Read These 10 Best Indian Novels for Epic Narratives
When I wrote about Russian literature books, I opined that Russian literature and its vast geography are perfect analogies for their sprawling canvases. What about
Recently, I wrote the following introduction to a book in the best Italian books:
For centuries, people have moved across continents, rivers, oceans, and barren lands. What was once a migration in old times has become immigration in modern times. In older times, the reason was food and security. But now, people immigrate due to wars, climate change, and for better economic prospects.
And I thought, why not discuss books about migration?
So, I will continue with the above lines.
As I just said, migration has been happening for centuries but is unprecedented in modern history. Due to climate change, wars, and inequality, more people will migrate.
The manifestation of these reasons is already visible: the Ukraine War, the Middle East War, and migrations from Latin America to North America, among many others.
Interestingly, Europe is adopting anti-migration policies, and now America under Donald Trump is only going to get worse. The point is no one likes to migrate unless circumstances become a compulsion.
There’s, however, a strange paradox, and it all comes down to belonging and where you are going. And, it’s depicted in a very different way (say economic ‘refugee’ versus Western digital nomad in Mexico).
And, there’s so much more to learn about migration. So, let’s discuss some of the best books on migration.
This is a powerful nonfiction book documenting the European refugee crisis through an intimate, personal lens. Aikins documents his journey alongside an Afghan translator and driver, Omar, who decides to flee Afghanistan for Europe.
Aikins accompanies Omar on a difficult migration route, experiencing the dangerous and challenging journey firsthand. They travel through Turkey, cross the Aegean Sea to Greece, and then through the Balkans and Central Europe. Along the route, they face potential arrest, exploitation, and life-threatening sea crossings.
However, the profoundly human narrative emphatically addresses what refugees face and the personal costs of displacement. Through Omar’s story, Aikins provides a compassionate account of the refugee experience to show individual human stories behind the overwhelming statistics.
The book’s first-hand reporting and personal narrative make it one of the best books about migration. There’s another somewhat similar book, Lost Children Archive, which I discussed in Mexican books.
If you want to explore more human stories, check out the books about Afghanistan.
Travelling While Black is a thought-provoking essay collection that explores international travel by a Black African woman. Nyabola challenges traditional travel narratives by discussing how race, gender, and nationality shape people’s experiences of the world.
Nyabola recounts her journeys across multiple continents, from Haiti to Thailand, revealing the unique challenges of being a Kenyan traveller. She examines the politics of passports, visas, and border crossings and how colonial legacies and racism continue to influence freedom of movement.
She critiques the exclusivity of the travel industry, where whiteness often dominates exploration narratives. She invites readers to engage with travel’s emotional and intellectual dimensions. Her narrative moves beyond tourism to examine history and culture, making this a great book about migration.
If you want to explore more Kenyan writers and their work, don’t forget to check the best Kenyan writers.
No Friend But the Mountains is one of the most remarkable migration books by Kurdish-Iranian journalist Behrouz Boochani. He shares his story while he was detained in Australia’s offshore detention centre on Manus Island.
The book is entirely written via WhatsApp messages, which Boochani used to send to translators and supporters from a smuggled phone.
The book is a devastating first-hand account of Australia’s offshore detention system. Boochani shares his journey from Indonesia to Australia by boat, interception by Australian authorities, and imprisonment on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea.
He documents the systematic dehumanization of detainees, harsh conditions, brutal routines, and psychological torture that characterize life in indefinite detention. He describes the daily endless queues for food and phones, the oppressive heat, and the despair that drives men to self-harm.
Boochani wrote this book about migration in a way that blends journalism, political theory, and Kurdish literary traditions. It’s no wonder that this book won a Victorian Prize for Literature, among many others.
No Longer At Ease is a classic novel in the literary fiction genre set in a post-colonial Nigerian society. It is part of Achebe’s famous African Trilogy, following his classic work “Things Fall Apart.”
Obi Okonkwo is an educated Nigerian who returns to Lagos after studying in England, hoping to transform his society. He gets a job in a Nigerian civil service, only to find himself between Igbo cultural expectations and corrupt bureaucracy. Now, he struggles to maintain his moral principles.
He must deal with financial pressures and family expectations. And, this leaves him no choice but to get involved in corrupt practices. The novel is a perfect illustration of how migrational experience becomes a dilemma for Obi in post-colonial Nigeria.
The novel’s title is taken from T.S. Eliot’s poem The Journey of the Magi. So, this is a unique one when it comes to books on migration, where a character is divided into a moral dilemma between a free world and a post-colonial society.
Since we are talking about Nigeria, it has plenty to offer. Don’t forget to check out the Afrobeat artists and Nigerian authors.
Not all migrations have to be about running from war, famine or, in general, uncertainty. Some people migrate because they have big ambitions. Eventually, when they achieve those ambitions, it inspires a lot of people back at home.
I Will Try is one such inspiring memoir of determination in pursuit of education against overwhelming odds. It is about Kayira’s extraordinary journey from a small village in Malawi to achieve his dream of studying in the United States.
To achieve his dreams, Kayira walks 2,500 miles on foot from Malawi to Cairo. All he took with him was a Bible, John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress, an axe, and sheer willpower. His journey was not easy as he walked across cities, rivers, and jungles, facing every level of imaginable difficulties.
Once he reached Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, the American counsellors were amazed by his journey. They arranged for his travels to the United States. He got a scholarship at Skagit Valley College in Washington State.
This is one of the best books about migration where despite growing up in poverty and the societal limitations in colonial-era Africa, Kayira achieved his dreams. If you want to read another inspirational story, yet quite different, you should check What is What in my best novels 250 posts.
The Lightless Sky is another one of the best books on migration from Afghanistan. It is about the journey of a twelve-year-old Afghan refugee who flees to safety in Britain.
It is Passarlay’s year-long journey from Afghanistan through multiple countries after his mother makes the heartbreaking decision to send him and his brother away for their safety. However, he gets separated from his brother early in the journey.
Eventually, Gulwali travels alone through Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Greece, and across Europe. Along the route, he encounters smugglers and survives dangerous border crossings and detention centres. Throughout his 12,000-mile journey, he describes the fear, hunger, and exhaustion.
For example, he recounts crossing the Mediterranean in a tiny boat, hiding in lorries, and living in refugee camps, while also highlighting moments of kindness from strangers and resilience.
Gulwali Passarlay is now an activist and public speaker and uses his story to advocate for refugee rights and a better understanding of forced migration.
The Buddha in the Attic is quite a novel that tells the story of Japanese “picture brides” who immigrated to America in the early 20th century. Since picture brides are a collective in the novel, the author uses a plural collective “we.”
It is the story of a group of young Japanese women who came to America between 1908 and 1920. They have come to America after arranged marriages with Japanese immigrant men.
Now, the use of ‘picture brides’ is interesting here because Japanese women only see their husbands through photographs. So, it’s quite interesting and most of the time weird because their husbands look nothing like their pictures.
After that, these brides from Japan face many hardships including hard labour, discrimination, and language barriers. And, of course, the challenge of raising American-born children who often become strangers to their own culture.
Japan has a lot to offer when it comes to literature. And, you should definitely explore the best Japanese books and Japan cinema.
City of Thorns is one of the best books about migration. The book explores life in Dadaab, the world’s largest refugee camp, located in northern Kenya. Rawlence, using extensive research and firsthand experience from 2011 to 2014, talks about Somali refugees escaping conflict and famine.
The book particularly focuses on nine individuals, including Guled, a former child soldier. Nisho, who dreams of a better life and Muna, who as a young woman is facing the challenges of growing up in harsh conditions.
Rawlence also discusses the political context shaping Dadaab, including Kenya’s threats to close the camp. Also, the role of Al-Shabaab and the failures of international aid policies.
Overall, City of Thorns is an apt name as refugees live in a city-like settlement where people are born, marry, and die. And, how the indifference of the global community toward refugees puts their life living like in limbo.
This is one of the best books about migration as it approaches the topic in a broader, more thematic way. Kassabova blends travelogue, history, and memoir about the border region where Bulgaria, Turkey, and Greece meet.
The book begins when she returns to her native Bulgaria decades after leaving as a child. Upon her return, she encounters different characters and stories: border guards, smugglers, refugees and treasure hunters. Through these encounters, she uncovers Cold War escape attempts, ancient Thracian rituals, and contemporary refugee crossings.
She uses historical narratives from the Ottoman Empire through the Cold War to the present refugee crisis. And, examines how these historical forces have shaped the landscape and its inhabitants.
So, it’s quite an interesting book on migration and how borders impact human psychology and identity. Also, how artificial political boundaries divide and connect people.
Pachinko is an epic historical novel about the lives of a Korean family through four generations. The novel spans from the 1900s to the late 20th century. This is a great migration book if you want to understand how it shapes identity, survival, and resilience due to colonisation and displacement.
The novel is about Sunja who becomes pregnant by a wealthy married man in Japanese-occupied Korea. This may bring a lot of trouble but a kind Christian minister saves her by marrying and taking her to Japan.
However, things don’t end well for her in Japan. She and her family have to deal with being ethnic Koreans in Japan. They face systemic discrimination, economic challenges, and a constant struggle to maintain their sense of self.
Eventually, the family becomes involved in the pachinko industry, which becomes a metaphor for their existence and economic survival. In short, it is one of the best books about migration where identity crisis remains a consistent theme.
If you are into the historical fiction genre, you should check my compilation of the best historical fiction books.
As I mentioned in the introduction, migration has been going on for centuries. And it is only going to increase for obvious reasons. And, another particular reason is the ageing population of Europe and some other countries.
And, how China’s registered a higher death rate than the birth rate and its population will likely shrink by 50% by 2100. Now add Japan and other developed countries to this and its far-reaching consequences.
The point is that either the population increases or shrinks, people are going to migrate one way or the other. And how climate change is going to define migration? Your guess is as good as mine.
So, if you have any particular books about migration recommendations, do share!
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