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

4.0

This is a book everyone should read. It tells the history of the Syrian conflict in a readable and succinct way. But that is just the backdrop to the story of this one woman’s (this is a true story) path as a refugee. This book gives the reader an understanding of why people leave their homes and the dangers and challenges they confront to do so. The real content of this book is in the last 25% of the text. The preceding pages give the background and the first years of being a refugee. That portion is solid, but the last 25% is harrowing. I have seen the news stories of people crossing the Mediterranean by boat, but this accounting left me shell shocked. I just sat and cried and I don’t do that very often when I read a book. I had to wait a day to even write this review and there is no way I can convey the horror of the Mediterranean crossing. It is an emotionally difficult book to read but one people should read.

I say it often, but books help me exercise my empathy muscles and this one - wow - I felt it.