I hope you had the opportunity to read last Thursday's post on the blog. Today I am sharing another novel in my TOP FIVE.
EVERYONE must read this. When you step outside of your own experience and see the world through the eyes of a refugee, it is a harrowing endeavor that is n e c e s s a r y. To be grateful for what you have. To be a good human and help others when you have the opportunity. To acknowledge your own biases that may linger in your self-conscious.
"The story of displacement and loss is woven into the fabric of human history. One day it's them, the next day it's you. But as generations pass, most forget that their people, too, have suffered."
When Tareq flees his home in Syria after a bombing, his life is reduced to survival in the blink of an eye. He has a new purpose- to keep his remaining sister alive. As Tareq is forced through a chain of unimaginable events that ultimately push him to the shores of Turkey, he learns that "Where there is suffering, there are people who want to exploit it. In ways that have nothing to do with humanity and everything to do with money." I can't get the image out of my head... Tareq standing at the Aegean Sea in the middle of the night, clutching his sister... just two people among the crowd desperate to flee injustice. How can we even begin to understand this feeling of hopelessness?
An unforgettable story told by a foreign news correspondent living in the Middle East. One that won't leave you quite the same as before. Add this one to your list immediately.
"When you truly love someone, their life means more to you than your own. When it is difficult to find strength in yourself, it's more easily found by focusing on the survival of your loved one. The fight to keep them alive holds immeasurable power."
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