posted on 17 May 2021

Escape: One day we had to run by Ming & Wah, illustrated by Carmen Vela

It’s a sad fact that all too often people find themselves the subject of oppression and persecution – usually through no fault of their own but because their skin colour, their religion or their political views are deemed undesirable by a powerful elite. In these circumstances these individuals have very little choice and if they are going to survive and flourish they have to make the difficult decision to leave their homes for somewhere that offers them security. It’s hard to overstate just what a huge dislocation of their lives this represents – it’s never an easy decision and never easy to accomplish.

Ming & Wah’s wonderful Escape: one day we had to run tells some of those stories from across time and from all corners of the world. The book showcases the stories of brave individuals who have ‘had to run’ in order to save themselves or find the freedom they craved. The book is structured so that each individual story has its own page and is given a verb that characterises the way they found their way to a new life. So we get cling, dart, pedal, stowaway, swim, tunnel and a host of others.

There will be stories here of people who you might have heard of – Bonnie Prince Charlie or Harriet Tubman for example – but plenty of others from across the globe who will be new to you and you’ll find the stories of their remarkable bravery an inspiration.

But to stop the review there would be giving you only half the story because, as Lantana Publishing always contrives to give you, there’s also the stunning artwork. On this occasion it’s provided by Spanish illustrator Carmen Vela. Her graphic style pulses with colour and she catches the drama of the individual stories perfectly – and for those of you who love a map, you’ll be delighted to see where on the planet our heroes originate.

The book ends with the printing of Articles 13 and 14 from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and they are great words to end with:

Article 13.

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.

(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

 

Article 14.

(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.

(2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

 

Terry Potter

May 2021