"The second time Doaa nearly drowned, she was adrift in the center of a hostile sea that had just swallowed the man she loved. She was so cold she couldn't feel her feet, so thirsty her tongue had swollen in her mouth. She was so overcome with grief that if not for the two tiny baby girls in her arms, barely alive, she would have let the sea consume her. No land was in sight. Just debris from the shipwreck, a few other survivors praying for rescue, and dozens of bloated, floating corpses."
A Hope More Powerful Than The Sea by Melissa Fleming is the story of Doaa Al Zamel and her family--Syrian refugees who never wanted to leave their beloved home of Daraa, Syria, but felt they had to in order to stay alive. It is also the story of the Syrian people who longed for equality and freedom but were handed war and devastation instead. This powerful portrait of the refugee crisis there is even more heartbreaking because it is still going on while the rest of the world...does what? Doaa asks that question as well. Her story is one of courage and loss, love, hope, and stubborn survival. And I'm very glad that I read it! (Even if it made me cry.)
Some facts from the book:
- Syria has been at war now for six years.
- 5 million refugees have been forced to flee their country.
- 6.5 million more are internally displaced.
- 13.5 million Syrians are in need of humanitarian assistance.
- For most, there is nothing left to return home to; their homes, businesses and sometimes even their cities have been utterly destroyed.
- Very few countries in the world welcome them in, or offer them any kind of help.
Happy Reading!
Similar Read:
Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits by Laila Lalami
Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits by Laila Lalami
In The Sea There Are Crocodiles by Fabio Geda
This one would make me cry. :(
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean; it made me cry, too.
DeleteSuch a heartbreaking book but one which offers much food for thought and be appreciative of what we have. Thanks for sharing, Lark!
ReplyDeleteIt was really eye-opening for me.
DeleteDevestating, heartbreaking, and just plain wrong. This sounds like a powerful book about a situation that I wish more people would pay attention to. Thank you for your great review, Lark. I am adding this to my wish list.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of those books that I really wish everyone would read because you're right, it's moving and timely and heartbreaking and ... important.
DeleteIt is very important in my mind to have books like these, to remind people of the people behind the newsreports and the numbers we hear.
ReplyDeleteThank you for bringing it to my attention.
Kind regards,
Thanks for this review. Sometimes the best way to get genuine attention is through fiction.
ReplyDeleteVery true. This book, though, is a true story. Which makes it that much sadder.
DeleteThis sounds amazing - and so timely. I am putting it on my reading list as well!
ReplyDeleteI hope you get a chance to read it! :)
DeleteSounds sad but fascinating. I'll have to check it out.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good one!
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