As We Burn

23-year-old Omar is on his way to Sicily to bring his cousins to Sweden. The cousins have fled the war-torn Syria, crossed the Mediterranean, and made their way to Europe. Now, the final leg of the journey remains before they reach safety in Uppsala, Sweden. Several of Omar’s relatives in Syria have been imprisoned or killed, and the gravity of the situation is palpable, but Omar also feels a sense of anticipation. At last, he has the chance to prove himself to his father and show that he is a real man.

The novel consists of two parallel narratives: Omar’s journey through Europe with his cousins and a retrospective of Omar’s internal journey leading up to his father’s assignment. In these flashbacks, we meet Omar’s mother who doesn’t feel at home anywhere, the cousins as younger versions of themselves during family trips to Syria, and Omar himself, drawn into violence and drugs, feeling increasingly disconnected from the values instilled in him at home. It’s as if he has a foot in both camps—one day planning a robbery of a jewelry store with friends, the next day studying criminology at the library. But when one of Omar’s close friends is arrested and charged with an execution-style murder, Omar is deeply shaken. He realizes he was never meant for the streets and must choose a different path.

In the present-day storyline, Omar’s father drives him to Arlanda Airport, where he will board a flight to Catania in Sicily, where his cousins are waiting. From his father, Omar receives two passports belonging to family friends Abdallah and Kristian, which the cousins will use to travel through Europe. From that point on, the cousins are known as Abbe and Krille in Omar’s story, nicknames derived from their new passports.

When Omar arrives in Catania, he hasn’t seen his cousins in ten years, and when he first spots them at the train station, he barely recognizes them. The escape from Syria has taken its toll—their clothes are tattered, the smell of seawater after six days on the Mediterranean is overpowering, and they are frail and exhausted. But it’s a heartfelt reunion, and Omar feels both excitement and nerves about the task ahead. His first mission is to make the cousins look like tourists, not refugees. They check into a hotel, shower, and Omar styles their hair, urging them to discard their bags and clothes reeking of seawater. But Abbe and Krille resist giving up the last possessions they brought from home, leading to tension between the cousins. Paranoia also begins to creep in, as no matter how polished they appear, they are still on the run, and a closer inspection could expose them.

The journey doesn’t begin as smoothly as Omar had hoped. When they buy bus tickets to Rome, Abbe and Krille encounter a woman and her son they met on their way to Europe. They plead with Omar to help her, but he faces a tough decision and ultimately declines, deeming it too risky to add two more people to their group. The cousins are disappointed and wary.

The group endures a twelve-hour bus ride to Rome. An incident with a traffic police officer irritates Abbe and Krille further—they think Omar is taking unnecessary risks, and the tension between them grows. The journey continues through Italy, passing through Florence and Milan. They check into a slightly nicer hotel, and Omar begins to feel more optimistic as the mood with his cousins improves. He even manages to book a trip all the way to Malmö. But then Omar’s father calls. When he hears the situation, he advises Omar to return home immediately, admitting that he should never have sent him to fetch the cousins.

Just before they leave the hotel in Milan, a man tries to blackmail Omar. The man knows the cousins are refugees and threatens to expose them unless Omar pays him. Overwhelmed, Omar jumps into a taxi and heads halfway to the airport before he changes his mind and returns to his cousins. For a moment, he considers bribing the blackmailer into silence using the cousins’ money. But when he returns to the hotel and meets Abbe and Krille, he decides instead to tell them the truth about what happened.

This becomes a turning point in Omar’s relationship with his cousins. The trust that had been eroding between them is restored. Abbe, the older cousin, takes command of the situation, and Omar feels supported, as though he no longer has to bear this enormous responsibility alone. They decide to leave the hotel immediately and continue their journey.

The challenges are not over, but the remainder of the journey becomes easier in a way. Omar and his cousins are now more united. Despite encounters with police, passport checks, and more blackmail attempts, they finally arrive at the central station in Uppsala, where Omar’s father is waiting for them.

As We Burn is a gripping debut novel with poetic language. It is a story about friendship, brotherhood, and coming of age through the process of discovering oneself.