“There was no sectarian, religious, or ethnic division here, just people trying to help each other get through the day.”
Doaa had big dreams growing up in a peaceful town in Syria. However, when she was in her teens, war came to her country – her own government was attacking its citizens for wanting more freedoms. Eventually, the military came to her town and made life dangerous for everyone – but especially, Doaa as she was participating in the protests. Finally, her family decided to leave and go to Egypt as refugees. Their own country was not a safe place anymore.
A friend recommended A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea to me a few weeks ago. I only had to wait a week for the book to become available at my library as an ebook through Libby. While I keep my eye on the news, I did not know a lot about what has been happening in Syria during the past 10-20 years. This book is a great insight into what started the humanitarian crisis that Syria currently has.
Doaa and her family try to settle in Egypt, but with their refugee status there are still things they can’t do and they are limited in how they can make money and where they can live. Doaa falls in love and her fiancé decides they should make their way to Europe in order to have a future. The way to Europe is dangerous – trusting smugglers to use worn-down boats to cross the Mediterranean. Their boat is targeted and sinks on the way, leaving few survivors. Doaa lives to tell the story.
I highly recommend this book to any and every adult. A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea reads like a fiction story, but it is true. The author interviewed Doaa and originally shared her story through a TED Talk. The book describes the violence that happens in Doaa’s life, but some high school students might be able to read the book, too. I now know much more about the Syrian crisis and what some refugees have to face to live. To find out more about the book, visit the author’s Web site at https://www.ahopemorepowerful.com.