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Welcome to the new world : a graphic novel  Cover Image Book Book

Welcome to the new world : a graphic novel / by Jake Halpern and Michael Sloan.

Halpern, Jake, (author.). Sloan, Michael, 1963- (illustrator.).

Summary:

"After escaping a Syrian prison, Ibrahim Aldabaan and his family fled the country to seek protection in America. Among the few refugees to receive visas, they finally landed in JFK airport on November 8, 2016, Election Day. The family had reached a safe harbor, but woke up to the world of Donald Trump and a Muslim ban that would sever them from the grandmother, brothers, sisters, and cousins stranded in exile in Jordan. Welcome to the New World tells the Aldabaans' story. Resettled in Connecticut with little English, few friends, and even less money, the family of seven strive to create something like home. As a blur of language classes, job-training programs, and the fearsome first days of high school (with hijab) give way to normalcy, the Aldabaans arelulled into a sense of security. A white van cruising slowly past the house prompts some unease, which erupts into full terror when the family receives a death threat and is forced to flee and start all over yet again. The America in which the Aldabaans must make their way is by turns kind and ignorant, generous and cruel, uplifting and heartbreaking"-- Provided by publisher.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9781250305596 (paperback)
  • Physical Description: 179 pages : chiefly illustrations (some colour) ; 24 cm
  • Edition: First edition.
  • Publisher: New York : Metropolitan Books, Henry Holt and Company, 2020.

Content descriptions

General Note:
Originally published as a twenty-two part series in the New York Times.
Immediate Source of Acquisition Note:
Donation ; Marni Stanley ; 2023/08.
Subject: Refugees > Syria > Comic books, strips, etc.
Refugees > United States > Comic books, strips, etc.
Genre: Comics (Graphic works)
Graphic novels.

Available copies

  • 1 of 1 copy available at Vancouver Island University Library.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show All Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Circulation Modifier Holdable? Status Due Date Courses
VIU Library - Nanaimo Campus PN 6727 H2577 W45 2020 (Text) M012274194 GRAPHIC-NARRATIVES Volume hold Available -

  • Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2020 September #1
    *Starred Review* Originally told as a Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times series, this full-length compilation from journalist Halpern tells the true experience of the Aldabaan family, Syrian immigrant brothers who came to the U.S. via Jordan and settled in Connecticut on Election Day 2016. The account concentrates on brother Ibrahim and his wife Adeebah, along with their five children, as they struggle to acclimate to American norms while trying to find employment and attend school under the fear of deportation by the Trump administration. By turns heartbreaking and amusing, Halpern, who spent several years with the family, shows the bittersweet life the Aldabaans left behind and the pressure put on them to become independent within several months of their arrival (Ibrahim, a business owner in the Middle East, is pressured to take a minimum wage job at Friendly's to support his family of seven). Despite understated black-and-white illustrations, Sloan is able to convey the difficult circumstances in Syria, along with the love and support the family members offer one another. While readers may be tempted to dismiss this book as just another work of graphic nonfiction, this is journalism at its finest, allowing readers to identify or sympathize with the immigrant experience. Copyright 2020 Booklist Reviews.
  • Kirkus Reviews : Kirkus Reviews 2020 September #1
    Immersion journalism in the form of a graphic narrative following a Syrian family on their immigration to America. Originally published as a 22-part series in the New York Times that garnered a Pulitzer for editorial cartooning, the story of the Aldabaan familyâ€"first in exile in Jordan and then in New Haven, Connecticutâ€"holds together well as a full-length book. Halpern and Sloan, who spent more than three years with the Aldabaans, movingly explore the family’s significant obstacles, paying special attention to teenage son Naji, whose desire for the ideal of the American dream was the strongest. While not minimizing the harshness of the repression that led them to journey to the U.S.â€"or the challenges they encountered after they arrivedâ€"the focus on the day-by-day adjustment of a typical teenager makes the narrative refreshingly tangible and free of political polemic. Still, the family arrived at New York’s JFK airport during extraordinarily political times: Nov. 8, 2016, the day that Donald Trump was elected. The plan had been for the entire extended family to move, but some had traveled while others awaited approval, a process that was hampered by Trump’s travel ban. The Aldabaans encountered the daunting odds that many immigrants face: find shelter and employment, become self-sustaining quickly, learn English, and adjust to a new culture and climate (Naji learned to shovel snow, which he had never seen). They also received anonymous death threats, and Naji wanted to buy a gun for protection. He asked himself, “Was this the great future you were talking about back in Jordan?” Yet with the assistance of selfless volunteers and a community of fellow immigrants, the Aldabaans persevered. The epilogue provides explanatory context and where-are-they-now accounts, and Sloan’s streamlined, uncluttered illustrations nicely complement the text, consistently emphasizing the humanity of each person. An accessible, informative journey through complex issues during turbulent times. Copyright Kirkus 2020 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.
  • Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 2020 August #1

    This perceptive work of graphic journalism from Halpern (Bad Paper) and Sloan (Zen of Nimbus series) collects their Pulitzer-winning New York Times series, which follows one refugee family, the Adalbaans, on their journey from war-torn Syria to Connecticut on the eve of Donald Trump's election. Once arrived, they are given an absurd three months to find work and integrate into American life before their aid runs out. At the center is Naji, the oldest son of Ibrahim and Adeebah, whose pop-culture-driven American dream gets a sharp reality check when he encounters bullies and boredom. Some elements of the story are all too familiar among immigrant narratives—the humiliation of scrounging for work, terrifying encounters with racist harassment—but Halpern and Sloan's smart use of humorous and heart-wrenching details particularize the family's story while effectively conveying their political message. For example, Adeebah has many legitimate fears about life in Connecticut, but she is also very worried about bears (she's heard rumors they invade yards). And when an elderly neighbor shows Naji her Life Alert bracelet, Naji imagines fleeing Syrians pressing buttons on their wrists as they escape a burning city. Moments like this underscore the world's inequalities while uplifting idiosyncratic moments of connection. Sloan's loose-lined art is simple but evocative both in poignant and playful scenes. For readers raised on Persepolis, this moving documentary portrait hits home. (Sept.)

    Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly.

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