Dark At The Crossing

DARK AT THE CROSSING

by Elliot Ackerman

 

Nomination: National Book Finalist 2017

 

Date Read: November 30, 2021

 

A plethora of books have been written about men fighting in wars and their attempts to escape the horror and violence. Dark At The Crossing follows Haris Abadi, an Iraqi soldier turned American citizen and his attempts to break into a war. He gained citizenship through his service as a translator in Iraq, however, he is unable to forgive himself for aiding the wrong side and for killing an American soldier.

 

Haris has left his entire life behind, including his devotion to his sister, to fly to Turkey near the Syrian border. Haris has been in touch with a fixer who has promised to Sherpa him across the border, however, once he is at the border with other refugees, he cannot find his contact. What he does find instead is misery and violence and a group of thieves who rob him blind.

 

After being taken in by some children into their makeshift shelter, Haris meets Amir, a man who is writing about the situation at the border and sees a like-minded and capable Iraqi/American who could be of benefit to his cause and a man who clearly needs a helping hand. Amir brings Haris back to his apartment and there he meets Amir’s wife, Daphne. 

 

Amir and Daphne are a pretty broken couple after losing their daughter in a car explosion. While Amir mourns the loss, Daphne refuses to believe their daughter is actually dead. They both seem stuck until Haris is introduced to their lives. With Haris’ conviction that he needs redemption in fighting in Syria’s free army, Daphne sees her chance to return to Aleppo to search for her daughter. While I won’t give away the ending, their journey turns out to be pointless.

 

I have a difficult time fully understanding Haris’ motivations in leaving a hard-fought American citizenship and sister behind to go fight in a country that’s not his own. How does fighting for Syria absolve him of any of his perceived guilt? Dark At The Crossing, however, does succeed in showing what a shit-show Syria has become. I ache for all the families who have been separated, for those who continue to fight and for those who have lost their lives. Haris’ life would have only been one more ant on the mountainous anthill of despair.

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