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The Glass Wall
An unforgettable novel, made cruelly relevant by what has been taking place in Europe.
Neal Ascherson, writer and journalist; other of The Death of Fronsac, Black Sea
A moving, intelligent story interrogating what it means to be a refugee.
Julia Bell, senior lecturer creative writing; other of Radical Attention, The Dark Light
Poetic and beautifully rendered, it probes the boundaries between those who have and those who seek.
Isabel Hilton, OBE, journalist and broadcaster; other of The Search for the Panchen Lama.
A Mesopotamian epic of migration. It tells of human experience of dangerous crossings in search of hospitality.
Fazil Moradi, Faculty of Humanities – University of Johannesburg
Synopsis
After a perilous quest through an unforgiving desert, a 19-year-old refugee arrives at a colossal glass wall guarded by an old man. In order to be granted entry to the city, he is told he must recount the story of who he is, where he has come from, and why he should be granted asylum. Having barely survived his journey to the wall, the young man doesn’t welcome having to relive the pain of his past. But then, desperate for another chance, he starts recounting tales from his childhood, encompassing the history of his family and his country, and the prospect of a new life seems closer than ever.
But will his story be convincing enough to guarantee his safety?
A story of struggle and persecution but abundant in hope, The Glass Wall is a clear-eyed, emotionally honest account of displaced people and the very human desire for survival at all costs. A quest for a better life.
Neal Ascherson, writer and journalist; other of The Death of Fronsac, Black Sea
A moving, intelligent story interrogating what it means to be a refugee.
Julia Bell, senior lecturer creative writing; other of Radical Attention, The Dark Light
Poetic and beautifully rendered, it probes the boundaries between those who have and those who seek.
Isabel Hilton, OBE, journalist and broadcaster; other of The Search for the Panchen Lama.
A Mesopotamian epic of migration. It tells of human experience of dangerous crossings in search of hospitality.
Fazil Moradi, Faculty of Humanities – University of Johannesburg
Synopsis
After a perilous quest through an unforgiving desert, a 19-year-old refugee arrives at a colossal glass wall guarded by an old man. In order to be granted entry to the city, he is told he must recount the story of who he is, where he has come from, and why he should be granted asylum. Having barely survived his journey to the wall, the young man doesn’t welcome having to relive the pain of his past. But then, desperate for another chance, he starts recounting tales from his childhood, encompassing the history of his family and his country, and the prospect of a new life seems closer than ever.
But will his story be convincing enough to guarantee his safety?
A story of struggle and persecution but abundant in hope, The Glass Wall is a clear-eyed, emotionally honest account of displaced people and the very human desire for survival at all costs. A quest for a better life.
Hardcover
Published November 16, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 7, 2022
A soul-stirring work carrying great resonance following the recent tragic migrant crossing deaths in the English Channel, The Glass Wall tells the tale of a young boy who treks through an unforgiving desert in search of a safe new land - only to meet a colossal glass wall guarded by an old man.
Amazing story.
Highly recommended
Amazing story.
Highly recommended
February 18, 2022
It's a really captivating book. I am not really familiar with the topic. But the main character helped me to
experience how people lived through such a situation. The book presented the whole refugee topic from a different angle. I would definitely recommend this book to people like to hear stories about places far away but still have this interconnected connection. With Arman, I was able to realize that all of us can be behind a barrier that blocks us because of circumstances we are not able to change.
experience how people lived through such a situation. The book presented the whole refugee topic from a different angle. I would definitely recommend this book to people like to hear stories about places far away but still have this interconnected connection. With Arman, I was able to realize that all of us can be behind a barrier that blocks us because of circumstances we are not able to change.
March 30, 2022
The Glass Wall tells the story of Arman, a teenage refugee who has undertaken a long, precarious journey of many miles, which included a sea crossing in stormy conditions in an inadequate boat, and a trek across the desert, to seek safety in another country to escape the oppression, persecution and dangers of his homeland.
When he reaches the borders of a country which could offer him the refuge he so desperately needs, his path is blocked by an impenetrable glass wall and in order to enter the enchanting city waiting beyond it, he is told by the border guard that as part of the refugee application process he must relive the pain of his past and tell his story. But will Arman's story be convincing enough to the powers that be to guarantee his safety?
This is an extremely powerful and thought-provoking novel, which makes a profound impression upon the reader. The story has genuine authenticity because it is based on the author's own experiences as a refugee, and resonates strongly given events of recent times: think Syria; Afghanistan; the Calais jungle; the English Channel boat crossings and the tragic deaths by drowning due to unscrupulous people smugglers; and now, the Ukrainian refugee crisis.
The bureaucratic, heartless and inhuman attitudes of governments and their countries' populations to refugees in crisis is highlighted throughout, and the Glass Wall which Arman and the other refugees come across is the perfect symbol for the shameful and inhuman barriers put in the way of displaced people who need urgent help and protection, humane caring and open generosity instead of lip-service.
The book would have benefitted from one single editor to provide consistency (and to tighten up on the structure and sequence of events), along with a touch more linguistic editing, but this does not detract in any way from the impact of this timely, impactful and authentic novel which focuses on the struggles of displaced people and their will to survive.
When he reaches the borders of a country which could offer him the refuge he so desperately needs, his path is blocked by an impenetrable glass wall and in order to enter the enchanting city waiting beyond it, he is told by the border guard that as part of the refugee application process he must relive the pain of his past and tell his story. But will Arman's story be convincing enough to the powers that be to guarantee his safety?
This is an extremely powerful and thought-provoking novel, which makes a profound impression upon the reader. The story has genuine authenticity because it is based on the author's own experiences as a refugee, and resonates strongly given events of recent times: think Syria; Afghanistan; the Calais jungle; the English Channel boat crossings and the tragic deaths by drowning due to unscrupulous people smugglers; and now, the Ukrainian refugee crisis.
The bureaucratic, heartless and inhuman attitudes of governments and their countries' populations to refugees in crisis is highlighted throughout, and the Glass Wall which Arman and the other refugees come across is the perfect symbol for the shameful and inhuman barriers put in the way of displaced people who need urgent help and protection, humane caring and open generosity instead of lip-service.
The book would have benefitted from one single editor to provide consistency (and to tighten up on the structure and sequence of events), along with a touch more linguistic editing, but this does not detract in any way from the impact of this timely, impactful and authentic novel which focuses on the struggles of displaced people and their will to survive.
June 10, 2025
3.5 stars. I really loved this concept, it's so important and a frighteningly realistic dystopia based on the author's experiences as a refugee. I simply wasn't a huge fan of the writing style - parts felt rushed, and characters underdeveloped.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews