“Don’t focus on the darkness and sadness. If you do, you won’t see the light even if it’s staring you in the face.”

This is an award winning novel by Syrian Canadian author Zoulfa Katouh set in Homs, Syria during the Civil War.

The Syrian Civil war began in March 2011 as discontent with the Ba'athist government led to large-scale protests and pro-democracy rallies across Syria, as part of the wider Arab Spring protests in the region. Numerous protests were violently suppressed by security forces in deadly crackdowns ordered by Bashar al-Assad, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and detentions (Wikipedia) and millions of refugees.

Salama is a pharmacy student rapidly pushed into a surgical role dealing with death, trauma and violence everyday. She knows she must help her pregnant sister-in-law Layla escape the atrocities, but she is torn by a sense of duty to her country and her work. She meets Kenan, an idealistic revolutionary who also needs to protect his siblings.

This was an engaging, enlightening read. The romance was sweet and the message was important. I found myself crossing my fingers and willing Salama to escape the violence and survive. ( )

Tragic story of the plight of Syrians in Syria. Samala is a young pharmacy student who has been pressed in to service as a doctor to help the war ravaged country. Samala's mother has died, and her brother and father are in prison. Her sister-in-law, Layla, is pregnant. Layla begs her daily to ask about a boat passage out of Syria. Samala doesn't want to leave, knowing that there are many lives to save. She then meets Kenan, after saving a young girl, and recognizes him as the one that her mother was trying to arrange for her to meet and marry. Samala also hallucinates, seeing Khawf, who is telling her to leave Syria.
This is a story of love, hope, and war. It talks of freedom and sacrifice. It is sad, but hopeful. ( )

Recommended by Laure at Odyssey

Salama was in her second year of college, studying to be a pharmacist, when the Syrian revolution broke out and her city of Homs became a war zone. Now, Salama's mother is dead, her father and brother are either dead or being tortured, and Salama volunteers at the hospital alongside Dr. Zian, a father figure to her in the chaos and blood.

Salama lives with her best friend and sister-in-law, Layla, who is seven months pregnant and no longer leaves the house for fear of snipers. At night, Salama is tormented by a hallucination in the form of a man named Khawf, who replays horrible memories or imagines horrific scenes, in an attempt at self-preservation - to get Salama to leave Syria. At last, Salama arranges passage for herself and Layla on a boat, but then she meets Kenan when she saves the life of his younger sister, Lama. Kenan, who studied animation, now documents protests and posts videos online; he and Salama bond over their love of Studio Ghibli movies, and dream of telling stories together. But can Salama convince him to leave with her before he becomes a martyr?

Violence from bombs, bullets, and even sarin gas attacks, on top of starvation, make this a truly wrenching read. Characters face relentless danger and impossible decisions. An epilogue tells of their fates.

See also: The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh, 83 Days in Mariupol by Don Brown, Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

Quotes

"Life is more than just survival, Salama." (Layla, 10)

Working here [at the hospital] has hardened and softened my heart in ways I never guessed it would. (32)

No one takes a rickety boat on the sea if there is another choice. (35)

"I can't save them....Everyone is dying. Nothing I do works." (Salama to Layla, 143)

"Feelings give you hope. There's nothing wrong with finding comfort amid what's happening." (Layla to Salama, 145)

"At this point, Salama, all you can hope for is survival. Not happiness." (Khawf, 154)

Survivor's remorse is a second skin we are cursed to wear forever. (169)

"This isn't an easy choice, but it's not wrong." (Salama to Kenan, 180)

"It's my way of asking forgiveness for leaving." (Salama to Layla, re: attending the anniversary protest, 238)

Being this close to leaving is allowing the suppressed dreams to wake up and grow like ivy between the cracks. (275)

Fate has his strings, but we're the ones who twist them together with our actions. (316)

"It wasn't your fault."
"Then why does it feel like it was?" (Khawf and Salama, 378) ( )

Wars and revolutions are the most painful experiences in human life. The choice of freedom is sometimes above all. It is a very sad and intense story that keeps you curious throughout the book. ( )

AURA IB Box 3 - 75
Hardcover ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316351377 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316351379
PZ7 .K 3727 A 2022 AURA