Los vigías

Each new book by Taina Tervonen is a small torch shining in the darkness with determination and truth. They bring us real stories, stories that unfold just a few kilometers from our homes, perhaps even happening at the very moment we pick up the book and sit down to read it: utterly contemporary, yet unknown or ignored. There is no doubt: migratory flows have always been present in the history of humankind; throughout the centuries, they have fostered encounters and enriched our cultures. This is also true in the context of globalization, where the scale of migration has transformed our societies. Who, then, are "the watchmen"? Five anonymous individuals who work behind the scenes for greater humanity on the maritime routes of exile. Sometimes they provide weather forecasts to prevent shipwrecks, other times they communicate with people en route or alert the coast guard, or, all too often, they assist in the search for the missing. Their actions are urgent and methodical, yet commonplace. They form an informal network that provides assistance to those attempting to cross into Europe. Men, women, and children disappear without a trace, amidst near-total indifference, and yet these guardians persist, and the boats and passengers come alive in this book through their voices. While the press loses interest in the subject and governments turn a blind eye, the author offers us an essential account of the magnitude of the catastrophe unfolding at our borders. She paints portraits of these five sentinels, bearers of hope, who act and document what no one wants to see. They dedicate their time and energy to restoring dignity to the deceased, to giving survivors a possible future, to ensuring that we do not completely lose our humanity. Here, they carry that small torch that shines in the darkness.