Small Boat A Novel

I have mixed feelings about this book. It is a very short novel, and I would say I really liked the first half. But saying that I “liked” it feels strange, because the subject is very disturbing. The book is based on a real tragedy. A small boat with migrants is sinking in the waters between France and England. The people on board call for help. The French authorities say the boat is in British waters. In the end, no one comes to rescue them. The boat sinks, and around 30 people lose their lives. After this, the novel focuses on the woman who answered the emergency call. She is being questioned, and we follow the story mostly through her thoughts. What makes the book so uncomfortable is that she does not see any fault in what she did. She stands by her decision. She keeps repeating the same sentence: “I did not tell them to leave.” Being inside her mind feels heavy. It is difficult to read because you are forced to see her way of thinking. I do not agree with her at all, but the book makes you understand how she justifies her actions. It becomes a psychological story about responsibility, denial, and emotional distance, especially in the context of immigration. The first half felt strong and intense. But in the second half, the repetition became too much for me. I understand that this was probably intentional, to show how fixed she is in her thinking. Still, it felt dragged out, and my interest slowly faded. In the end, I gave it three stars. It is an important and thought provoking book, and it gives a lot to discuss. But overall, it felt a bit uneven to me.