The personal stories of refugees and their life-or-death battles are usually lost in between the lines of news reports. In direct and undecorated prose, Fabio Geda beautifully delivers the human experience of Enaiatollah, a ten-year-old Afghani boy, whose will for survival is more than remarkable. In the Sea There Are Crocodiles will make you laugh and cry, and it will also make you a better person. Everyone should read this book.
Marina Nemat, author of Prisoner of Tehran

The personal stories of refugees and their life-or-death battles are usually lost in between the lines of news reports. In direct and undecorated prose, Fabio Geda beautifully delivers the human experience of Enaiatollah, a ten-year-old Afghani boy, whose will for survival is more than remarkable. In the Sea There Are Crocodiles will make you laugh and cry, and it will also make you a better person. Everyone should read this book.
Marina Nemat, author of Prisoner of Tehran

If Fabio Geda's first-person rendition of Enaiatollah Akbadi's story were entirely fictional, it would more than stand-up as a page-turner that makes you care about its hero from the outset and willingly accompany him on his often perilous journey from Afghanistan to Italy. That it is based on reality makes it more than just a compelling adventure story. For here is a frank, revealing and clear-eyed testament of the experiences faced by a young asylum-seeker in the contemporary world.
Diane Samuels, Guardian

If Fabio Geda's first-person rendition of Enaiatollah Akbadi's story were entirely fictional, it would more than stand-up as a page-turner that makes you care about its hero from the outset and willingly accompany him on his often perilous journey from Afghanistan to Italy. That it is based on reality makes it more than just a compelling adventure story. For here is a frank, revealing and clear-eyed testament of the experiences faced by a young asylum-seeker in the contemporary world.
Diane Samuels, Guardian

Charlotte Christie 20 September 2011

Fabio Gedes’ book: ‘In The Sea There are Crocodiles’ depicts the true story of Enaiatollah Akbari, a young boy who awakes one morning to discover he has been abandoned by his mother. The book follows Akbari’s survival without his family, against life threatening occurrences, whilst being trafficked across the world.
Gedes’s writes intermingling the voice of his protagonist and his own through a minimalistic writing style, using a charming ‘lack-of -awareness tone’ which is juxtaposed against the ordeals that one would hope no child would be able to recollect. This makes Enaiat’s story more poignant to read.
Enaiat's story grips you until the end as the reader is completely consumed in each job, journey, friendship and purchase (in the case of the watch that he finally buys) that Enaiat makes. It is a truly touching read that is fast paced and enjoyable, offering a different insight into lives lead by thousands of people that we, as readers never stop to think about enough. I highly recommend it to anyone.

Anne Cater 18 February 2012

This is the fictionalised account of a true story. The recreation of the story of Enaiatollah Akbari, a young Afghan boy who was abandoned by his Mother when they were seeking safety outside Afghanistan. Fabio Geda met Enai whilst in Italy, he has tried to be as true to the story as possible, using Enai's own words and memories.

Enai and his mother had fled their homeland of Afghanistan, to find a safer place to live. One morning Enai wakes to find that his Mother has gone, left him with nothing but some sage words of advice; don't use drugs, don't use weapons and don't steal. Enai is ten years old and now alone, in a strange land where he knows nobody. This is the start of a remarkable five year journey for Enai, as he makes his way to Europe with just his Mother's words of advice for company.

Fabio Geda has retold Enai's story excellently. Enai is humble child, yet masterful, eager to learn and a hard worker, he stays true to his Mother's teachings throughout his long hard journey across many countries. It is difficult to imagine the horrors that this small child saw and experienced along the way - the human traffickers who take desperate people's money in exchange for a small space in the bottom of a lorry, the deaths that he saw along the way, the 20 odd day trip across the mountains. Enai got through these trials with pure determination and need to find a new life.

This is a very relevant book, and pulls no punches. An essential read that will open the eyes of the reader.