Ali Fitzgerald

Drawn to Berlin is Ali Fitzgerald's memoir of teaching comic workshops in refugee shelters in Germany during 2015-2016. She is an American living in Berlin and many of the refugees are from Syria. They have come to Europe in huge numbers seeking asylum. The story takes place at The Bubble, a refugee center in northern Berlin.

The refugees featured in the book surprisingly did not draw violent images from their former lives in Syria. Instead they chose subjects such as flowers and ships. Her discussions with them were much different. They were painfully sad. All had left loved ones behind and could not get in touch with them. The German bureaucracy made obtaining housing and jobs a long-term goal so they were stuck in the shelters. The author includes in her book the historical connection between immigrants today and those from 100 years ago. The experiences were similar, including a rise in nationalism.

The book tells an important story in history but was quite depressing and a little dull. The black and white drawings, while appropriate for the dark nature of the story, does not help to engage the reader.… (mere)

This is a beautiful work of graphic nonfiction that is part history, part memoir, part biography. The stories told are heartbreaking and terrifying, but it’s important that they be told and that those of us who can help, do better. As a global community we must do more to help refugees and immigrants, not lock them in camps. History cannot be allowed to repeat itself.

For me, the only thing keeping this from being five stars is personal preference with regard to the artwork. It’s not a style that I find aesthetically pleasing and there were a few pages where I found the panels difficult to follow. It’s definitely worth the time to read, though, and is an important story to hear.… (mere)