The Boat People

“The Boat People is a burning flare of a novel, at once incendiary and illuminating. With a rare combination of precision, empathy and insight, Sharon Bala has crafted an unflinching examination of what happens when the fundamental human need for safety collides with the cold calculus of bureaucracy. In the best tradition of fearless literature, it shatters our comfortable illusions about who we really are and reveals just how asymmetrical the privilege of belonging can be. This is a brilliant debut – a story that needs to be told, told beautifully.”
—Omar El Akkad, author of American War

“Probing…Timely…”
—The New Yorker

“Timely and engrossing…This is a powerful debut.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Rooted in actual events, Bala uses the tools of fiction to excavate the human truths hidden under the headlines…The Boat People is a book perfect for our times, essential reading to bring context to questions which we are, perhaps, more inclined to ignore.” 
—Toronto Star

“This earnest debut novel forcefully explores the issues surrounding immigration…deeply moving and nuanced, The Boat People asks what price a country is willing to pay when public safety comes at the cost of human lives.”
—Booklist

“A multifaceted debut novel…Cinematic details transport us to a tension-rich drama…Bala moves fluidly from past to present, mixing memories with current crises…Such juxtapositions build and maintain suspense all the way to the last line, where readers are left hanging, as if justice is in our hands.”
—BookPage

“A deeply honest story that speaks from the soul of the refugee. Sharon Bala paints a picture of love, strength and struggle so vividly and so powerfully with her words, that it has the ability to be a catalyst for a deeper conversation and change about issues surrounding immigration today…Bravo to Bala on a phenomenal début that gives life to every one of us who wants people to have the opportunity for a better life.”
—Fredericksburg Freelance-Star