Crossing the Farak River
Crossing the Farak River
“We don’t need to be rich. We need to be safe. Besides, we have the family stall,” Hasina says. She pictures those gleaming rows of boxes and tins, feels that nice full feeling. Is it true that the stall could be taken away?
Just then Ghadiya lets out a gasp. “Oh no!” Araf cries.
Up ahead is the Rohingya part of the bazaar. But today, there is no sound of Rohingya being spoken. No people at all. Just destruction. Stalls wrecked. Goods smashed. Hasina’s stomach curls with anxiety. What will they find at their own stall?
Hasina moves quickly now, dragging Araf and Ghadiya behind her. None of them speaks until they are at the back of the bazaar, where their family stall should be.
The position is the only way Hasina recognizes their shop; everything else she sees is beyond her comprehension.
The roller door gapes open. The shelves are empty, swept clear of the goods for sale, which lie trampled on the floor. Sachets of shampoo have been slit open. Luxurious Danish biscuits have been tipped out of their tins and stamped to powder. Dut* oozes from gashed tins. All of these beautiful, valuable, useful things – ruined. Now, there is nothing for her to count on.
Who could have done such a thing? She thinks of that young solider outside the bazaar. Is this his work? Why not just steal? Why destroy like this so no one has the benefit of it? Why waste what is good?
For a long time, the three of them pick their way through the mess. They do not speak. What is there to say? Spilling rice on the floor is an offence to Allah. If her mother were here she would remind them that each grain must be picked with the fingers. But this is something worse than spilling.
Hasina feels like she’s moving through mud.
[*Dut – condensed milk]
When soldiers invade their village, Hasina, her younger brother Araf, and their cousin Ghadiya know they must run if they hope to survive. After days of hiding in the forest, they return to the smouldering mess that once was their village. Their house is more or less intact, but the rest of the family has simply disappeared. Hasina, 14, must now take charge of shelter and food for the younger children while at the same time learning which people who remain are friends and which are enemies.
Hasina is an engaging and interesting main character who is wise and resourceful beyond her years. Many times during the story, she is unsure of what to do; exhaustion and worry threaten to get the better of her. But Hasina shows determination and courage as she deals with day-to-day chores in the midst of terrible conflict. Her resilience is clear throughout this coming-of-age young adult novel.
Crossing the Farak River is set in modern Myanmar, and the location is almost another character in the story. Readers will begin to understand the setting as the author presents the sights and smells of a world completely different from our own. This is a culture of rice paddies and Muslim prayers, of foods and clothing which will seem very unusual to young readers. The glossary at the end of the book helps readers understand vocabulary from six unique local languages, and the map just before chapter one helps readers orient themselves as to Myanmar’s location on the Bay of Bengal.
Also critical to the novel is the political situation in Myanmar, the persecution of the Rohingya people and the current refugee crisis. The author explains that Sit Tat is a group fighting for a Buddhist nation and the Arakanese Army are fighting for an Arakanese nation. Adding to the mix is ARSA who fight for the Rohingya. The setting of violence, terror and loss are present not only in this fictional account but in everyday life in Myanmar. Hasina puts a personal face on these current events, helping readers both understand and empathize with the situation.
Thus, the author takes on very important social themes in her novel. Prejudice and racism are rampant in the novel, and much depends on the colour of one’s skin, what language one speaks and what religion one practices. Hasina is constantly on guard and seems to walk a sort of cultural tightrope in order to keep herself and those around her safe.
Crossing the Farak River is an exciting adventure which young adults will enjoy as Hasina and the others must hide to evade the soldiers in one part of the story and Araf narrowly escapes being kidnapped in another. The intrigue and tension continue throughout the book. Young adult readers may not comprehend the very complicated political situations in the novel, and they may not worry that the ending and events leading up to it seem rather contrived. What they will enjoy is an amazing adventure set in an interesting and foreign environment with a memorable and admirable young woman as the protagonist.
Ann Ketcheson, a retired high school teacher-librarian and classroom teacher of English and French, lives in Ottawa, Ontario.