Book review: The Stray Cats of Homs by Eva Nour, translated by Agnes Broomé
From the book blurb
Sami's childhood is much like any other - school with his friends, dinners with his family, playing with his pets (stray cats and dogs, and the turtle he keeps on the roof).
But with Syria at war with itself, nothing is really normal. And Sami's hopes for a better future are about to be ripped away.
Inspired by extraordinary true events, The Stray Cats of Homs is the breathtaking story of a young man who will do anything to keep the dream of home alive.
My review
We are all familiar with refugees, with people who flee conflicts and revolutions to seek shelter in distant lands. But The Stray Cats Of Homs is not a story about refugees. It is a story about those who decided to stay.
If you are looking for a story with a complicated plot and lots of convoluted twists, then this book isn't for you. But if you want an insight into the Syrian revolution and how it affected ordinary citizens, then please give this book a try. Some parts are definitely not for the squeamish but it's a book that definitely needs to be read, especially by people like me who rarely watch the news or read the papers. My instinct when things get bad 'out there' is to cocoon myself and stay firmly inside my comfort zone. This book pushed me right out of it. It was poignant, heart-breaking, and horrifying, made even more so by the knowledge that this conflict isn't over yet.
Genre: modern historical fiction (Syrian civil war)
First published: 11 October 2018
Location of narrative: Homs, Syria; Paris, France
My rating: 4.8⭐
Loree - true stories such as these need to be read because we who are more sheltered can truly lack the compassion and understanding for those who are suffering in so many different places in our world. Thank you so much friend for sharing your review. Glad to read that you are seeing spring-like weather as well. Just read about the Apostle Paul on the Isle of Malta (could not help thinking of you living where such Biblical History took place.) Take care and have a wonderful week ahead. Hugs!
ReplyDeleteThank you. The book sounds important to read. Perhaps this is the book I'vr been hoping to find for a discussion group. Will read.
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