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The Cave: A Secret Underground Hospital and One Woman's Story of Survival in Syria
This searing memoir tells the story of a young doctor and activist who ran an underground hospital in Damascus, humanizing the enduring crisis in Syria.
There is no one in Syria with a story like Dr. Amani Ballour's. The only woman to have ever run a wartime hospital, she saved her peers from the atrocities of war while contending with the patriarchal conservatism around her.
Growing up in Assad’s Syria, Ballour knew she wanted to be more than a housewife, even as her siblings were married off in their teens. As the revolution unfolded, she volunteered at a local clinic and was thrown into the deep end of emergency medicine, where she found her voice. Among the facets of this powerful Becoming a hospital director. Shielding children from a horrific sarin attack. Losing colleagues. Attempting to employ more women. Abandoning the hospital. Becoming a refugee. Moving forward.
Amani Ballour is a game changer who, like Malala Yousafzai, will be remembered as one of history’s great heroines. Growing up in a closely confined society, she dared to dream—first of an education, then of a career—that allowed her to make her mark on the world and protect the country she loves. A passionately committed humanitarian, she is determined that others will escape the horrors she survived.
There is no one in Syria with a story like Dr. Amani Ballour's. The only woman to have ever run a wartime hospital, she saved her peers from the atrocities of war while contending with the patriarchal conservatism around her.
Growing up in Assad’s Syria, Ballour knew she wanted to be more than a housewife, even as her siblings were married off in their teens. As the revolution unfolded, she volunteered at a local clinic and was thrown into the deep end of emergency medicine, where she found her voice. Among the facets of this powerful Becoming a hospital director. Shielding children from a horrific sarin attack. Losing colleagues. Attempting to employ more women. Abandoning the hospital. Becoming a refugee. Moving forward.
Amani Ballour is a game changer who, like Malala Yousafzai, will be remembered as one of history’s great heroines. Growing up in a closely confined society, she dared to dream—first of an education, then of a career—that allowed her to make her mark on the world and protect the country she loves. A passionately committed humanitarian, she is determined that others will escape the horrors she survived.
276 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 5, 2024
49 people are currently reading
8305 people want to read
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February 22, 2024
“𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩-𝙪𝙥 𝙖𝙢𝙗𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙣-𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙡 𝙗𝙤𝙢𝙗𝙨, 𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙞𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙠𝙚𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚; 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙯𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩. 𝙄𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙: 𝙖 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙧𝙪𝙗𝙗𝙡𝙚, 𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙣𝙨, 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙖𝙙𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨. 𝙑𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙛𝙚𝙬 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 - 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙨 - 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙙𝙪𝙨𝙩.”
Do you know what it’s like to go hungry … for days? Unable to source food and medicine? To have no electricity? Wash your food in contaminated water? Go sleepless for long nights due to bombing and shelling? See your home burned/ bombed to rubble? Your loved ones disappear or found dead/wounded? No phone, cell network? No humanitarian aid?
This was the reality of 400, 000 people trapped under siege by the Syrian government forces.
We in the West know 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 about being besieged.
The purpose of this book is to focus the world’s attention on the suffering of the Syrian people. Set in Kafr Batna town in Eastern Ghouta, Syria, this book tells of how the city (9 miles from Damascus) was besieged by the Syrian government from 2011 to 2018. According to the UN, it is “the longest-running siege in modern history.”
To put it simply - in the seven years of civil unrest in eastern Ghouta, 140,000 fled their homes, 50,000 were evacuated and thousands were wounded or died. The Syrian Network for Human Rights documented 222 chemical (Sarin) weapon attacks in Syria between Dec. 2012 - August 2023.
The title refers to the nickname given to the hospital where pediatrician Dr. Amani Ballour worked. Due to daily bomb bombardment, the hospital is situated in a subterranean network of tunnels. ‘The Cave’ was a moniker initially used between hospitals in Ghouta to refer to Ballour’s particular center when communicating over walkie-talkies. Trapped, exhausted, starved, and in constant fear, they worked horrendous hours to save lives. Ballour estimates that, depending on the level of violence, her hospital saw up to 3,000 patients a month.
I’m both humbled and inspired by their resilience and their push to survive.
I was shocked to discover that under such conditions, help and leadership was not appreciated by all. Dr. Ballour informs us about how the patriarchal Syrian society was so ingrained that she faced daily sexism and hypocrisy. In this culture of aggressive masculinity, she was often dismissed as the head of the hospital and as a competent female doctor…with those she worked with and those needing her help!
Ballour’s powerful and moving account enlightens us about what it was like to grow up in a confined, rule-bound society, to achieve one’s dream despite overwhelming odds, to become a leader within a devastated community, and then forced to flee when it becomes too unsafe. She speaks up for the ones silenced, heralds those who stepped up to help, appreciates the untapped power source of women, and tells of what thousands of Syrians escaped from and why they left their beloved country.
As of 2021, 70% of Syrian’s healthcare workers fled the country.
I’ll leave you with her painful words …”The world has been watching, doing nothing. It’s shameful in the 21st century. Everyone can help. Every single thing is important. 𝙒𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨.”
This important read needs to be on your reading list this March!
I was gifted this copy by National Geographic and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Do you know what it’s like to go hungry … for days? Unable to source food and medicine? To have no electricity? Wash your food in contaminated water? Go sleepless for long nights due to bombing and shelling? See your home burned/ bombed to rubble? Your loved ones disappear or found dead/wounded? No phone, cell network? No humanitarian aid?
This was the reality of 400, 000 people trapped under siege by the Syrian government forces.
We in the West know 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 about being besieged.
The purpose of this book is to focus the world’s attention on the suffering of the Syrian people. Set in Kafr Batna town in Eastern Ghouta, Syria, this book tells of how the city (9 miles from Damascus) was besieged by the Syrian government from 2011 to 2018. According to the UN, it is “the longest-running siege in modern history.”
To put it simply - in the seven years of civil unrest in eastern Ghouta, 140,000 fled their homes, 50,000 were evacuated and thousands were wounded or died. The Syrian Network for Human Rights documented 222 chemical (Sarin) weapon attacks in Syria between Dec. 2012 - August 2023.
The title refers to the nickname given to the hospital where pediatrician Dr. Amani Ballour worked. Due to daily bomb bombardment, the hospital is situated in a subterranean network of tunnels. ‘The Cave’ was a moniker initially used between hospitals in Ghouta to refer to Ballour’s particular center when communicating over walkie-talkies. Trapped, exhausted, starved, and in constant fear, they worked horrendous hours to save lives. Ballour estimates that, depending on the level of violence, her hospital saw up to 3,000 patients a month.
I’m both humbled and inspired by their resilience and their push to survive.
I was shocked to discover that under such conditions, help and leadership was not appreciated by all. Dr. Ballour informs us about how the patriarchal Syrian society was so ingrained that she faced daily sexism and hypocrisy. In this culture of aggressive masculinity, she was often dismissed as the head of the hospital and as a competent female doctor…with those she worked with and those needing her help!
Ballour’s powerful and moving account enlightens us about what it was like to grow up in a confined, rule-bound society, to achieve one’s dream despite overwhelming odds, to become a leader within a devastated community, and then forced to flee when it becomes too unsafe. She speaks up for the ones silenced, heralds those who stepped up to help, appreciates the untapped power source of women, and tells of what thousands of Syrians escaped from and why they left their beloved country.
As of 2021, 70% of Syrian’s healthcare workers fled the country.
I’ll leave you with her painful words …”The world has been watching, doing nothing. It’s shameful in the 21st century. Everyone can help. Every single thing is important. 𝙒𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨.”
This important read needs to be on your reading list this March!
I was gifted this copy by National Geographic and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
December 25, 2023
♀️Won in a giveaway 💜
This book had me intrigued from the start. While it is heartbreaking and sometimes scary to think about being in a lot of those situations, this book is written beautifully and with deep feeling. My life is no where near perfect, but living in fear like the people in Syria did or still do is very sad. The author is a doctor and she worked extremely hard. She was determined in scary times where she lived to achieve her goals. She talks about the struggles when they were invaded. Even walking to the store was frightening. For everyone targeted but especially difficult for women and girls to go anywhere if they were alone. I really felt very deep sympathy, sorrow and fear for them. You can really read what she was feeling. I highly recommend this book. Thank you to the author, Amani Ballour, M.D., National Geographic and Goodreads for my Advanced Reader's Edition. Happy reading. ✌️💞
This book had me intrigued from the start. While it is heartbreaking and sometimes scary to think about being in a lot of those situations, this book is written beautifully and with deep feeling. My life is no where near perfect, but living in fear like the people in Syria did or still do is very sad. The author is a doctor and she worked extremely hard. She was determined in scary times where she lived to achieve her goals. She talks about the struggles when they were invaded. Even walking to the store was frightening. For everyone targeted but especially difficult for women and girls to go anywhere if they were alone. I really felt very deep sympathy, sorrow and fear for them. You can really read what she was feeling. I highly recommend this book. Thank you to the author, Amani Ballour, M.D., National Geographic and Goodreads for my Advanced Reader's Edition. Happy reading. ✌️💞
May 2, 2025
At the risk of her own life and those of her family members, newly graduated Dr. Amani Ballour, serves her town’s people in an underground hospital, after a devastating sarin gas attack, during the crisis in Syria.
Amani Ballour intended to specialize in pediatrics; a 5 year internship beyond her medical degree. The war in Syria changed her plans. She grew up in a conservative, Muslim, patriarchal society and was already bucking the norms for women: unmarried at 26, working, an activist. With mixed support from her family, Amani held fast and accomplished heroic deeds in horrific conditions.
THE CAVE is her story of the six years she served her community in an underground hospital known by the same name. Ballour’s ability to communicate is mesmerizing. I expected difficult prose due to her language challenge but that’s not the case. I was transported to the streets of Ghouta, the underground hospital, pain, suffering and horrors of war. Her desire to help and serve, make a better way for women in a special way, while improving life for all of her beloved Syria is palpable.
This is a story you won’t forget. Altho’ many of the stories are gruesome, they’re not graphic. It’s eye opening. I was not aware that the conflict continued so long. The Media has a way of abandoning stories that aren’t popular or titillating enough. Persecuted people, (regardless of religious beliefs), and abused women are important and deserve to be recognized and reported.
Dr. Ballour has sacrificed much of her life for these. She has won awards but they don’t really matter to her. What matters is this story and the potential for impact and change for her country, where she’s no longer welcome. A well written, worthy read; highly recommended 📚
Read & Reviewed from a PW Grab a Galley via NetGalley, with thanks
Amani Ballour intended to specialize in pediatrics; a 5 year internship beyond her medical degree. The war in Syria changed her plans. She grew up in a conservative, Muslim, patriarchal society and was already bucking the norms for women: unmarried at 26, working, an activist. With mixed support from her family, Amani held fast and accomplished heroic deeds in horrific conditions.
THE CAVE is her story of the six years she served her community in an underground hospital known by the same name. Ballour’s ability to communicate is mesmerizing. I expected difficult prose due to her language challenge but that’s not the case. I was transported to the streets of Ghouta, the underground hospital, pain, suffering and horrors of war. Her desire to help and serve, make a better way for women in a special way, while improving life for all of her beloved Syria is palpable.
This is a story you won’t forget. Altho’ many of the stories are gruesome, they’re not graphic. It’s eye opening. I was not aware that the conflict continued so long. The Media has a way of abandoning stories that aren’t popular or titillating enough. Persecuted people, (regardless of religious beliefs), and abused women are important and deserve to be recognized and reported.
Dr. Ballour has sacrificed much of her life for these. She has won awards but they don’t really matter to her. What matters is this story and the potential for impact and change for her country, where she’s no longer welcome. A well written, worthy read; highly recommended 📚
Read & Reviewed from a PW Grab a Galley via NetGalley, with thanks
March 24, 2024
TITLE: The Cave: A Secret Underground Hospital and One Woman's Story of Survival in Syria
AUTHOR: Dr Amani Ballour
PUB DATE: 03.05.2024 Now Available
MY REVIEW:
Being a nurse in the US is most certainly a privilege - there is no lack of equipment, supplies, or medications in facilities with state of the art facilities and cutting edge technologies. Reading this story of Dr Ballour’s heroic efforts in providing medical care during war time is one I could not fathom, but then add a patriarchal and conservative society under the Assad regime in Syria, she fought to study medicine and eventually run a hospital and advocating for the lives of the people in her community including the women and children.
This is a story of one woman’s dream and legacy, of survival, and strength despite all odds.
AUTHOR: Dr Amani Ballour
PUB DATE: 03.05.2024 Now Available
MY REVIEW:
Being a nurse in the US is most certainly a privilege - there is no lack of equipment, supplies, or medications in facilities with state of the art facilities and cutting edge technologies. Reading this story of Dr Ballour’s heroic efforts in providing medical care during war time is one I could not fathom, but then add a patriarchal and conservative society under the Assad regime in Syria, she fought to study medicine and eventually run a hospital and advocating for the lives of the people in her community including the women and children.
This is a story of one woman’s dream and legacy, of survival, and strength despite all odds.
December 27, 2023
Pub Date: March 05
Publisher: National Geographic
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and National Geographic for giving me early access to The Cave in exchange for an honest review.
Trying to find words to follow The Cave is impossible. Every time I try to think of what to say in this review I am not sure how to follow up from this story. To say it is an incredible book feels accurate and I urge you all to read it. The atrocities that occurred and continue to occur are unspeakable. The courage that Amani Balfour held to make this story possible to the rest of the world is just simply not in the English language. To understand you need to hear her story. These are the kind of books that should be required reading for the rest of the world. The media and world moves on so quickly from humanitarian crisis all around the world, one to the next and almost all of them are still ongoing. We as a world need to wake up. Not just after we read a personal story like this, but all the time. Enough of my words, go read hers.
I recommend you find the courage to read this story.
Publisher: National Geographic
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and National Geographic for giving me early access to The Cave in exchange for an honest review.
Trying to find words to follow The Cave is impossible. Every time I try to think of what to say in this review I am not sure how to follow up from this story. To say it is an incredible book feels accurate and I urge you all to read it. The atrocities that occurred and continue to occur are unspeakable. The courage that Amani Balfour held to make this story possible to the rest of the world is just simply not in the English language. To understand you need to hear her story. These are the kind of books that should be required reading for the rest of the world. The media and world moves on so quickly from humanitarian crisis all around the world, one to the next and almost all of them are still ongoing. We as a world need to wake up. Not just after we read a personal story like this, but all the time. Enough of my words, go read hers.
I recommend you find the courage to read this story.
March 8, 2024
The Cave is a powerful true story of Dr. Amni Ballour over some very difficult years in Syria. I was not really familiar with the humanitarian crisis that has gone on in Syria for some ten plus years now. So I learned a lot reading this account.
Dr. Ballour is an amazing person, who cared for people in very difficult circumstances and with many challenges. This book is hard to read at points, because of the difficult things she had to live through. But it is also a testimony to the human spirit and how much people will give in tough times.
Dr. Ballour is an amazing person, who cared for people in very difficult circumstances and with many challenges. This book is hard to read at points, because of the difficult things she had to live through. But it is also a testimony to the human spirit and how much people will give in tough times.
September 26, 2023
The Cave is a true account of the war in Syria and the survival and compassion of its citizens. Amani Ballour began her medical career at the exact moment that her country was hit with bombs containing the chemical, sarin. Thus began her career as a pediatric doctor in an underground hospital. She eventually became the director and ran it for years despite shortages of medical supplies, not having enough qualified doctors and nurses, getting attacked at all hours, and attempting to assist so many women, children, and men who were left broken, maimed, and tortured.
Written with heart and soul, Amani wants readers to understand the injustice that Syrians lived through and what it was like to live, work, try to heal people, and save entire families while the country was at war. The human rights abuses that took place while the rest of the world looked on from a distance were atrocious and unbearably sad. As a result, the beautiful country of Syria remains broken. After being forced to leave their homes, Amani and others gave countless interviews and spread the word about what was happening in Syria.
This is a book that will forever be remembered. The truth about the war in Syria will live on through its pages. I am so very thankful to have been honored with a copy and can only hope my review did it justice. Thank you Amani Ballour, publisher, and Netgalley.
Written with heart and soul, Amani wants readers to understand the injustice that Syrians lived through and what it was like to live, work, try to heal people, and save entire families while the country was at war. The human rights abuses that took place while the rest of the world looked on from a distance were atrocious and unbearably sad. As a result, the beautiful country of Syria remains broken. After being forced to leave their homes, Amani and others gave countless interviews and spread the word about what was happening in Syria.
This is a book that will forever be remembered. The truth about the war in Syria will live on through its pages. I am so very thankful to have been honored with a copy and can only hope my review did it justice. Thank you Amani Ballour, publisher, and Netgalley.
September 8, 2023
Dr. Amani Ballour, the brave heroine of this harrowing account of life in Syria, is a young female physician who selflessly treated countless patients in an underground hospital called The Cave. This powerful memoir taught me so much about the atrocities in Syria. After reading this book, I have a greater understanding of the plight of Syrian refugees and I am eager to learn more. I encourage everyone to read this book to learn about this incredible woman and to understand the extent of the horrors of the Syrian Civil War.
I am honored to have been chosen by NetGalley and National Geographic to read the advanced reader copy of this memoir in exchange for an honest review. I could not put this book down and read it in one day. Dr. Ballour is my new hero and I hope that her important story is shared widely.
I am honored to have been chosen by NetGalley and National Geographic to read the advanced reader copy of this memoir in exchange for an honest review. I could not put this book down and read it in one day. Dr. Ballour is my new hero and I hope that her important story is shared widely.
June 9, 2024
Probably one of the best book i’ve ever read.
May 21, 2024
An unbelievable account of this heroic woman’s reality. A necessary read to bring awareness to the suffering of the Syrian people.
May 21, 2024
I received a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Ballour's account of serving as a doctor for several years during the Syrian war is astounding. At times, it is a difficult read; Syrian's government perpetrated many war crimes against its citizens and Ballour witnessed some of the fallout - children suffocating from chemical warfare and young people with head wounds leaving exposed brain matter are two that come to mind, but there are many such examples throughout the book. Her loss wasn't only experienced through her work, she also details the impacts of the war on her friends, family, and neighbors as well.
Ballour is clearly traumatized, not only by the countless injuries she encountered, but because she and her colleagues were forced to practice without adequate food, medicine, materials, or space, and they often did so without pay. It is heart-wrenching to encounter Ballour's guilt for the children she couldn't save or the parents she couldn't comfort, yet she never dwells in a place of bitterness. Despite the inherent chaos, her story is clear and easy to follow. This is a must-read for anyone with an interest in the effects of a widespread war on one heroic individual.
Ballour's account of serving as a doctor for several years during the Syrian war is astounding. At times, it is a difficult read; Syrian's government perpetrated many war crimes against its citizens and Ballour witnessed some of the fallout - children suffocating from chemical warfare and young people with head wounds leaving exposed brain matter are two that come to mind, but there are many such examples throughout the book. Her loss wasn't only experienced through her work, she also details the impacts of the war on her friends, family, and neighbors as well.
Ballour is clearly traumatized, not only by the countless injuries she encountered, but because she and her colleagues were forced to practice without adequate food, medicine, materials, or space, and they often did so without pay. It is heart-wrenching to encounter Ballour's guilt for the children she couldn't save or the parents she couldn't comfort, yet she never dwells in a place of bitterness. Despite the inherent chaos, her story is clear and easy to follow. This is a must-read for anyone with an interest in the effects of a widespread war on one heroic individual.
April 3, 2024
The Cave by Amani Ballour and Rania Abouzeid is an exceptional account of survival, endurance and strength. The memoir depicts Dr Ballour’s experiences as a female Doctor in Syria from her childhood trying to achieve further education and overcome prejudice and sexism because she was a woman, to her work as a doctor and leader in the The Cave an underground hospital developed in Eastern Ghouta that operated during the Syrian Civil War. It is an account of incredible challenges and hardships with little food or resources, minimal staff and space the medical team at The Cave had to make impossible choices. The writing is written with clarity and rawness which emphasises the unflinching pain and suffering that Dr Ballour witnessed in particular the children she was trying to treat. It is a fast paced work of nonfiction that is striking, compelling and eye opening and is a must read for the world to learn what really happens under such terrible and brutal regimes. It is a book that advocates the need for acknowledgment and change as Dr Ballour who has traveled incredible distances and overcome unimaginable obstacles continues with bravery to deliver her message of humanity, care, and compassion. An emotional, essential read and I will definitely check out the documentary The Cave as detailed in this book 4.5 Stars ✨.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book in exchange for honest feedback.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book in exchange for honest feedback.
April 14, 2024
This book is a heart breaking yet powerful true story of what’s happening in Syria. Although I basically cried on every page, I really enjoyed this book. I feel like it’s really important story for westerns to read. It’s such a beautiful and powerful story! One person can really make a difference.
May 27, 2024
“Peace is precious and never guaranteed.” “All my experiences have deepened my faith in God and in his divine justice.”
This book brought me to tears. How these things are happening as we speak is so hard for me to comprehend, on the other hand we have seen and heard the evidence. Convicting words from the author as she claims at the “Oscars $13,000 could be spent for a coat … and yet they would have to turn off the generator to save $ and sit in the dark or work by the light of a small battery powered bulb to save on fuel.” I am grateful she could share her story and will continue to do so.
This book brought me to tears. How these things are happening as we speak is so hard for me to comprehend, on the other hand we have seen and heard the evidence. Convicting words from the author as she claims at the “Oscars $13,000 could be spent for a coat … and yet they would have to turn off the generator to save $ and sit in the dark or work by the light of a small battery powered bulb to save on fuel.” I am grateful she could share her story and will continue to do so.
June 2, 2024
An inspiring, heart wrenching, and enlightening memoir about life and war in Syria
March 3, 2024
The story of Amani Ballour, a doctor and young activist who ran an underground hospital in Damascus during the Syrian crisis. This book was so powerful and left me speechless. The book talks of her experiences on the front lines during the Syria attacks, it opens with a sarin chemical warfare attack when she is still early on in her medical career. It discusses the absolutely horrifying acts that her community experienced. This book should be a must read for all so that we don't allow these horrors to continue to repeat themselves. A powerful story of a woman making challenging the humanitarian crisis.
Thank you Netgalley for a digital ARC.
Thank you Netgalley for a digital ARC.
February 10, 2024
The book tells the story of a young Syrian woman, Amani, who grew up in a suburban area of Ghouta near Damascus. "The Cave" has broken my heart over and over again. I had to stop reading many times and considered not continue reading, but I needed to know. The parallels with the ongoing situation in Ukraine, daily bombings and loss, are striking. The pain, fear, and outrage are all too real for me.
This memoir is an honest and powerful account of a woman who, despite the patriarchal and conservative culture of Syria, managed to follow her dream of education and carved a path for herself as a doctor in a male-dominated world. It's a testament to the cruelty life can inflict, showing how a tyrant's ambition can devastate a nation for generations.
The details about Syria presented in the book are fascinating, offering a glimpse into Amani's deep love for her country, home, and people. These feelings resonate with me profoundly as I, too, am torn from my homeland and family by war. I know Amani's pain. Even in safety, the feeling of nostalgia can overshadow all else, souring every day.
The depiction of the years-long siege is unflinchingly brutal. There is no attempt to soften the horrors of war for the reader; it presents only the stark realities of horror, bloodshed, despair, and hatred. While some may search for a glimmer of hope within these pages, I found none. Bashar al-Assad remains in power, millions of Syrians are either dead or displaced, and Russians have moved on to killing Ukrainians.
Amani also shares her journey of survival and the enduring battle with PTSD after finding safety, a reality faced by countless individuals who have endured war, violence, and other unspeakable horrors. This aspect of her story sheds light on the invisible, lifelong scars carried by survivors.
This book is not for those seeking a light, pleasant read. Yet, we, as human beings, cannot afford to ignore stories such as this. As Amani wishes to be the voice of the children who were killed, we, as readers, have the power to amplify that voice. It's the least we can do.
This memoir is an honest and powerful account of a woman who, despite the patriarchal and conservative culture of Syria, managed to follow her dream of education and carved a path for herself as a doctor in a male-dominated world. It's a testament to the cruelty life can inflict, showing how a tyrant's ambition can devastate a nation for generations.
The details about Syria presented in the book are fascinating, offering a glimpse into Amani's deep love for her country, home, and people. These feelings resonate with me profoundly as I, too, am torn from my homeland and family by war. I know Amani's pain. Even in safety, the feeling of nostalgia can overshadow all else, souring every day.
The depiction of the years-long siege is unflinchingly brutal. There is no attempt to soften the horrors of war for the reader; it presents only the stark realities of horror, bloodshed, despair, and hatred. While some may search for a glimmer of hope within these pages, I found none. Bashar al-Assad remains in power, millions of Syrians are either dead or displaced, and Russians have moved on to killing Ukrainians.
Amani also shares her journey of survival and the enduring battle with PTSD after finding safety, a reality faced by countless individuals who have endured war, violence, and other unspeakable horrors. This aspect of her story sheds light on the invisible, lifelong scars carried by survivors.
This book is not for those seeking a light, pleasant read. Yet, we, as human beings, cannot afford to ignore stories such as this. As Amani wishes to be the voice of the children who were killed, we, as readers, have the power to amplify that voice. It's the least we can do.
February 5, 2024
A dedicated physician struggles to save lives in the basement of a partially constructed building slated to be a hospital called "the cave".
Armani Ballour is awoken suddenly in the middle of the night and told to go to the "cave" as a wave of injured people arrive for medical assistance. Dr. Armani treats people attacked with a nerve agent known as sarin.
Dr. Armani grew up and lived under "Assad's Syria" which was a one-party state that didn't tolerate opposition of any kind. After decades of being ruled under one family, the Syrian people felt it was time for a change in government. Armani struggles to run the "cave" as its director as the regime cuts of supplies as a result of its hold over her community. She is faced with electrical shutoffs, shortage of medical supplies, food and many other essential items needed to run a hospital. Despite her sorrow and hardships, Armani is determined not to be silenced, but tell her story through countless interviews.
I enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down. Armani is a brave woman who pursued her dream of being in the medical field. Armani's struggles to un a hospital with a constant flow of injured people is hard to imagine for those who have never experienced a shortage of basic medical necessities. The historical background of the Assad family and Armani's personal experience of living in an oppressed government adds to the depth to her story. I highly recommend this book for readers interested in the Syrian conflict. It is also a great read of Armani's courage to tell the world of her struggles of running a hospital under the regimes dictatorship.
Armani Ballour is awoken suddenly in the middle of the night and told to go to the "cave" as a wave of injured people arrive for medical assistance. Dr. Armani treats people attacked with a nerve agent known as sarin.
Dr. Armani grew up and lived under "Assad's Syria" which was a one-party state that didn't tolerate opposition of any kind. After decades of being ruled under one family, the Syrian people felt it was time for a change in government. Armani struggles to run the "cave" as its director as the regime cuts of supplies as a result of its hold over her community. She is faced with electrical shutoffs, shortage of medical supplies, food and many other essential items needed to run a hospital. Despite her sorrow and hardships, Armani is determined not to be silenced, but tell her story through countless interviews.
I enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down. Armani is a brave woman who pursued her dream of being in the medical field. Armani's struggles to un a hospital with a constant flow of injured people is hard to imagine for those who have never experienced a shortage of basic medical necessities. The historical background of the Assad family and Armani's personal experience of living in an oppressed government adds to the depth to her story. I highly recommend this book for readers interested in the Syrian conflict. It is also a great read of Armani's courage to tell the world of her struggles of running a hospital under the regimes dictatorship.
October 26, 2024
I had to wait almost 10 weeks for my copy of The Cave to be delivered to my Kindle through the Libby app and I am overjoyed that there are so many people in North Texas that want to read this moving memoir. Dr. Amani Balfour tells her powerful story of what it was like to run an underground wartime hospital (as the only female to ever do so) and how she survived and escaped the crisis in Syria. Balfour was a young medical student when the revolution under Assad’s rule in Syria took hold. As a result, Balfour sprung into action defying the patriarchal society around her and volunteered at a local clinic. Over the years of the revolution, she moved her way up and became the director of the underground hospital and saved countless lives. She is a committed humanitarian and has shared her moving story of all she did in Syria and what her people endured over the years.
January 7, 2024
Recently, I've read a lot of books about how doctors and the American medical system are untrustworthy, and (as a former cancer patient who still has a lot of follow-up appointments) it's eroded my faith, despite the importance of those stories. I know doctors are human, as is Amani Ballour, who is haunted by the patients she couldn't save. But her love for and dedication to her patients is truly moving. I think by now most of us know that corrupt regimes often target their own citizens and/or civilians. This plainspoken memoir is a firsthand account of the impact, over the course of more than ten years, of one such war, in Syria. I was moved by her leadership (e.g. reorganizing the hospital's org chart when she took over as director), bravery, generosity toward her fellow staff as well as family and friends, and by the painful post-traumatic stress she inevitably suffers once she escapes the war zone. Most of all, I was moved by how she reframes the idea of winners and losers. The people of Eastern Ghouta, the rebel-held region where she lives and practices during the years covered in these pages, live with dignity and kindness toward each other, no matter how hard things get (which is not to say there aren't internal conflicts). They do their best, and the survivors bear witness. In that way they have won.
March 15, 2024
📚🩺🔥NOVEL THOUGHTS 🔥🩺📚
This truly remarkable and heartbreaking story of survival of the besieged people in Syria from 2011 to 2018 is voiced by Dr.Amani Ballour. The detail of what her fellow Syrians endured as pockets of rebels fought against the repression of the Assad dictatorship as they tried to have a voice in their own country was staggering. To read about the emotional toll, the level of starvation, death, destruction, displacement and family ruin, is unimaginable. Assad wanted only to keep his power and his reign over the citizens of this country in an oppressed way. All the while, the death toll mounted as the bombing and fires spread like a disease throughout the cities and towns. It was in those small rural ill-equipped hospitals that the doctors and staff tried to treat and care for the wounded and common sickness that people come to hospitals for. Newly graduated Amani joined an underground makeshift hospital referred to as The Cave and was thrown into caring for people with very little hands-on experience. As the war raged on, NGOs from around the world provided money and supplies to outfit The Cave and those doctors did what they could to treat the wounded and dying all as bombs, fires, gunfire and raids were happening all around them. The hospital staff became a close knit support system to each other as many spent long days and nights away from family treating everyone. The people of Ghouta were without power, water and food was scarce but the urge to survive is a strong one and they found creative ways to make do. Amani's journey to becoming a doctor went against the conventional role for an Islamic woman who is normally married with children at a very young age. She entered The Cave at 26 as an unmarried woman yet totally accepted for her skills in medicine. She was respected for her skills and intelligence regardless of her sex and over time even became the director of the hospital for over a year, voted into this job by males and females alike. She began to speak out about the horrors she was seeing following Assad's heartless use of sarin gas to kill innocent people. It poisoned the air and killed thousands of men, women and children who had done nothing wrong. And despite this chemical warfare, the world was not forthcoming with help for the victims or sanctions against him. Later, with help from Russia and Iran, his forces got even more brutal in their killings, retentions, torture and punishments. Despite the fact that hospitals were supposed to be safe from attacks, this didn't stop Assad's regime as the conflict raged on and hospitals were bombed and ruined, leaving few places for help for the injured. Amani and many of her hospital staff were forced to leave her hometown and find asylum in other countries once Assad's forces finally stopped the rebels and she eventually got to France, later Germany and finally after many years, to the United States. During the middle of the conflict following many interviews given to various news outlets, a team of documentarians came to film the conflict. This film, called The Cave, later become a finalist for an Oscar. While it didn't win, it brought to light the horrors the innocent people of Ghouta during this horrifying and brutal 7 year siege. All the people wanted was a voice in their own country. They wanted freedoms. They wanted a more democratic way of governance. They got none of that nor did the world come to their aid. Amani continues to speak out about this repression in her country and how it relates to other dictatorial governments around the world. That one person should be able to tell others how to live, to work, to exist is wrong. For her work and her voice, she was awarded the Council of Europe's Raoul Wallenberg Prize for her personal courage, bravery and commitment in saving hundreds of lives during the Syrian war.
Dr. Ballour is a force! With this book, she wanted to tell the world what happened to her family, to her people and about the innocent lives lost. As a pediatrician, she was especially affected by all the sweet children whose lives will never be the same, who lost limbs, sight, parents, siblings, and have grown up not understanding why. She suffers from PTSD herself. Once she left Syria, she could never again hug her parents who remained behind. She lost so many friends, neighbors and for what?? As I read this book, all I could think about was, replace the word Syria with Ukraine or Gaza or Haiti or a host of African nations as wars that are going on right now. All the innocent people who never asked to live like this but are subject to the whims of rebels they don't know.
I received this amazing story from Netgalley and National Geographic for my honest and voluntary review.
This truly remarkable and heartbreaking story of survival of the besieged people in Syria from 2011 to 2018 is voiced by Dr.Amani Ballour. The detail of what her fellow Syrians endured as pockets of rebels fought against the repression of the Assad dictatorship as they tried to have a voice in their own country was staggering. To read about the emotional toll, the level of starvation, death, destruction, displacement and family ruin, is unimaginable. Assad wanted only to keep his power and his reign over the citizens of this country in an oppressed way. All the while, the death toll mounted as the bombing and fires spread like a disease throughout the cities and towns. It was in those small rural ill-equipped hospitals that the doctors and staff tried to treat and care for the wounded and common sickness that people come to hospitals for. Newly graduated Amani joined an underground makeshift hospital referred to as The Cave and was thrown into caring for people with very little hands-on experience. As the war raged on, NGOs from around the world provided money and supplies to outfit The Cave and those doctors did what they could to treat the wounded and dying all as bombs, fires, gunfire and raids were happening all around them. The hospital staff became a close knit support system to each other as many spent long days and nights away from family treating everyone. The people of Ghouta were without power, water and food was scarce but the urge to survive is a strong one and they found creative ways to make do. Amani's journey to becoming a doctor went against the conventional role for an Islamic woman who is normally married with children at a very young age. She entered The Cave at 26 as an unmarried woman yet totally accepted for her skills in medicine. She was respected for her skills and intelligence regardless of her sex and over time even became the director of the hospital for over a year, voted into this job by males and females alike. She began to speak out about the horrors she was seeing following Assad's heartless use of sarin gas to kill innocent people. It poisoned the air and killed thousands of men, women and children who had done nothing wrong. And despite this chemical warfare, the world was not forthcoming with help for the victims or sanctions against him. Later, with help from Russia and Iran, his forces got even more brutal in their killings, retentions, torture and punishments. Despite the fact that hospitals were supposed to be safe from attacks, this didn't stop Assad's regime as the conflict raged on and hospitals were bombed and ruined, leaving few places for help for the injured. Amani and many of her hospital staff were forced to leave her hometown and find asylum in other countries once Assad's forces finally stopped the rebels and she eventually got to France, later Germany and finally after many years, to the United States. During the middle of the conflict following many interviews given to various news outlets, a team of documentarians came to film the conflict. This film, called The Cave, later become a finalist for an Oscar. While it didn't win, it brought to light the horrors the innocent people of Ghouta during this horrifying and brutal 7 year siege. All the people wanted was a voice in their own country. They wanted freedoms. They wanted a more democratic way of governance. They got none of that nor did the world come to their aid. Amani continues to speak out about this repression in her country and how it relates to other dictatorial governments around the world. That one person should be able to tell others how to live, to work, to exist is wrong. For her work and her voice, she was awarded the Council of Europe's Raoul Wallenberg Prize for her personal courage, bravery and commitment in saving hundreds of lives during the Syrian war.
Dr. Ballour is a force! With this book, she wanted to tell the world what happened to her family, to her people and about the innocent lives lost. As a pediatrician, she was especially affected by all the sweet children whose lives will never be the same, who lost limbs, sight, parents, siblings, and have grown up not understanding why. She suffers from PTSD herself. Once she left Syria, she could never again hug her parents who remained behind. She lost so many friends, neighbors and for what?? As I read this book, all I could think about was, replace the word Syria with Ukraine or Gaza or Haiti or a host of African nations as wars that are going on right now. All the innocent people who never asked to live like this but are subject to the whims of rebels they don't know.
I received this amazing story from Netgalley and National Geographic for my honest and voluntary review.
September 4, 2024
Horrific first person tale. It only lost a star for continuity. But her life could hardly be more shattered, and/or scattered- so you need to make some bridges of chronological changes with other sources, IMHO.
This Syrian civil war is just as bad as North Korea or Chinese genocide copy of witnesses. In fact, the Sarin gas of 2013 and the other Chloride with bombs for years portions, I cannot even begin to describe.
Do not at all take on this book if you think pronouns or other such triviality is crushingly important. Or hurtful. This IS real hurtful. Worst I have read in the last year, on a par with the terrible on seas slave and sex trade ships. Only whole towns are obliterated here. Dead kids bodies in piles.
Another tale of the United Nations being a rich glutted and totally useless entity. Bad people with hate for other do not care about their types of consequence. As if it mattered at all. It doesn't. Just like killing or torturing hostages for a lesson is a mere trifle, sad aftermath type of ploy.
Her older brother was disappeared (at a checkpoint that was set up and then taken down within a day "officially") and she still has no idea if he is alive. A 7 year old niece amongst other family mortalities in bombing. Very doubtful after almost a decade that any of the groups disappeared are alive. Some just coming home from school or to markets. She herself is hardened. Immensely. How could she do all of that with the clothing on constantly that they (women) need to wear? REALLY!
It also might behoove some of you to read how European nations have responded to these refugees who have no home, no town, nothing left but death to return to. They could not even sustain medical wards underground any longer. She is a medical DOCTOR and Germany put her through hoops just to stay awhile. Others have supported their OWN citizens in the messes that have resulted. These people from Syria are not running from economic issues either. But from certain death. Most of them are last survivors of their families and systems of support (workmates) - just as Amani has become.
This Syrian civil war is just as bad as North Korea or Chinese genocide copy of witnesses. In fact, the Sarin gas of 2013 and the other Chloride with bombs for years portions, I cannot even begin to describe.
Do not at all take on this book if you think pronouns or other such triviality is crushingly important. Or hurtful. This IS real hurtful. Worst I have read in the last year, on a par with the terrible on seas slave and sex trade ships. Only whole towns are obliterated here. Dead kids bodies in piles.
Another tale of the United Nations being a rich glutted and totally useless entity. Bad people with hate for other do not care about their types of consequence. As if it mattered at all. It doesn't. Just like killing or torturing hostages for a lesson is a mere trifle, sad aftermath type of ploy.
Her older brother was disappeared (at a checkpoint that was set up and then taken down within a day "officially") and she still has no idea if he is alive. A 7 year old niece amongst other family mortalities in bombing. Very doubtful after almost a decade that any of the groups disappeared are alive. Some just coming home from school or to markets. She herself is hardened. Immensely. How could she do all of that with the clothing on constantly that they (women) need to wear? REALLY!
It also might behoove some of you to read how European nations have responded to these refugees who have no home, no town, nothing left but death to return to. They could not even sustain medical wards underground any longer. She is a medical DOCTOR and Germany put her through hoops just to stay awhile. Others have supported their OWN citizens in the messes that have resulted. These people from Syria are not running from economic issues either. But from certain death. Most of them are last survivors of their families and systems of support (workmates) - just as Amani has become.
May 7, 2024
I had never heard of the author, but I saw the title and was very intrigued. As someone who does not follow the events of Syria very closely and quite frankly do not know what sources to trust since disinformation and bad reporting are fairly rife, I was unsure of what to expect. But this story of a doctor who ran an underground hospital despite the dire and awful circumstances sounded very interesting.
Author Ballour gives us a memoir of her life, from her childhood and life pre-crisis in Syria. She discusses how she decided to become a doctor after her initial plans to become an engineer (which is also frowned upon) fall through. She does, and then war comes.
It is a harrowing story, where the doctors alongside Dr. Ballour attempt to save patients by the thousands despite the lack of supplies, support, etc. Eventually she has to leave, and we follow her story as she escapes and applies for asylum, eventually making it to the United States.
Eventually, Ballour becomes the subject of the documentary of the same name, which is meant to showcase the violence and devastation of the Syrian Civil War. It goes on to win several awards and is nominated for an Oscar, which Ballour considers an honor despite not winning.
The book made me sad, no lie. It was difficult to read at times. While not too gory, it was rather frustrating to read about how struggles in growing up in a patriarchal society as well as dealing with the simply unspeakable conditions of trying to operate a hospital during a civil war (!). I am glad she made it out (although she also writes of colleagues, friends and family who haven't been able to and/or have died since then.
As a text it was not the greatest read, but it is an important one. I'd recommend it if only to better understand what has been happened in Syria. As I have not seen the documentary I could not say if the material is duplicated or if it is a good compliment, etc. but I would recommend it anyway.
Borrowed from the library and that was best for me.
Author Ballour gives us a memoir of her life, from her childhood and life pre-crisis in Syria. She discusses how she decided to become a doctor after her initial plans to become an engineer (which is also frowned upon) fall through. She does, and then war comes.
It is a harrowing story, where the doctors alongside Dr. Ballour attempt to save patients by the thousands despite the lack of supplies, support, etc. Eventually she has to leave, and we follow her story as she escapes and applies for asylum, eventually making it to the United States.
Eventually, Ballour becomes the subject of the documentary of the same name, which is meant to showcase the violence and devastation of the Syrian Civil War. It goes on to win several awards and is nominated for an Oscar, which Ballour considers an honor despite not winning.
The book made me sad, no lie. It was difficult to read at times. While not too gory, it was rather frustrating to read about how struggles in growing up in a patriarchal society as well as dealing with the simply unspeakable conditions of trying to operate a hospital during a civil war (!). I am glad she made it out (although she also writes of colleagues, friends and family who haven't been able to and/or have died since then.
As a text it was not the greatest read, but it is an important one. I'd recommend it if only to better understand what has been happened in Syria. As I have not seen the documentary I could not say if the material is duplicated or if it is a good compliment, etc. but I would recommend it anyway.
Borrowed from the library and that was best for me.
May 31, 2024
The author is an amazing woman. She received her medical degree at the beginning of the Syrian civil war. She started out as a true believer in the dictator and his government (school included a lot of indoctrination). As the government started torturing and killing people, cutting off food and power, and bombing everywhere in her area, she was radicalized; not so much politically, but into becoming a force for providing medical care. She didn't have the luxury of internship/residency, but had to develop her clinical skills in an underground hospital under frequent bombardment. She wanted to be, and became, a pediatrician, but she also had to learn and perform emergency medicine on people who had been shot, buried in rubble, and exposed to deadly poisons (the government used sarin on its own citizens!). Plus children and adults were starving to death because food wasn't available. Her descriptions of what they all had to eat were horrible. She saw more death and traumatic injuries than anyone ever should.
She saved lives and helped people as much as she could. But she was traumatized by her experiences. She saw too many people die for no good reason. She was in fear for everyone's lives, especially her family and co-workers, and of course all her patients. Two of her brothers went missing at a checkpoint, and the family never found out what happened to them. Yet she developed her skills and took on a giant amount of responsibility at the hospital, despite a certain amount of sexism. At the end of the book, she'd left Syria (which was not easy) and settled in the US. She was unable to get back into hands-on medicine because of the trauma. She is doing at least as much good by spreading her story. People in the US have not had a lot of awareness of the Syrian atrocities, but we need to.
The book is very well written and heartbreaking.
She saved lives and helped people as much as she could. But she was traumatized by her experiences. She saw too many people die for no good reason. She was in fear for everyone's lives, especially her family and co-workers, and of course all her patients. Two of her brothers went missing at a checkpoint, and the family never found out what happened to them. Yet she developed her skills and took on a giant amount of responsibility at the hospital, despite a certain amount of sexism. At the end of the book, she'd left Syria (which was not easy) and settled in the US. She was unable to get back into hands-on medicine because of the trauma. She is doing at least as much good by spreading her story. People in the US have not had a lot of awareness of the Syrian atrocities, but we need to.
The book is very well written and heartbreaking.
May 30, 2024
WOW !!!! What a read that the librarian suggested I read. Dr. Amani Ballour had just completed her medical training in Syria as rebel protests were beginning. She took a job in Eastern Ghouta doing nurse-type service due to being a woman in the Muslim world. With her desire to be of greater service, she just undertook "extreme" cases in a depleted medical staff facility that was being stressed due to increased rebel activity including chemical warfare patients along with large numbers of battered soldiers. At first, the men refused to be touched by a woman, but choosing life, they slowly relented. President Assad joined with Russia and the destruction of her city increased, destroying hospitals, forcing Dr. Amani to move into the CAVE, the basement plus tunnels under the former hospital.
The longest siege in military history (2013-2018) resulted in the medical field hospital serving local citizens, the enemy, and rebel forces with minimal "patches" due to limited supplies. Her story of the day-to-day operations with the stress and frustration of dealing with dying people stacked like cordwood in the tunnel hallway is an emotional experience. They even dug a tunnel to the cemetery to avoid detection by government forces.
After the conflict ended, she became a refugee ending up in Turkey and later in Europe. National Geographic filmed a documentary, THE CAVE, which opened doors for her to apply for asylum in several countries, all being denied. This becomes a story in itself especially during the Covid crisis. You will have to read to appreciate fully the greatness of this lady.
The longest siege in military history (2013-2018) resulted in the medical field hospital serving local citizens, the enemy, and rebel forces with minimal "patches" due to limited supplies. Her story of the day-to-day operations with the stress and frustration of dealing with dying people stacked like cordwood in the tunnel hallway is an emotional experience. They even dug a tunnel to the cemetery to avoid detection by government forces.
After the conflict ended, she became a refugee ending up in Turkey and later in Europe. National Geographic filmed a documentary, THE CAVE, which opened doors for her to apply for asylum in several countries, all being denied. This becomes a story in itself especially during the Covid crisis. You will have to read to appreciate fully the greatness of this lady.
December 30, 2025
I am not quite sure where to begin with this book. I read this remarkable story on 8 December 2025, exactly one year after the fall of the Assad regime, and it left me speechless. Countless times I had to pause, reflect, and sit with my own memories. As a survivor of the siege of Eastern Ghouta, the brutality of the Assad regime is not something I know only from history—it is something I lived. Reading this book brought back the despair I felt while watching the chemical attacks of 2018 unfold from Australia, helpless and distant, yet deeply wounded.
I remember the days without food, the constant fear and stress, knowing that regime forces could break down our door at any moment and kill everyone inside, or that a barrel bomb could fall and end my entire family’s life in an instant. This book reopened those memories with painful clarity. It did not allow me to look away, nor should it have.
Yet alongside the pain, there is pride. I am glad that we played a part—however small—in shaping resistance and ultimately overthrowing one of the most brutal regimes in modern history. The sacrifices were immense, but they were not in vain. Dr Amani stands among the countless heroes whose courage and defiance we honour. We light candles in their memory, not only to mourn them, but to recognise the extraordinary bravery it took to stand against such cruelty.
This book is more than a story. It is a testament to survival, resistance, and the enduring human capacity to confront oppression, even when the cost is unimaginable.
I remember the days without food, the constant fear and stress, knowing that regime forces could break down our door at any moment and kill everyone inside, or that a barrel bomb could fall and end my entire family’s life in an instant. This book reopened those memories with painful clarity. It did not allow me to look away, nor should it have.
Yet alongside the pain, there is pride. I am glad that we played a part—however small—in shaping resistance and ultimately overthrowing one of the most brutal regimes in modern history. The sacrifices were immense, but they were not in vain. Dr Amani stands among the countless heroes whose courage and defiance we honour. We light candles in their memory, not only to mourn them, but to recognise the extraordinary bravery it took to stand against such cruelty.
This book is more than a story. It is a testament to survival, resistance, and the enduring human capacity to confront oppression, even when the cost is unimaginable.
April 7, 2024
Dr. Amani Ballour lived in a village in Syria that was constantly being besieged with bombings by the Ba’ath Party (Syria’s dictator; Bashar al-Assad). A group of physicians used an abandoned underground building for a hospital called The Cave to treat the victims of war. Dr. Ballour described the time that sarin gas was used to kill the people in her village and how desperate they were to treat the people, especially children with the little amount of atropine they had on hand. Access to food and medical supplies was scarce, children were dying of starvation every day. She described how difficult it was to practice medicine during this time; nearly every family had lost members. Eventually she had to evacuate Syria because they were killing all medical people who were trying to help any victim of the war. She told how difficult it was to be a refuge, as a refuge in Turkey she was not allowed to leave without permission. How difficult it was to get legal papers to move around. She hated being a refugee, she only wanted to live in Syria; but how? A short film was produced by National Geographic about Dr. Ballour which was nominated for an Oscar by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This book was written after the film was produced. Dr Ballour wants people to know of the difficult situation that the people of Syria live every day and how they only want to live in a democracy with a land of laws.
February 4, 2024
I was so moved by this book. It isn't an easy read, but it's such an important one. Syrian physician Amani Ballour describes her experiences growing up under the Assad regime, training as a doctor in a patriarchal society, and working tirelessly with fellow medics to care for victims of the relentless siege and attacks by the regime's forces in a poorly equipped underground hospital. Her harrowing account of the danger, violence, and oppressive conditions is heart-rending and eye-opening, and the atrocities visited on innocent men, women, and children are painful to read and deserve to be known. I'm so full of awe and admiration for the strength and dedication of the author and all the people who fought to save lives at great personal risk, and for people who stand up for human rights no matter the cost. The author writes with great love and with great pain, and it's impossible not to be touched and inspired by her words. I'm very glad that I read this book.
I'm grateful to the author, the publisher, and to Netgalley for providing me with a free advance reader copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
I'm grateful to the author, the publisher, and to Netgalley for providing me with a free advance reader copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
March 20, 2024
Amani Ballour was just given her Doctor's DIploma and she didn't have any practice on patients. They really needed doctors and she was hired right away. There were terrible wounds she had to learn on the job to repair them or do her best. One terrible day people were bringing patients gasping for air. There were people dying everywhere. They didn't have the medicines and equipment to handle such a catastrophe. The Assad Regime, even bombed hospitals, schools and civilians homes. They took many people off the streets, tortured them and when found innocent, they were let go after a few months. But a lot went missing and were never seen again. In 2018 they bombed the hospital so bad, they evacuated as many patients as possible to other hospital's. Dr. Ballour had to leave the hospital or be killed or sent to jail. She wanted this story told, because the United Nations and other countries weren't coming to their aid. This book is very terrifying and outrageous that they weren't helped. I fact Russia joined The Assad Regime and they used their military might to kill Syrian people and destroy there way of life. I recommend this book, but it's very graphic and gory.
April 1, 2025
This was a hugely important memoir and story to tell. I will admit my ignorance in not knowing the depth of what was going on with the civil war in Syria. Dr Ballour tells her heartbreaking tragedy of trying to save men, women, and children in an underground hospital.As the “regime”, Syrian dictatorship and government, constantly are shelling, bombing, and shooting at its own civilian’s in rebel held areas of Syria. The regime goes as far as carrying out multiple chemical attacks that are condemned as war crimes in the international community.
This book reminded me of the beauty of living in the Western world. It made me feel immense gratitude of having simple things like clean water, sunlight, air, and electricity. It is so easy to take these things for granted until you read something that brings back the reality that these things are gifts and not guarantees. While we have the entitlement to argue in the western world about what political side is right or what should I wear tonight, there are places and people in the world that are wondering when their next meal will be or where to find basic medical care. Thank you for your story, Amani, your people are not forgotten.❤️
This book reminded me of the beauty of living in the Western world. It made me feel immense gratitude of having simple things like clean water, sunlight, air, and electricity. It is so easy to take these things for granted until you read something that brings back the reality that these things are gifts and not guarantees. While we have the entitlement to argue in the western world about what political side is right or what should I wear tonight, there are places and people in the world that are wondering when their next meal will be or where to find basic medical care. Thank you for your story, Amani, your people are not forgotten.❤️
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