On July 2, 1997 Christophe Andre was kidnapped. Hostage opens with Andre recounting his three month ordeal to author/cartoonist Guy Delisle. At the time of his kidnapping Andre was working as a financial administrator for Doctors Without Borders in the town of Ingushetia, a small Russian republic west of Chechnya. His kidnappers came very early in the morning, busting in claiming to be the police. He thought they had come for money but quickly realized he was being kidnapped. His captors held him in in a solitary room handcuffed to a radiator. He had very little to eat and nothing to do but think. Obviously his confinement comes to an end but I won’t elaborate on how he gained his freedom. It’s so exciting to watch it play out!
The writing in this book is economical and the drawings are uncomplicated but nuanced. Every word is essential and every mark is significant. At 432 pages I read this book in one afternoon. If you like a good page-turner Hostage will not disappoint.
Sherri Mc.
