Hermanito
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- Create Date：2021-10-15 02:50:55
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Ibrahima Balde
- ISBN：841873342X
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Summary
Este libro te cambiará。 Esta historia arranca así: «Estoy en Europa pero yo no quería venir a Europa»。 Ibrahima Balde nació en Guinea， pero se vio forzado a abandonar su casa para ir a buscar a su hermano pequeño。 No salió para perseguir un sueño。 Abandonó su hogar para encontrar a la persona que más quería。 Una mirada ingenua， castigada， arrebatadoramente poética y， en definitiva， única。 La de quien ha sufrido todo y， sin embargo， tiene el poder de convertirlo en algo útil。 En algo bello。
Reviews
lucía
，
（received an arc of this book from net gallery）incredibly informative and touching。 a first hand account of the horrors many migrant people go through。
Anesa
，
Dieses Buch hat mich unglaublich berührt。 Diese Lebensgeschichte fährt direkt unter die Haut。 Ein Schicksal， das man sich bildlich eigentlich nicht vorstellen kann und doch so erzählt， als würde Ibrahima neben einem sitzen und seine Geschichte erzählen。 Ich kann dieses Buch absolut jedem empfehlen und jeden， der auch nur ein bisschen Empathie und Herz hat， wird es erschüttern。
Enide
，
“Racconterò loro tutto questo。 E so già cosa mi chiederanno， perché non sono tornato a casa se il mio destino non era l'Europa。 Anch'io me lo chiedo spesso， e non è facile da spiegare。 Ma ci proverò。 Uno， quando una colpa ti perseguita， è difficile trovare la tua strada。 Due， una volta che sei arrivato in Marocco o in Libia， è troppo tardi per tornare indietro。 La tua casa ormai è troppo lontana。 Sei imprigionato tra il deserto e il mare， come un animale。 E tre， non mi merito che gli occhi di mi “Racconterò loro tutto questo。 E so già cosa mi chiederanno， perché non sono tornato a casa se il mio destino non era l'Europa。 Anch'io me lo chiedo spesso， e non è facile da spiegare。 Ma ci proverò。 Uno， quando una colpa ti perseguita， è difficile trovare la tua strada。 Due， una volta che sei arrivato in Marocco o in Libia， è troppo tardi per tornare indietro。 La tua casa ormai è troppo lontana。 Sei imprigionato tra il deserto e il mare， come un animale。 E tre， non mi merito che gli occhi di mia madre mi vedano。 Questo è quello che realmente penso”。Un libro doloroso。 La sofferenza di Ibrahima Balde traspare da ogni pagina。 Orfano di padre e responsabile del fratello più piccolo e del resto della famiglia， Ibrahima vuole costruirsi un futuro nella sua Guinea come camionista。 Ma la partenza improvvisa del fratellino， che lo contatta da un campo profughi in Libia， gli butta addosso il peso del senso di colpa: parte con la speranza di trovarlo e riportarlo a casa， inconsapevole di quanto lo aspetti。 Un viaggio terribile， contraddistinto dalla violazione dei diritti umani。 Una serie di violenze， privazioni， umiliazioni， che lo segnano e trasformano nel profondo。 Letto tutto d'un fiato。 Ho molto apprezzato la scrittura。 Davanti ad una storia del genere c'è il rischio di snaturarla; Amets Arzallus Antia invece ne ha avuto un grande rispetto e si è limitato a mettere per iscritto la voce di Ibrahima Balde， senza fronzoli， senza retorica， lasciando l'illusione che Ibrahima ti stia raccontando la sua storia seduti insieme all'ombra di un albero。Mi ha molto colpita。 “L'altro giorno， uno di qui mi ha detto che l'Europa dà un sacco di soldi alla Libia perché non lasci partire i migranti， e per questo in Libia ci sono tante carceri piene di gente come me。 Io non so se è vero， non capisco molto di politica， ma so cos'è la Libia。La Libia è una grande prigione， ed è difficile uscirne vivi”。 。。。more
Kristall86
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Klappentext:„Als sein kleiner Bruder verschwindet und alles darauf hindeutet， dass er die gefährliche Reise nach Europa angetreten hat， macht sich Ibrahima auf die Suche。 Und erfährt am eigenen Leib， was der Traum von einem Leben in Europa für so viele junge Männer in Afrika bedeutet: Unsicherheit， Gewalt， Ausbeutung， Einsamkeit， Verzweiflung。 Ibrahima wird geschlagen， erniedrigt， verkauft， doch zur gleichen Zeit erlebt er den Zusammenhalt， die Hoffnung und die felsenfeste Zuversicht einer Schic Klappentext:„Als sein kleiner Bruder verschwindet und alles darauf hindeutet， dass er die gefährliche Reise nach Europa angetreten hat， macht sich Ibrahima auf die Suche。 Und erfährt am eigenen Leib， was der Traum von einem Leben in Europa für so viele junge Männer in Afrika bedeutet: Unsicherheit， Gewalt， Ausbeutung， Einsamkeit， Verzweiflung。 Ibrahima wird geschlagen， erniedrigt， verkauft， doch zur gleichen Zeit erlebt er den Zusammenhalt， die Hoffnung und die felsenfeste Zuversicht einer Schicksalsgemeinschaft， und schafft es schließlich nach Spanien， wo er seine eigene Stimme findet， um die Geschichte seiner Verlorenheit in eine Rettung zu verwandeln。“Die Geschichte von Ibrahima und seinem Bruder ist extrem bewegend und geht zutiefst unter die Haut。 Die Geschichte strotz zugleich voller Freude， Zukunftsvisionen aber auch gleichzeitig voller Trauer， tiefer Dunkelheit und vor allem Gewalt。 Seine Erzählweise （das Schreiben ist überhaupt nicht seine Stärke， aber das Erzählen！） ist sehr flüssig （aufgeschrieben von Amets Arzallus） und lässt tief blicken。 Er benutzt klare， authentische und einfache Worte und dennoch merken wir als Leser， welches Genie diese Zeilen hier geschrieben/erzählt hat， denn diesen Weg zu schaffen und sein Ziel zu erreichen， dem gehört der größte Respekt gezollt。 Ibrahima will aufrütteln， die Leute wach-machen und ihnen knallhart ins Gesicht sagen， was es heißt aus seiner Heimat zu fliehen， seine Zukunft im Blick zu haben und immer für das zu kämpfen was einem gut tut。Eine extrem kurzweilige aber sehr intensive Geschichte - 5 von 5 Sterne！ 。。。more
Sladyanova
，
Dieses Buch hat mich emotional so mitgenommen， wie lange schon kein anderes。 Nicht selten eine Träne vergossen und am Ende sehr viel geweint， das muss ein Buch auch erst mal schaffen。 Eine sehr wachrüttelnde， wichtige， und sich wahrscheinlich täglich ähnlich anspielende Geschichte; die trotzdem so herzzerreißend und individuell ist， denn all das， was Ibrahima passiert， passiert ihm。 Ich habe mich so oft dabei ertappt， mir zu wünschen， dass alles， was da steht， nicht wahr sei - jedes Wort Spiegel Dieses Buch hat mich emotional so mitgenommen， wie lange schon kein anderes。 Nicht selten eine Träne vergossen und am Ende sehr viel geweint， das muss ein Buch auch erst mal schaffen。 Eine sehr wachrüttelnde， wichtige， und sich wahrscheinlich täglich ähnlich anspielende Geschichte; die trotzdem so herzzerreißend und individuell ist， denn all das， was Ibrahima passiert， passiert ihm。 Ich habe mich so oft dabei ertappt， mir zu wünschen， dass alles， was da steht， nicht wahr sei - jedes Wort Spiegel die brutale Wahrheit wider und tut weh。 Sprachlich ist das Buch etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig， an manchen Stellen etwas „flach“， ich denke das liegt an der Übersetzung und der Tatsache， dass es von einem Poeten niedergeschrieben wurde。Meiner Meinung nach etwas， das jede:r， gerade hier in Deutschland und Europa， lesen sollte und vielleicht sogar als Pflichtlektüre dienen könnte/sollte。 Absolute Empfehlung。 。。。more
Lucia
，
Per intenderci。 È una storia vera incredibile quasi alle nostre orecchie。 Non credo che nessuno di noi possa lontanamente immaginare cosa la disperazione vera conduce un uomo a fare。 Non vergognamoci。 Non serve a nulla。 Cerchiamo di comprendere e capire la storia di queste persone。 La strada è ancora lunga。 Ma queste persone che arrivano a raccontare ci aiutano ad andare avanti。 Grazie Ibrahima
Andrea
，
Una storia che pensiamo di conoscere ma che in realtà non riusciamo neanche a immaginare。
JuliaJanine Roddau
，
A must read for everyone！
seitenstapler
，
Ein sehr berührendes Buch。 Die ganz einfache und unvoreingenommene Sprache mit der direkten Anrede des kleinen Bruders， macht das Gesagte noch schmerzlicher。
Giannina Alchemilla
，
Ogni tanto è importante leggere queste storie perché la propaganda è un virus che entra sotto pelle e rischia di contagiarti senza che te ne accorga。Leggere la storia di Ibrahima ti riporta alla realtà， ti instilla la compassione， che è il più potente antivirus。Quando leggi di migrazioni ti chiedi veramente il senso di questa vita， di questo mondo。 Ma che schifo facciamo？ Abbiamo sempre fatto schifo ma ora che lo sappiamo e non facciamo niente siamo ancora più crudeli。Io mi sento colpevole ogni Ogni tanto è importante leggere queste storie perché la propaganda è un virus che entra sotto pelle e rischia di contagiarti senza che te ne accorga。Leggere la storia di Ibrahima ti riporta alla realtà， ti instilla la compassione， che è il più potente antivirus。Quando leggi di migrazioni ti chiedi veramente il senso di questa vita， di questo mondo。 Ma che schifo facciamo？ Abbiamo sempre fatto schifo ma ora che lo sappiamo e non facciamo niente siamo ancora più crudeli。Io mi sento colpevole ogni volta。 E lo sono。 Come tutti。Poi passa perché la comodità è il più potente degli anestetici e ti fa digerire praticamente tutto。Non parto per una digressione sull’immigrazione dico solo che un libro molto toccante e che non induce nel voyeurismo del dolore e della sofferenza ma racconta con delicatezza e amore。Traduzione dal basco di Roberta Gozzi 。。。more
Anto_s1977
，
In questo piccolo libro， di appena 112 pagine， si racconta la storia di Ibrahima Balde， messa per iscritto da Amets Arzallus Antia。 Sì， perché Ibrahima non ha mai imparato a scrivere e lo dichiara fin dall'inizio。Ibrahima è nato in Guinea in una famiglia povera。 Lui è il maggiore di quattro figli e già da piccino aiutava il papà al suo banchetto di vendita delle pantofole。Purtroppo， il papà di Ibrahima muore all'improvviso， lasciandolo solo e lontano dalla madre， da cui fatica a tornare a causa In questo piccolo libro， di appena 112 pagine， si racconta la storia di Ibrahima Balde， messa per iscritto da Amets Arzallus Antia。 Sì， perché Ibrahima non ha mai imparato a scrivere e lo dichiara fin dall'inizio。Ibrahima è nato in Guinea in una famiglia povera。 Lui è il maggiore di quattro figli e già da piccino aiutava il papà al suo banchetto di vendita delle pantofole。Purtroppo， il papà di Ibrahima muore all'improvviso， lasciandolo solo e lontano dalla madre， da cui fatica a tornare a causa della mancanza di denaro。 Tornato al povero villaggio di origine， Ibrahima si rende conto di essere ormai il capofamiglia e che compete a lui occuparsi della madre e dei fratelli。 Capisce anche che in quel povero villaggio non c'è futuro per lui， così decide di spostarsi in Liberia。Quando il fratellino Alhassane si allontana da casa， nel tentativo di raggiungere l'Europa e contribuire al mantenimento della famiglia， Ibrahima si sente in colpa e comincia una ricerca lunga e pericolosa， che lo conduce perfino nei campi di prigionia libici， dove la vita di nessun uomo ha alcun valore！Quando inizia il racconto Ibrahima è un ragazzino non ancora adolescente， ingenuo e tenero， ma pieno di coraggio e forza di volontà。 Sembra proprio di vederlo portare， con fatica sulle spalle piccine， pacchi enormi per guadagnarsi da vivere o restare a difesa del camion del suo datore di lavoro nel bel mezzo di una strada isolata。 Eppure quel bambino è destinato ad una vita dura， complicata e di sofferenza， che lo cambia e gli fa pensare che non abbia alcun senso restare su questa terra。 Un racconto molto attuale， che commuove e fa riflettere！ 。。。more
Amelia
，
Just a short review for this one but omg this was such a gorgeous non-fiction that absolutely tore my heart out！ Reading about this time in Ibrahima’s life was so heart wrenching and felt so foreign to my life experiences so far。 I felt truly honoured to read his words and hear about his experiences and world-view and his story。 This wee book packs a real punch into less than 150 pages and is a real roller coaster of emotions。 It was such a privilege to read about Ibrahima’s life and his love fo Just a short review for this one but omg this was such a gorgeous non-fiction that absolutely tore my heart out！ Reading about this time in Ibrahima’s life was so heart wrenching and felt so foreign to my life experiences so far。 I felt truly honoured to read his words and hear about his experiences and world-view and his story。 This wee book packs a real punch into less than 150 pages and is a real roller coaster of emotions。 It was such a privilege to read about Ibrahima’s life and his love for his family and made me think about how far we would go for the ones we love。 Overall a beautiful read and a life-story I won’t be forgetting anytime soon！ 。。。more
Jim
，
We often see on the news stories of boatloads of immigrants making their way to Europe packed into unseaworthy inflatables known as “Zodiacs” and running into difficulties。 Some become "naufrages" or “shipwrecks”。 These people are trafficked from North Africa by some ruthless men asking as much as 4000 Euro from each desperate passenger。"In order to undertake that kind of business， you have to have a small heart。"This is the story of one such immigrant， Ibrahima Balde， talking to a Basque poet， We often see on the news stories of boatloads of immigrants making their way to Europe packed into unseaworthy inflatables known as “Zodiacs” and running into difficulties。 Some become "naufrages" or “shipwrecks”。 These people are trafficked from North Africa by some ruthless men asking as much as 4000 Euro from each desperate passenger。"In order to undertake that kind of business， you have to have a small heart。"This is the story of one such immigrant， Ibrahima Balde， talking to a Basque poet， Amets Arzallus Antia， about his journey。Ibrahima grew up in Guinea in grinding poverty。 He never intended to go to Europe， his dream was to become a truck driver working in Guinea， helping support his family， but then his little brother， Alhassane， disappeared and Ibrahima， being the eldest son， felt it his duty to look for him。The book is in three parts。 The first part is Ibrahima’s life in Guinea with a brief journey to Liberia to earn some money to support his family。 The second part is about his journey across the Sahara to Libya， where he last heard from his brother and the third part is about what happened after this。 The journey across the Sahara is remarkable， sometimes in buses， sometimes in pick ups and sometimes on foot。 En route he would often work in a small town， on a building site， mixing cement to make money for the next stage of his journey。"I spent every day with my three friends: water， sand and cement。"It is not just the hostile terrain of the desert that makes the journey difficult。 He meets with some hostile people， too。 He is robbed at gunpoint， he is enslaved， he escapes a prison and he has many difficult misadventures。 It is a heart-wrenching story。 There are some people who help him along the way like Ismail， a young boy who massaged his legs for weeks after days of walking in the desert。The story is told in a very straight forward manner， in short chapters。 It is like， he is talking to a friend。 It is a sad but important story。 Content warning: death; homelessness; violence; torture; human trafficking; kidnapping; racism; suicidal thoughts。With thanks to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for an eARC to read and review。Translated from the Basque by Timberlake Wertenbaker 。。。more
nessma
，
rating: 4。5★little brother is a heart-wrenching story bursting at the seams with so much tragedy and hope and resilience and yes it will leave you sobbing and feeling a plethora of emotions， two of which being: sad and livid。at its core， it’s a story about the oldest son carrying his family on his back with all the responsibilities that come with that， including going through what all of this book was to find his miñan; little brother。 it’s a story of a refugee， a migrant， a hopeful son to a suf rating: 4。5★little brother is a heart-wrenching story bursting at the seams with so much tragedy and hope and resilience and yes it will leave you sobbing and feeling a plethora of emotions， two of which being: sad and livid。at its core， it’s a story about the oldest son carrying his family on his back with all the responsibilities that come with that， including going through what all of this book was to find his miñan; little brother。 it’s a story of a refugee， a migrant， a hopeful son to a suffering family， a loving brother on a journey full of hardships that blend to portray the refugee crisis。i appreciated all that was poured into the making of this novel based on a true and real story。 it made me cry and mad and had my heart aching all the way throughout。 the writing style was definitely unique， though i found it fit the story quite well， weirdly。 it is snappy， conversational and you’re never bored。 the experience is more like listening to ibrahima balde tell it to you， and it works。 and there are a few lines here and there that were poetic and resonated a lot， too。 all in all， it was beautiful。the story， however， was not beautiful at all。 it is not happy。 should you read it？ absolutely。 it is such an important story from such an important narrative that should absolutely be read。cw: death， violence， racism， suicidal thoughts， human trafficking， terrorism， death of a loved one， thirst and starvation， torture， child abuse， misogyny， slavery， sexual assault， imprisonment。— digital arc provided via netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
cel ☼ readwithcel
，
Little Brother is an incredibly heart wrenching book to read。 It’s realistic， oh so painfully tragic， and knowing that all the words that have been put on paper are true， living， breathing， nightmarish memories and experiences make it so much more powerful。 The writing style is unique to say the least。 At times， it can be difficult to follow along， but I can forgive that as this is likely to due how Ibrahima Balde’s words were translated by a poet so it is understandable that things can get a li Little Brother is an incredibly heart wrenching book to read。 It’s realistic， oh so painfully tragic， and knowing that all the words that have been put on paper are true， living， breathing， nightmarish memories and experiences make it so much more powerful。 The writing style is unique to say the least。 At times， it can be difficult to follow along， but I can forgive that as this is likely to due how Ibrahima Balde’s words were translated by a poet so it is understandable that things can get a little lost in translation。 But regardless of the writing style， the impact of the words is still strong and it sounds like a friend recounting a story （albeit a very painful one） to you。I would recommend this book for sure。 It's relatively short， but it might take a while to make it through this book as it has a lot of heavy content。 It is still 100% worth it though and there’s so much to learn from Balde’s experiences and the way we look at the world around us。Finally I’ll say this - Little Brother sinks its claws into your heart。 I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time。 。。。more
Coralie • spellboundchapters
，
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange of a fair and honest review。 Here， you have the sea; but there， we have the desert。 If you have never seen the desert with your own eyes， you cannot really understand what it is like。 The desert is another world。 When you go into it， you think: I will never get out of here。 This book follows the true story of Ibrahima， who， as the oldest son， has to take care of his mother， his two little sisters and his little brother after his f Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange of a fair and honest review。 Here， you have the sea; but there， we have the desert。 If you have never seen the desert with your own eyes， you cannot really understand what it is like。 The desert is another world。 When you go into it， you think: I will never get out of here。 This book follows the true story of Ibrahima， who， as the oldest son， has to take care of his mother， his two little sisters and his little brother after his father dies。 One day， he learns by his mother that his brother fled to Libya so he decides to go after him to take him back to Guinea。 He will go to Mali， Lybia， Algeria and Morocco in the hopes to find him。This book was short yet so powerful。I had a bit trouble with the writing style at the beginning， but I eventually got used to it。 Nothing bad with it， I just thought it was a bit too simplistic （maybe because of the translation？） but it actually made total sense because it feels like Ibrahima is directly speaking to you。 The chapters are very short （a couple pages each） so it looks like a he's telling you a series of anecdotes。 I actually think this would work even better in audiobook form， especially because Ibrahima addresses to the reader several times during the book。 I read it on the course of 2 days but I could've easily fit it in one afternoon。The most heart wrenching thing about this book is that Ibrahima got to tell his story， but I can't help but wonder : what about all the other refugees？ what is *their* specific story？I think especially in Western countries， even if we know that these people have to flee from something horrible， we can never really grasp the full scope of it。 Even after reading books like this one， it's still miles away from the reality， but at least it opens our eyes a little bit to what's happening in the world。That's one of the reasons I love to read， because I want to understand the world around me and the people living in this world， in particular parts of the world that are unfamiliar to me。tw: death， torture， human trafficking， racism 。。。more
Andrea
，
The eldest of four children， Guinean boy Ibrahima was living in the capital， Conakry， with his shoe-seller father， when his dad suddenly passed away。 Focused on providing for his mother and siblings back in the village， illiterate Ibrahima spent the next few years travelling around， picking up skills and earning a little money along the way。 It was a precarious life for a child。 Eventually he set himself up to become a truck driver， a job that could give him a steady income and enable his younge The eldest of four children， Guinean boy Ibrahima was living in the capital， Conakry， with his shoe-seller father， when his dad suddenly passed away。 Focused on providing for his mother and siblings back in the village， illiterate Ibrahima spent the next few years travelling around， picking up skills and earning a little money along the way。 It was a precarious life for a child。 Eventually he set himself up to become a truck driver， a job that could give him a steady income and enable his younger brother - his miñan - Alhassane， to stay in school。 But when he discovers Alhassane has left the village and is in a refugee camp in Libya， en route to Europe， Ibrahima puts his own dreams on hold and sets off in search of his brother。 Passing through a number of north African countries， often on foot， Ibrahima is desperate to find his brother and get them both back home to Guinea。This book provides an unflinching account of one refugee's experience。 While Ibrahima lived to tell his tale， so many don't。 In this translation， the reader is occasionally reminded that this is an oral story， with Ibrahima addressing his friend， the Basque poet Amets Arzallus， directly。 Perhaps Arzallus' original work brings a stronger sense of this？ While I still got the sense of urgency， fear and at times hopelessness， that Ibrahima was trying to convey， there was something a bit 'flat' about it。 I suspect it is the translation that dampens the emotion at times， rendering it more dispassionate than the story warrants。 Overall， still a good and important read。With thanks to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for an eARC to read and review。 。。。more
Henrique
，
This was one of the most powerful stories I've read。 I found myself wishing for it not to be true or for it to somehow get a bit better along the way。The book is written in a unique way and that is thanks to Amets Arzallus Antia， a Basque poet that put Ibrahima Balde's words to paper。 Whilst the style is unique， I really enjoyed reading it， it was as if you were in the room with Ibrahima listening to him recounting his life's odyssey， It's also because of the style of the book that you as a read This was one of the most powerful stories I've read。 I found myself wishing for it not to be true or for it to somehow get a bit better along the way。The book is written in a unique way and that is thanks to Amets Arzallus Antia， a Basque poet that put Ibrahima Balde's words to paper。 Whilst the style is unique， I really enjoyed reading it， it was as if you were in the room with Ibrahima listening to him recounting his life's odyssey， It's also because of the style of the book that you as a reader are able to digest the story being told here。In a nutshell， Ibrahima travels from Guinea across many countries in North Africa （Mali， Lybia， Algeria， Morrocco） trying to find his little brother and to get him to come back home to Guinea。 Everything that could happen to him does happen and yet his mind is set on finding his brother so nothing can break his spirit and resolution， until something does。I recommend this book to absolutely everybody， well， everybody that has a heart and some empathy。 。。。more
Annie
，
Little Brother， by Ibrahima Balde （co-written with Amets Arzallus Antia and solidly translated by Timberlake Wertenbaker） is an account of the author’s epic journey across North Africa to find his younger brother。 Balde is the oldest son in his family which， after his father suddenly dies when Balde was a young teenager， makes him the primary breadwinner for his mother， two sisters， and little brother。 In brief chapters， Balde tells us how he tried to support his family and then， when that littl Little Brother， by Ibrahima Balde （co-written with Amets Arzallus Antia and solidly translated by Timberlake Wertenbaker） is an account of the author’s epic journey across North Africa to find his younger brother。 Balde is the oldest son in his family which， after his father suddenly dies when Balde was a young teenager， makes him the primary breadwinner for his mother， two sisters， and little brother。 In brief chapters， Balde tells us how he tried to support his family and then， when that little brother tries to make it to Europe， how Balde went after that brother to try and bring him back home。。。Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type。 I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss， for review consideration。 。。。more
Shelby （shelby。bythebookcase）
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Little Brother ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 （4。5 Stars）This book， what can I even say。 First I’ll sun it up - this is A memoir based on Ibrahima Balde's journey and put into words by the poet Amets Arzallus Antia。 The story follows his journey from Guinea to Libya， Algeria， Morocco—Ibrahima faces the darkest parts of life as he searches for his brother Alhassane。This was not a joyful book。 It was not the easiest of reads， largely due to the content。 It' is one of the most realistically tragic things I've ever read Little Brother ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 （4。5 Stars）This book， what can I even say。 First I’ll sun it up - this is A memoir based on Ibrahima Balde's journey and put into words by the poet Amets Arzallus Antia。 The story follows his journey from Guinea to Libya， Algeria， Morocco—Ibrahima faces the darkest parts of life as he searches for his brother Alhassane。This was not a joyful book。 It was not the easiest of reads， largely due to the content。 It' is one of the most realistically tragic things I've ever read， or come across。 It grabs you and holds you there， twisting the pit in your stomach as your heart settles in on the fact that you know this story is true。 These are more than words put on paper， more than just a book。 It is the live and the story of a man during one of the toughest and darkest periods of his life。 It is the story of his heartbreak and struggle， they are his living and breathing memories。 The way that this is written can seem - weird， at first。 It is written by a poet and the structure can be a little strange at first - each chapter is small and kind of lyrical， but it is clear that it was written based on a conversation， likely with Balde speaking into a recorder with Antia transcribing。 This book will literally address you as the reader multiple times and has an incredibly conversational tone。 There are times where he will highlight things as though you are sat directly with him， something along the lines of， "Do you see my pants here？ Look there，" and， of course，you can't see them and can't look there because he's not really here。 There is not much I can add here other thanit is something that should be read from his mouth alone。 Truly quite horrific， but a brilliant read none the less。 。。。more
Isabelle
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Die Geschichte von Ibrahim。Eigentlich ist es für mich immer schwer solche persönliche Geschichten zu bewerten。Aber diese Geschichte ist so emotional gewesen。Ibrahim erzählt seine Geschichte eindrucksvoll und dennoch benutzt er dafür nicht viele Worte。Auf jeden Fall nicht leicht zu lesen， so wie jedes Schicksal von Menschen， die fliehen。
Squittii tra le pagine
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Dal libro: "Tutti i nostri torturatori erano civili， non militari， gente come me e te。 Anche i torturai， uomini e donne， erano gente come me。 Nessuno aveva fatto niente per trovarsi lì。 Io ero andati in Libia a cercare il mio fratellino， tutti gli altri con il sogno di un programma per l'Europa。 Ma a quelli che ti torturavano tutto questo non interessava。" "Fratellino" è la testimonianza di Ibrahima Balde。 Non è un romanzo， né tantomeno una storiella da leggere a cuor leggero prima di andare a d Dal libro: "Tutti i nostri torturatori erano civili， non militari， gente come me e te。 Anche i torturai， uomini e donne， erano gente come me。 Nessuno aveva fatto niente per trovarsi lì。 Io ero andati in Libia a cercare il mio fratellino， tutti gli altri con il sogno di un programma per l'Europa。 Ma a quelli che ti torturavano tutto questo non interessava。" "Fratellino" è la testimonianza di Ibrahima Balde。 Non è un romanzo， né tantomeno una storiella da leggere a cuor leggero prima di andare a dormire。 Ibrahima Balde è un ragazzo nato in Guinea e che， adesso， vive in Europa。 Il suo racconto è stato messo per iscritto da Amets Arzallus Antia， giornalista basco。 Trovate la recensione completa qui: https://squittiitralepagine。wordpress。。。 。。。more
Stephanie Jane
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See more of my book reviews on my blog， Literary FlitsLittle Brother is a beautifully haunting account of Ibrahima Balde's lengthy journey in search of his brother， one which unintentionally led to him boarding an overcrowded boat from Algeria to Italy when he found himself unable to return home to his mother and sisters。 What made this book such a unique voice in the genre of migrant memoirs is Basque poet Amets Arzallus Antia's prose style which I thought Timberlake Wertenbaker has so effectiv See more of my book reviews on my blog， Literary FlitsLittle Brother is a beautifully haunting account of Ibrahima Balde's lengthy journey in search of his brother， one which unintentionally led to him boarding an overcrowded boat from Algeria to Italy when he found himself unable to return home to his mother and sisters。 What made this book such a unique voice in the genre of migrant memoirs is Basque poet Amets Arzallus Antia's prose style which I thought Timberlake Wertenbaker has so effectively captured in this English translation。 Despite Balde's words having had to pass through two other minds and languages in order to reach me， I felt as though I was really listening to him speak as I read this book。 。。。more
Eli
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This is a very moving story about Ibrahimas search for his little brother and at the end a story of life and hope。 Ibrahima's journey was very hard and gives a deep insight to migrants and their experience。 It is written like a conversation to the reader which is at first a bit hard to understand but it actually makes the story more unique the more I read it。 I wish it was sometimes more detailed as I kept getting lost in the story and words in different languges I didn't know。 But all in all th This is a very moving story about Ibrahimas search for his little brother and at the end a story of life and hope。 Ibrahima's journey was very hard and gives a deep insight to migrants and their experience。 It is written like a conversation to the reader which is at first a bit hard to understand but it actually makes the story more unique the more I read it。 I wish it was sometimes more detailed as I kept getting lost in the story and words in different languges I didn't know。 But all in all the story is incredible and will stick with me for long。Thank you to Netgalley for letting me read a copy of this book as an exchange for a honest review。 。。。more
Katie
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Thanks to Netgalley and Skyhorse Publishing for a copy in exchange for a fair and honest review。Little Brother is a book about a desperate， painful search。 The description listed it as a novel based on the life of one of the authors。 I'm not sure how much of the story is real versus fictional， so it's a little difficult to review as a novel。 The writing style is rougher than usual in written work， but it seems like it's meant to be that way to replicate the subject's own speaking style。 The plot Thanks to Netgalley and Skyhorse Publishing for a copy in exchange for a fair and honest review。Little Brother is a book about a desperate， painful search。 The description listed it as a novel based on the life of one of the authors。 I'm not sure how much of the story is real versus fictional， so it's a little difficult to review as a novel。 The writing style is rougher than usual in written work， but it seems like it's meant to be that way to replicate the subject's own speaking style。 The plot feels very memoir-like， where the people are more realistic and distant than characters and the plot events aren't quite steadily building to a climax。 For a memoir， that's fine。 I'm not sure about for a novel。 Either way， the story was interesting， even if it didn't fit the standard novel structure 100%。 The story of a young man searching for his brother across multiple countries drew me in and grabbed at my heart。 The emotions of the main character are clear and easily understood。 I value the insight into a refugee's life that made me yearn for him to have freedom， water， safety， or even a bed to sleep on。 The book did one of the primary jobs of a novel: it made me care deeply for the main character and want to see him succeed on his quest。 I'd recommend Little Brother to anyone with an interest in refugee situations， in African literature， and/or in break-you-down-to-your-core heart-rending human experiences。 。。。more
Ellen
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Little Brother: an Odyssey to Europe is the profound and gut-wrenching tale of Ibrahima’s journey from Guinea， across the desert and （eventually） to Europe。 Put to paper by award-winning Basque poet Amets Arzellus Antia and translated by playwright Timberlake Wertenbacher， the book is short， the structure simple， and the narration is conversational which makes it an accessible and easy read - especially for a subject that is often so impossible to communicate。We see headlines about migrants pack Little Brother: an Odyssey to Europe is the profound and gut-wrenching tale of Ibrahima’s journey from Guinea， across the desert and （eventually） to Europe。 Put to paper by award-winning Basque poet Amets Arzellus Antia and translated by playwright Timberlake Wertenbacher， the book is short， the structure simple， and the narration is conversational which makes it an accessible and easy read - especially for a subject that is often so impossible to communicate。We see headlines about migrants packed tightly into inflatable boats but rarely， if ever， do we hear about the lives and experiences of the people behind the statistics。 This is one of those rare stories。Thank-you to Scribe for the advanced reading copy 🙌🏻 。。。more
Майялен Арсальюс Антия
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One of the best books I've ever read。 Everybody should read it to understand what's happening all around us。 One of the best books I've ever read。 Everybody should read it to understand what's happening all around us。 。。。more
Thomas Kelley
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This is the story about the author who at a young age living in the West African country of Guinea along with his family。 He leaves school to work at his fathers shoe stand in the big city and takes the lead of the family when his father passes away。 He feels he must find a trade or method to earn money to help his family and allow his younger brother and sisters the chance to stay in school and he finds work around Africa to provide。 The takes off when his younger brother leaves the family to f This is the story about the author who at a young age living in the West African country of Guinea along with his family。 He leaves school to work at his fathers shoe stand in the big city and takes the lead of the family when his father passes away。 He feels he must find a trade or method to earn money to help his family and allow his younger brother and sisters the chance to stay in school and he finds work around Africa to provide。 The takes off when his younger brother leaves the family to find work also to send money home for the family。 The focus of the story is following the author as he travels and works his way around Africa trying to find his younger Brother。 The conditions that he faces are unbelievable with the deserts， chances of being kidnaped and bought and solid all in the efforts to find his brother。 This is an amazing story even though there is a lot of struggle and tragedy。 Give it a read。 。。。more
（a）lyss（a）
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I received a copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review。This is a harrowing and captivating book！We follow Balde in his search from Guinea to Algeria and beyond to find his younger brother。 Traveling by foot， car， and dangerous means he shares his experiences。 Terrifying and tragic at times Balde opens up about his family and his life as a child。 We get vocabulary words and insight into the jobs and things that Balde did to survive。It's an eye opening and I received a copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review。This is a harrowing and captivating book！We follow Balde in his search from Guinea to Algeria and beyond to find his younger brother。 Traveling by foot， car， and dangerous means he shares his experiences。 Terrifying and tragic at times Balde opens up about his family and his life as a child。 We get vocabulary words and insight into the jobs and things that Balde did to survive。It's an eye opening and interesting read。 。。。more
Kate
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This was a harrowing but incredibly important read， not least because everything Ibrahima covers is the truth of what he has endured。 The tragedy of his story is mirrored in the experiences of so many who are simply forgotten about by much of the rest of the world， and it is vital to put a human voice to these experiences， something which is done very effectively here。 The conversational tone is incredibly engaging， it truly does feel as though you are in conversation with Ibrahima and that he i This was a harrowing but incredibly important read， not least because everything Ibrahima covers is the truth of what he has endured。 The tragedy of his story is mirrored in the experiences of so many who are simply forgotten about by much of the rest of the world， and it is vital to put a human voice to these experiences， something which is done very effectively here。 The conversational tone is incredibly engaging， it truly does feel as though you are in conversation with Ibrahima and that he is telling you his story directly， not through the medium of print。 Occasionally I did find this made the prose feel a bit weird or disjointed， but overall it didn’t make the book any less impactful。 I hope that Ibrahima is able to build a life after all of the horrors he has experienced， and I hope that the proceeds of this book will help him to do so。 CW: death， violence， racism， suicidal thoughts， human traffickingThanks to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read an e-copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Hermanito
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Hermanito&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Hermanito&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0