An important novel that is as compassionate as it is eye-opening, The Exile and the Mapmaker is a testament to the triumph of the human spirit.
Theo, an aging Parisian cartographer, is desperately searching for the woman he once loved before Alzheimerâs takes his memories of her.
Elise, his estranged daughter, moves in to take care of him. She still blames him for the tragic loss of her mother and is struggling with this new forced intimacy.
Nebay, an Eritrean refugee, becomes Theoâs carer and friend. Unbeknownst to Elise, Nebay does not have a visa for France and is working illegally in order to support his sister.
Each one is living a life of questions and secrets in a world where Nebayâs very presence in the France of Theoâs maps is steeped in uncertainty.
âBeautifully writtenâ Katherine Stansfield
âVery movingâ Matthew Francis
'Emotional and eye-opening' @stories_with_hope
'Heart-warming' @bibliobushra
'Thought provoking' @SecretWorldOfaBook
Emma is an editor and writer with Are You Syrious?, an independent daily news digest which chronicles news from the ground regarding the refugee situation in Europe. She is also a freelance consultant for Refugee Rights Europe.