened with fifteen years in prison by the Greek justice system, which accused him of human smuggling. His crime? Having gone to search for the parents, brother, and sister of his wife, Zena, in Greece rather than leaving them to undertake a treacherous journey by boat to Italy.

Their joy on finding each other quickly turned into a Pelissier was arrested as a result of a missing car registration and thrown into prison. Although his relatives were ultimately able to seek asylum--legally--in France, Pelissier had to fight to prove his innocence, and to uphold the values of common humanity and solidarity in which he so strongly believes.

I Just Wanted to Save My Family offers a heart-rending window into the lives of those displaced by the Syrian civil war and a scathing critique of the often absurd, unfeeling bureaucracies that determine their fates.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

257 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 5, 2021

Reviews

[Liliana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if it is the author's or translator's writing (I suspect the latter) but I did not enjoy the writing in this book at all. I kept reading because I think it's a valuable narrative about what war and politics can do to people. I felt attached to the people in this book because they are real people and I wanted to know how their story ends. However, I feel like there are probably other memoirs on the same topic with better writing. 3.5 Stars.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A poignant portrait of the deeply complex, heartbreaking realities of the refugee crisis and the continuing fallout of the Syrian Civil War.

[Isabella]

I would give this book a 3/5.

I enjoyed reading from the perspective of multiply people who lived in the middle of a war. Majority of the book s written form Stéphan Pélissier´s point of view, but occasionally switched to his wife(Zena) and his brother in-law(Anas). I found it interesting what these people had to deal with since I have never gotten tangled in foreign or government affairs.

This book could be improved if the last half, after the family in law arrived in France, was summarized as an after chapter. Though the information Stéphan talked about was important, it felt repetitive and almost boring. The first half talked about the adventure Stéphan had take to have his family in-law avoided certain death and try bring them to France. While the second part talked about the wives family family dealt with to living in France. Their troubles gaining citizenship and the lawsuit Stéphan was facing was to spread out and could have easily been summed up in less than the hundred pages Stéphan used.

[Nathan Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

“solidarity can't be, mustn't be an offense.”
This short phrase was the embodiment of the book for me and it’s something I am sure is a shared experience for most people that have the audacity to care about the marginalized refugee communities. This first hand experience of the hardship and lengths people will go to, to ensure the people they love are safe is universal experience that no one can deny. I hope stories like the one in this book get told more often.

[Renee Rosenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a book…..
Definitely not a usual read for me but the title got me hooked. I feel like the start with the background information was a lot more of the book than the actual trial. I’m not disappointed I read it but it’s not a must read book either. I do thank this book for getting me more into true stories.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright.

Didn't really show the plight that his in-laws suffered. Kind of glanced through what happened between when they left Syria and entered France. It was only like, 10 pages. Didn't really get the reality of what they went through.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will admit I don’t know much about Syria, which is why I picked up this book at my local bookstore. While it focuses pretty much exclusively on how Europe treats/mistreats it’s immigrants, I think it applies to the US as well.

[Sarah Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very eye-opening story of those who are refugees and facing constant prejudice and injustice.

[Corky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing. This memoir does an incredible job of following a story of refugees, beyond the utterly awful physical stress into the frustration and slow moving paper processes required to actually stay where you fought so hard to get. I liked the multiple perspectives, used enough to richen the story but not so much that Stephen's voice got lost.

It is scary to think what a man of lesser or different education would have done in this scenario.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have followed a feed about the plight of the Syrian people for some time. This was a very heart-felt book and I wondered what I would do if I was placed in the same situation as Mr. Pelissier. Surely I would make the same choice as he did. It is critical for others to read his story in order to understand the dangers and difficulties that refugees face as Mr. Pelissier is able to put a human face on a problem that often no one wants to talk about or confront. Too often society says that refugees need to figure out how to make it work in their own country or that the problems are not their problem, and yet that is far from the truth. These people need our help and we much look to the basic concept of humanity and help them as it could just as easily be us.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

While the book is written as part of a defence strategy and to rally public support, it does not necessarily lead the reader astray. It highlights the ridiculous arbitrary refugee processes in various countries.