Zehra’s Flight, summary
Zehra is 12 years old when the war in Bosnia breaks out. In an attempt to escape from the Serbs, she, her parents and older sister and brother flee into the forests, ending up in a refugee camp after months of hardship and hunger. Fear, uncertainty and growing religious fanaticism characterize their daily life, but Zehra finds strength in her rebellious big sister.
The refugee camp is unable to hold out against the Serbian troops, and the little Bosnian family is led to Srebrenica, where Zehra and her mother become separated from the rest of the family. Mother and daughter succeed in escaping the horrors of Srebrenica, but are soon forced to take flight again – this time with a transport that brings them to Denmark, where they seek asylum.
Denmark is a land full of possibilities for a young woman with a zest for life. But it is also a country where, officially, asylum seekers aren’t allowed to do much, other than wait.
Zehra’s Flight is the story of war and of a family in a state of disintegration, and about life as a refugee – both at home and in Denmark. It is also the story of a thoughtful girl who – in the shadow of all the horror – matures into a woman and falls in love with a man in Denmark. It is a relationship that develops unexpectedly and strengthens Zehra’s existential reflections about war and love, evil and good, freedom, religion and nationalism, and all the nice things that ought to characterize a normal life.