Reviews

A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea: One Refugee's Incredible Story of Love, Loss, and Survival by Melissa Fleming

faintingviolet's review

4.0

Because the suffering and despair that push refugees to flee their homes and risk their lives can only be tremendous, it is expected that a book memorializing the story of one such woman must be harrowing. Doaa Al Zamel’s is exactly that, but it is also an incredibly accessible primer on what life was like in part of Syria before the war started, the excitement that the Arab Spring brought, and the realities of suffering that families and communities have been made to endure both in the war zone but also in the places they have run to for safety. Melissa Fleming takes dozens of hours of interviews a well as other primary resources surrounding Doaa’s life and her ordeal in the Mediterranean Sea in order to make the point that not only is this suffering happening, that we are all criminally negligent (my wording) in our overall lack of response and follow through to this humanitarian need. It has become too easy to get caught up in to what the war has metastasized into; and not look into the great crevasse of need it has created.

Full review: www.faintingviolet.wordpress.com/2018/01/28/a-hope-more-powerful-than-the-sea-cbr10-6/

jenennap29's review

5.0

One word: powerful. This is such a breathtakingly painful account of Doaa’s life. One quote stuck with me: “I feel like I’m dead, too, even though I am alive.”

jmrlarsen's review

5.0

It left me speechless. Doaa's story was horrific yet must absolutely be told and shared. We can do so much more for Syrian refugees and her experience makes that abundantly clear.

adrisniembro's review

4.0

Increíble historia sobre un tema actual del cual debemos estar informados. Impresionante lo que están pasando los refugiados Sirios, la vida de Doaa nos ayuda a entender lo que millones de personas están viviendo con esta horrible guerra, las muertes, las separaciones de millones de familias, tener que vivir en condiciones inhumanas y buscar con valentía mejorar sus condiciones de vida sacrificando todo lo que tienen. Una lectura súper clara y ágil

harv's review

slow-paced

4.0

nataliab_reads's review

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

mistylloyd's review

5.0

I wish I could force every person against refugees to read this book.

scottystiegler's review

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

4.5

abanas's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

verticallychallenged's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

4.5