Syria's Secret Library

I made it to the 68% mark and then moved on. The focus of the book is spread well beyond the subject of the title and it's the library and it's members I was most interested to hear about.

Half the book's story seems to be about the war in the city, with no tie at all to the library. How do pages on how weapons were supplied to the rebel forces, including the opposing force, and the ethics involved relate to the library or the members?

I will say the other half of the book does a great job of presenting the library itself and it's impact on the community.

Wow. I requested our library purchase this book after reading a NYTimes article about it, and I am even happier after finishing that they bought it.

This is a story about the people, living in a complete war zone, who founded a secret library as a way to bring their community together and further education. It is a detailed account of their lives along the timeline of the Syrian Civil War—by the end of it, you almost feel that you know Omar, Anas, Abdul Basit, Sara, Amjad, and friends. Parts of this book were very hard to get through, and, at times, you can really feel the despair they felt. Their efforts are absolutely heroic, and I hope they are celebrated some day in their home.

I recommend this book to anyone who does not know about the Syrian Civil War, those who do know, those who like to read inspirational novels, and people like me who are international affairs nerds + library lovers. What a powerful read.