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rosemaryandrue's review against another edition
4.0
The Pluses: Lyrical and resonant, a modern war diary that feels deeply personal and authentic.
The Minuses: Recollections are strung together loosely in parts, as a lot of ground is covered in the book.
The Bottom Line: A compelling window into the life of a man who stays in his hometown as turns into a war zone.
Disclaimer: This book was won in a Goodreads giveaway. This is my honest and voluntary review.
The Minuses: Recollections are strung together loosely in parts, as a lot of ground is covered in the book.
The Bottom Line: A compelling window into the life of a man who stays in his hometown as turns into a war zone.
Disclaimer: This book was won in a Goodreads giveaway. This is my honest and voluntary review.
silverneurotic's review against another edition
4.0
It wasn’t until I read the afterwards with the author that I realized that this was based on a true story and “Sami” was a real person. Upon reading that, my perception of this book changed, not dramatically, but it did make me appreciate Sami’s courage all the more as I know that often times memories of the past are more damaging then the events themselves.
I have all too vivid memories of the news stories of the war in Syria. There were heated exchanges on my Facebook page about the crisis and reluctance of the United States to open their borders for those trying to escape the violence that had taken over the cities. Even having a limited knowledge about what was going on on the front lines, I hurt for the refugees and I wished there was something concrete I could do.
The City of Sparrows finally gave me a more clear insight as to what life was like in Syria before the war and as the war was waging. Told through the perspective of Sami, we see normal day to day life of school, falling in love, work…and then being thrust into mandatory military service followed by a precarious life spend in an active war zone. Through Sami, we pick through rubble to find food and water. We watch as friends and family are bombed and gunned down. We gain and lose hope over and over again.
Though based on a true story, City of Sparrows is a work of fiction. It is told in the third person limited, but i think the novel would be better told in first person. Although the novel was still powerful, having the story told in first person would be even more impactful as I believe the emotions that skim the surface here would dig down deeper.
I am glad that I found and read this novel. I am thankful to Eva and “Sami” for bringing me in for a look at what Syria was and is now, because sometimes it is important to look at the horrors of history and hopefully learn from them.
I have all too vivid memories of the news stories of the war in Syria. There were heated exchanges on my Facebook page about the crisis and reluctance of the United States to open their borders for those trying to escape the violence that had taken over the cities. Even having a limited knowledge about what was going on on the front lines, I hurt for the refugees and I wished there was something concrete I could do.
The City of Sparrows finally gave me a more clear insight as to what life was like in Syria before the war and as the war was waging. Told through the perspective of Sami, we see normal day to day life of school, falling in love, work…and then being thrust into mandatory military service followed by a precarious life spend in an active war zone. Through Sami, we pick through rubble to find food and water. We watch as friends and family are bombed and gunned down. We gain and lose hope over and over again.
Though based on a true story, City of Sparrows is a work of fiction. It is told in the third person limited, but i think the novel would be better told in first person. Although the novel was still powerful, having the story told in first person would be even more impactful as I believe the emotions that skim the surface here would dig down deeper.
I am glad that I found and read this novel. I am thankful to Eva and “Sami” for bringing me in for a look at what Syria was and is now, because sometimes it is important to look at the horrors of history and hopefully learn from them.