A Game for Swallows: To Die, To Leave, To Return

By Zeina Abirached

When Zeina was born, the civil war in Lebanon had been going on for six years, so it's just a normal part of life for her and her parents and little brother. The city of Beirut is cut in two, separated by bricks and sandbags and threatened by snipers and shelling. East Beirut is for Christians, and West Beirut is for Muslims. When Zeina's parents don't return one afternoon from a visit to the other half of the city and the bombing grows ever closer, the neighbors in her apartment house create a world indoors for Zeina and her brother where it's comfy and safe, where they can share cooking lessons and games and gossip. Together they try to make it through a dramatic day in the one place they hoped they would always be safe—home.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lerner Publishing
• Release date: Aug 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781467731331

Zeina Abirached

Zeina Abirached was born in Beirut in the middle of the civil war. She studied graphic arts in Lebanon but moved to Paris in 2004, where she attended the National School of Decorative Arts. In 2006, she published her first two graphic novels with publisher Cambourakis, Beyrouth-Catharsis and 38, Rue Youssef Semaani. Her short animated film Mouton was nominated during the fifth international film festival in Tehran. A Game For Swallows (Graphic Universe, 2012) has won numerous awards, including being named an ALA Notable Children's Book and a YALSA Great Graphic Novel for Teens. Je Me Souviens Beyrouth (I Remember Beirut), the follow-up to A Game For Swallows, was published in French by Cambourakis in 2008.

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Reviews for A Game for Swallows

[needmoreshelves · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In ways that traditional books cannot, graphic novels seem to have the ability to express difficult things so that they cannot be dismissed. This book brings to life the realities of war from the eyes of a child, so in many ways it is simple and straightforward. It's just one day, just one room, and yet the fear and anxiety are clear. I have seen comparisons to other award-winning graphic novels, and while I think those comparisons are fair, Abirached still has her own story to tell. I found this to be powerful and moving. Recommended.

[elizajane_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I read the follow-up to this, "I Remember Beirut", first and enjoyed that much better. This is a single episode of a family and group of friends experiencing a bombing during the Lebanese Civil War. The story isn't political or religious. We just sit in a room with the people as they wait out the bombing and fear for two children's parents who were visiting down the street before the bombs started. An autobiographical story but I didn't find any connection with anyone and mostly found the tale uninteresting and lacklustre. The art on the other hand is wonderful. I love the artist's doodling style with spirals and curlicues while the black and white sets the atmosphere.

[sullywriter_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another remarkable graphic memoir. In this French import, the civil war in Lebanon in the 1980s is seen through the eyes of a child. The black-and-white illustrations are reminiscent of Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis.

[rjmoir · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Tense but quiet, Zeina Abirached weaves this autobiographical story spanning a single night of the Lebanese civil war: her parents, trapped a few blocks away, cannot get back to their children because of the day's violent bombardment. Abirached's heavy, geometric blacks, repetition, and thoughtful use of negative space ramps up the anxiety of the make-shift family of apartment dwellers, gathering in the safest apartment in the complex to wait out the bombing, and hope for the safe arrival of Abirached's parents. Humor and matter-of-fact acceptance of the situation offset the horrors of war, as Similar to Marjane Satrapi's "Persepolis" in style and in subject matter, this title nevertheless stands out in its approach. While "Persepolis" spans many years and many locations, Abirached's story trades comprehensive narrative for suspense. Visually, the story breathes more than "Persepolis," yet the linework, more thick and stylized, feels heavier. Abirached uses ticking clocks, puffing cigarettes, and a tapestry depicting Moses and the Israelites fleeing Egypt to further create a thick atmosphere, that contrasts with the tenants' attempts to keep positive. Perhaps not a title that children would choose without prompting, this translated (from French) account of anxious waiting provides a top-quality look into life during a time of violence.