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4.62 AVERAGE
4.62 AVERAGE
Definitely a difficult read, but also incredibly powerful. Pearlman has crafted something unforgettable.
The only thing that would make this book better is more stories. I want another edition or a second book about even more current events and follow ups about how all these people are doing.
I’m very glad that I read this book, as it really taught me more about the Syrian Revolution, from its origins to the current political state. The voices of the Syrians portrayed in this collection brought life to the story of their revolution. My one criticism is that I wish some of the narratives had been longer, but overall I enjoyed the story that Pearlman was able to weave together.
Great oral history from multiple Syrian refugees. This collection gave me a much more nuanced understanding of the conflict there than I had before. I recommend this on audio.
Wow. This is a really powerful volume.
A collection of stories from many different Syrians paint the picture of life under the Assad regime, why and how the revolution began, the ever worsening crisis as the conflict continued, and why some made the decision to flee their home and seek asylum.
What began as hope, has just shattered into such despair, and it is hard for me to fathom that this is happening now.
Maybe if we heard these human stories more often we would do better, do more. Maybe we wouldn't.
********
"Of course, when you're in a stable country with functioning institutions it's easy to have a moral code. But just keep in mind that these values are only made possible for you because other people did dirty things to put that system in place. People don't want to know about that dirty work because it doesn't fit with their idea of who they are."
Adam, media organizer (Latakia)
A collection of stories from many different Syrians paint the picture of life under the Assad regime, why and how the revolution began, the ever worsening crisis as the conflict continued, and why some made the decision to flee their home and seek asylum.
What began as hope, has just shattered into such despair, and it is hard for me to fathom that this is happening now.
Maybe if we heard these human stories more often we would do better, do more. Maybe we wouldn't.
********
"Of course, when you're in a stable country with functioning institutions it's easy to have a moral code. But just keep in mind that these values are only made possible for you because other people did dirty things to put that system in place. People don't want to know about that dirty work because it doesn't fit with their idea of who they are."
Adam, media organizer (Latakia)
This is one of those books I'm not sure you're ever supposed to be able to fully process, and I recommend it to everyone.
It's funny how much the West makes it seem like everything in the Middle East is too hard to understand, and that people there are so different from us, and it's such such utter bullshit. This was the biggest undoing of that I've ever read. It was also really interesting to see how many assumptions I'd made about what happens in a revolution — why was I fully taken aback when someone had started an arts masters program once things had already begun? Or surprised people still had to take exams? Or got married? I learned how much I had subconsciously decided that life had stopped.
It's funny how much the West makes it seem like everything in the Middle East is too hard to understand, and that people there are so different from us, and it's such such utter bullshit. This was the biggest undoing of that I've ever read. It was also really interesting to see how many assumptions I'd made about what happens in a revolution — why was I fully taken aback when someone had started an arts masters program once things had already begun? Or surprised people still had to take exams? Or got married? I learned how much I had subconsciously decided that life had stopped.
Haunting collection of first-person experiences surrounding the Syrian Civil War. The author, an historian specializing in the Middle East, mostly stays out of the way in favor of letting underheard Syrian voices speak for themselves. I do wish there had been a few more through lines throughout the book—the author’s objective summaries of each period of recent Syrian history in the intro were helpful, but (as an editor) I probably would have included them in the respective chapters.
Literally the only thing I would change about this book is getting some gender markers as well as occupation and location, just because I'm bad with Arabic names but am also especially interested in women's experiences.
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
I had no idea...the stories are heartbreaking and beautiful and worth hearing!