UNACCOMPANIED

A documentary-style account dramatizes the situations of many teen asylum seekers.

Spare, striking, black-and-white illustrations portray five teens fleeing dangerous situations and making hazardous journeys to the U.S. Bookish Guatemalan Vilma, 13, was beaten and sexually abused by her father. Burdened with guilt for speaking up and precipitating the flight of her mother and younger sister too, she struggles with depression and self-harm but gets therapy and an education in the Chicago area. At 12, Rosa from Honduras worked to support her family; at 16, her narco boyfriend threatens her, and after reaching the U.S., she learns that she is HIV-positive. In El Salvador, Ricardo, 17, and his sister, Karen, 13, are preyed upon by gangs. A coyote drops them in the desert, and they’re picked up by border patrol. But Ricardo ages out of the U.S. facility for minors and is deported. Fanta, a girl from Guinea, underwent female genital mutilation and was married at 12 to an abusive 40-year-old man. At 16, she left her children with her mother, embarking on a challenging journey to the U.S., where she entered inhospitable foster homes. Carefully researched composites, these harrowing accounts are representative of cases seen by the Safe Passage Project, which provides pro bono legal support to young people like these. This fast-paced, relatable work is informative and enlightening, treating its subjects with respect.

Powerful text and images honor young people’s suffering and strength.