Around the world, forced migration doubled in the decade leading up to
2019. Over that time, the borders of the European Union became the
world's deadliest frontier. More than 20,000 people have died or
disappeared while attempting to gain entry since 2012, the year the EU
was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In Where the Water Ends, Zoe Holman
traces the story of this frontier from the perspective of migrants,
mainly from the Middle East, via Greece, the cradle of European and
'western' civilisation, now itself marginalised within the EU and
precariously hosting some 90,000 refugees. This is human history in the
best sense. Through Holman's account we see the intricate and complex
daily, monthly, and yearly challenges of those seeking, within or
outside of 'the system, ' a future for themselves and their loved ones
in which they can be safe and thrive. Where the Water Ends urges us to
reflect on the lessons of the past, the isolationist spirit of the
present, and the promises and failures of the international institutions
and conventions we continue to rely on in our hope for a better future.