Above Us the Milky Way
Afghanistan

Above Us the Milky Way

by Fowzia Karimi

Summary

Above Us the Milky Way is a story about war, immigration, and the remarkable human capacity to create beauty out of horror. As a young family attempts to reconstruct their lives in a new and peaceful country, they are daily drawn back to the first land through remembrance and longing, by news of the continued suffering and loss of loved ones, and by the war dead, who have immigrated and reside with them, haunting their days and illuminating the small joys and wonders offered them by the new land.

The novel's structure is built around the alphabet, twenty-six pieces written in the first person that sketch a through-line of memory for the lives of the five daughters, mother, and father. Ghost stories and fairytales are woven with old family photographs and medieval-style watercolor illuminations to create an origin story of loss and remembrance.

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Fowzia Karimi
Fowzia Karimi

Fowzia Karimi is an Afghan-American artist and author whose work combines storytelling, memory, and richly detailed visual art. Her graphic memoir Above the Rooftops recounts her childhood in Afghanistan, her family’s experiences during war, and their journey to the United States. Her distinctive illustrations preserve personal and cultural memories while exploring displacement, family, and belonging.

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Published
2020
Author
Fowzia Karimi