Tunis to Sydney

by M.T. Bennett

We may never know what each day will bring, and thus don’t really know how we will react to tragedy. As a transplant from Tunis in Tunisia to Sydney Australia, Lilia learns this lesson acutely while on a relaxing swim at the beach. Lilia is interrupted by her Australian husband, Bill, who tells her that her phone is ringing nonstop. Going back to shore she discovers a voicemail that changes her life. Back in Tunis, both of her parents have suddenly died.

What follows is a poignant introspection of emotion as the reader is privy to many difficult situations. We get an examination of Lilia’s grief at the sudden loss of loved ones. We feel her occasional guilt as she grapples with immigrating to another country, wondering if she abandoned her family. We get an identity struggle, and Lilia tries to reconcile the parts of her that are Tunis and the parts that are Sydney. From Bill we learn the difficulty of dealing with sorrow while comforting a loved one who is also grieving.

When Lilia goes to Tunis for the funeral we see her heavy emotions. She has returned “home” yet she is a stranger to that place, for her home is also in Australia, and while Tunis is familiar, in some ways it has also become foreign. She also struggles with wrapping up her parent’s life and affairs after their sudden passing. Authors Mariam and Christian Carnouche, both from Tunis, and illustrator Sam Rapley deftly capture the difference in culture, architecture, and feel between the two countries, and give readers a beautiful insight into Tunis.

As the story progresses, we see Lilia continue to grapple with her loss. Difficulty sleeping, loss of feeling followed by mood swings, brief hallucinations of her parents, and more. The colors in the funeral scene are beautiful and symbolic as it goes from stark white to orange then purple of a sunset, as the day progresses but also Lilia’s affect becomes darker. Through all of this Bill struggles to connect and support Lilia as she rejects his efforts to help, lashing out at the only thing she can.

While pulling away from everyone and everything Lilia finally finds something to hold onto. An olive plant from her mother’s greenhouse. In a moment of desperation Lilia places the plant, a last connection to her parents, inside her backpack and tries to smuggle it into Australia. However, Australia has strict laws concerning what comes into the country and Lilia is stopped by airport security, her plant is confiscated and quarantined. It’s like losing her parent’s all over again, this time she has to deal with her grief in Australia. Here she doesn’t have the excuse she had in Tunis where it was time dedicated to grief and dealing with the loss. In Australia she is supposed to be moving on with her “normal” life, but how can she when things have changed so much?

Concerned for her plant, Lilia follows up with the airport frequently, simultaneously ignoring Bill’s overtures of help. Without spoiling the ending and what happens with the olive tree, Lilia eventually comes to terms with her grief, reconnects with Bill, and moves past the tragedy. She reconciles her identity as part in Sydney and part in Tunis, a kind of transplant plant like her olive tree.

Beautifully written, culturally rich, visually stunning, Tunis to Sydney is a masterpiece in storytelling. It speaks to many difficult situations, loss, identity, immigration, culture, and support of loved ones. Books allow us to practice taking on another’s viewpoint and learning from it, and this book can serve as a therapeutic tool in helping and comforting someone struggling through any of those experiences. By reading Lilia’s struggles and seeing how she overcomes them and grows stronger for them, one can follow her roadmap and do the same in their life.

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M.T. Bennett has a degree in medical science and works in public health. He enjoys writing and spending time with his wife and three sons. Bennett is the author of “Dark and Bright: Poetry and Prose.” His poetry and articles have appeared in Intuition, Chiasm, Poet’s Choice, HEAL, America Media, In-Training, and KevinMD. Twitter handle: @BennettEmpty