Imagine, if you will, that you could go anywhere you wanted if only you could find the right passageway. No, I’m not talking about a flight plan to Mars or a portal to the top of Mt. Everest, but a doorway. For any of you who’ve read The Chronicles of Narnia, think of the wardrobe.
This is the premise of Exit West, a book by Mohsin Hamid. In it, a young couple is trying to escape their war-torn city by way of a passage to Europe. The idea is that if one can only find one of the many magical doors, one could end up anywhere on the planet.
So they leave, moving from city to city, looking to improve their lives after having lost almost everything. It’s difficult on many levels, partially because the doors are kept secret and the ones to nice destinations are well guarded. They also have to face poverty and prejudice.
In fact, prejudice is a major part of this book. As the story unfolds, the couple finds themselves targeted by suspicion from the citizens of the countries they end up in. There are riots and police barricades. There’s a lack of job opportunities or shelters for them to stay. But they can’t go back, because that leads only to death.
The book doesn’t just focus on the couple though. It randomly adds other storylines to the main one. These storylines don’t always focus on immigration, though that is the main theme. For example, one of the side stories focuses on an older couple who meet when one accidentally stumbles through a doorway.
What is consistent through the whole book is the theme of refugees, origin, and identity. There are allegiance issues in the couple’s war-torn city that they have no choice but to endure or escape. There are communication issues among the various immigrants that are usually navigated through the limited use of English as a second language. There are assumptions made based on skin color, clothing, and religion that make it difficult or near impossible for some characters to do what they need to do.
But there are also many moments when the strength of diversity shows itself. It’s often in the little things, such as a compassionate aid worker, or a preacher who refuses to make skin color an issue.
The greatest thing about this book is its relevance. With all the discussion going on regarding a border wall and immigration in general, it’s this sort of dialogue that needs to be central. How can we get anywhere in a discussion when we won’t even look at its potential?
Because that is exactly what Exit West does. It takes a world with more potential for migration than our world does, and it lets the story unfold. Yet it also holds true the sufferings and triumphs of our current refugee crisis. As such, it becomes a poignant part of this issue.
*Note: This story ran March 7
