{"product_id":"syrias-secret-library-reading-and-redemption-in-a-town-under-siege-9781541767621","title":"Syria's Secret Library: Reading and Redemption in a Town Under Siege","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe remarkable, improbable story of a small, makeshift library in the Syrian town of Darayya, and the people who found hope and humanity in its books during the four-year siege they endured.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eAt the height of the Syrian Civil War, deep beneath the shattered streets of rebel-held Darayya was a secret library. This basement room filled with thousands of books, rescued under constant sniper fire from gutted buildings, was an oasis of normality in a country at war with itself. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHere, despite a devastating four-year siege, people risked their lives to read. Over a period of more than a year, Mike Thomson heard their extraordinary stories via tenuous Skype calls, emails, social media messages and audio diaries recorded on their mobile phones. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThrough the testaments of these clandestine readers, a portrait of a unique rebel enclave emerges, and with it, a richer understanding of their embattled country. Syria's rich literary history has been overshadowed by recent turmoil. But Darayya's hidden collection is a testament to the Syrian people's long, unbreakable pursuit of knowledge, enlightenment and beauty, even in their darkest hours. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhen Darayya fell in the summer of 2016, it was the end of the secret library but not the courageous spirit of those who built it. This is a story of hope amid the despair, a glimmer of light in a country long cloaked in darkness.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e PublicAffairs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 08\/20\/2019\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781541767621\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 320\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.25lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.30h x 6.00w x 1.30d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 07\/01\/2019 pg. 84\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 06\/21\/2019 pg. 1\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 07\/15\/2019\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 08\/01\/2019 pg. 18\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Mike Thomson","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":36658441945244,"sku":"9781541767621","price":31.45,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_92f6e58a-22c3-42fa-9834-e10158b497ce.jpg?v=1603892902","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/syrias-secret-library-reading-and-redemption-in-a-town-under-siege-9781541767621","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}