I hesitated to write this review tonight because of the election in the United States. Not many will show an interest in a book review when the government of a neighbouring country is mired in the election of two figures who both have questionable popularity.
However, Lawrence Hill’s most recent book, The Illegal does show the reader what can happen when a government disrespects individuals within their countries. The Illegal read like a political thriller, fairly perdictable and straight forward, with completely fictional countries in a completely fictional sea. The protagonist, Keita Ali, is the main ‘illegal’ amid many, many individuals that were undocumented or just the wrong social group. That is unless they were useful to someone in governmental or monetary power. Journalism and the spread of alternate ideas and exposés was brutally excised. Keita Ali is a young man whose only desire is to be a marathon runner, yet he finds his ability to run races easily challenged by needing to stay ahead of those that would control, kill or maim him. His father, an independent journalist, is killed by this government. Later in the story, his sister is imprisoned, again by the government. Keita Ali must run actual races for the money to save his sister, and run a race against time to meet the deadline he was given to get the money in.
My main take away of this story, is that when there is trouble, many very disparate people step up to help. Keita Ali comes in contact with several characters, all completely different in gender, age and ability, that ultimately aid him in his race to the finish. Tough Viola Hill, proud, gay, and disabled, is a hard headed journalist who wants to find out the truth about government corruption and a disappeared young woman. John Falconer, a young and very gifted teenager, runs throughout the story, chasing down the players for a documentary that he is making for a school assignment. Ivernia Beech, an 85 year old woman who is at risk of losing her independence finds purpose in helping many illegals and especially Keita. These are only three, but they each find their own place in the story.
An easy read, The Illegal told a story that, globally, most are all too familiar with. Refugees that are homeless and stateless and must just survive. Lawrence Hill has made this struggle palatable for his readers.
“Every voter knew that the Family Party had come to power promising to deport Illegals, to manage it’s borders more efficiently and to ensure that people of traditional European stock weren’t overrun in their own country.”
~ Lawrence Hill, The Illegal
Title: The Illegal
Author: Lawrence Hill
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Publication Date: Hardcover 2015
Format: Pbk edition 2016
ISBN: 978-1-55468-384-0 (hc.)
Type: Fiction
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