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Die geheime Bibliothek von Daraya: Über die Macht der Bücher in Zeiten des Krieges
Eine Bibliothek als Waffe gegen die Diktatur
Daraya beherbergt einen außergewöhnlichen Ort: eine unterirdische Bibliothek mit über 15 000 Büchern ‒ die meisten vom herrschenden Regime verboten, von Menschen aus dem Schutt zerstörter Häuser geborgen. "Massenunterrichtswaffen" nennt Delphine Minoui diesen Schatz und erzählt in ihrem Buch von jungen Syrern, die ihr Leben riskieren, um Bücher zu retten. Die Bibliothek wird zu einem Ort der Gemeinschaft, an dem Menschen lesen, lernen, diskutieren – und für kurze Zeit der brutalen Realität des Krieges entkommen können.
Alles begann mit einem Foto, das die französisch-iranische Journalistin Delphine Minoui zufällig auf Facebook entdeckte: zwei junge syrische Männer, umgeben von Regalen voller Bücher inmitten von Zerstörung. Darunter war die Rede von einer geheimen Bibliothek im Untergrund Darayas, einem Vorort von Damaskus, der von den Regierungstruppen permanent bombardiert und dem Erdboden nahezu gleichgemacht wurde. Minoui gelang es, mit den Gründern der Bibliothek Kontakt aufzunehmen und sie über zwei Jahre bei allen Wendepunkten und Tiefschlägen des Krieges zu begleiten. Wir begegnen Einzelschicksalen, die durch Bücher verbunden werden und sich so gegen Verzweiflung und Resignation stemmen. Eine Geschichte von der Macht des Lesens und der Hoffnung auf eine bessere Zukunft.
Daraya beherbergt einen außergewöhnlichen Ort: eine unterirdische Bibliothek mit über 15 000 Büchern ‒ die meisten vom herrschenden Regime verboten, von Menschen aus dem Schutt zerstörter Häuser geborgen. "Massenunterrichtswaffen" nennt Delphine Minoui diesen Schatz und erzählt in ihrem Buch von jungen Syrern, die ihr Leben riskieren, um Bücher zu retten. Die Bibliothek wird zu einem Ort der Gemeinschaft, an dem Menschen lesen, lernen, diskutieren – und für kurze Zeit der brutalen Realität des Krieges entkommen können.
Alles begann mit einem Foto, das die französisch-iranische Journalistin Delphine Minoui zufällig auf Facebook entdeckte: zwei junge syrische Männer, umgeben von Regalen voller Bücher inmitten von Zerstörung. Darunter war die Rede von einer geheimen Bibliothek im Untergrund Darayas, einem Vorort von Damaskus, der von den Regierungstruppen permanent bombardiert und dem Erdboden nahezu gleichgemacht wurde. Minoui gelang es, mit den Gründern der Bibliothek Kontakt aufzunehmen und sie über zwei Jahre bei allen Wendepunkten und Tiefschlägen des Krieges zu begleiten. Wir begegnen Einzelschicksalen, die durch Bücher verbunden werden und sich so gegen Verzweiflung und Resignation stemmen. Eine Geschichte von der Macht des Lesens und der Hoffnung auf eine bessere Zukunft.
232 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 19, 2017
150 people are currently reading
6913 people want to read
About the author
Delphine Minoui
13 books108 followersDelphine Minoui (born 1974) is an award-winning author and journalist whose work focuses on the Middle East. Born to a French mother and Iranian father, she has lived and worked in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Egypt. She is currently based in Istanbul (Turkey), where she works as a correspondent for Le Figaro newspaper. Besides her commitment to journalism, for which she has received the Prix Albert Londres 2006, she has written six books, including “Tripoliwood” (Grasset), “I’m writing you from Tehran (Le Seuil, newly translated in English and published by Farrar Straus and Giroux). In 2018, she turned her latest book, “The book rescuers of Daraya, a secret library in Syria” (“Les passeurs de livres de Daraya, une bibliothèque secrète en Syrie” – Le Seuil / Prix des Lectrices de ELLE 2018) into a documentary, “Daraya: a library under the bombs”, which has been aired on France 5 TV channel and granted the Grand Prix and Prix du Jeune Public at the FIGRA Film festival 2019. Her film has also been selected at the FIPA Festival.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 489 reviews
December 6, 2020
This is a heartbreaking tale, but one that demonstrates the transportive power of books and education.
In the mid-2010s, in the war-torn town of Daraya, Syria, a suburb of Damascus, bombs and chemical weapons would rain down from the sky. The Syrian Civil War was in its early years (and still rages on today, nearly a decade since its start in 2011). A group of young people dedicated to resisting the pro-Assad forces would sweep the rubble in the aftermath of each violent attack, looking for survivors, but instead, what they found were books. Then more books. And more books after that. Before too long, they had enough volumes to create a collection, and thus the secret underground library of Daraya was born.
French-Iranian journalist Delphine Minoui first saw a post about this library on Facebook in 2015. She was determined to track down the library’s organizers in order to hear their story and, hopefully, write a book about it. From her office in Istanbul, she made contact with the self-trained librarians, speaking to them over literally shaky internet connections as the bombs made the ground overhead tremble.
The young men with whom she spoke told her about how the remaining residents of Daraya would devour the available titles; just like other groups of readers worldwide, certain titles would become trendy in their small community. The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo was their most popular book, giving a much-needed sense of escapism to Daraya residents who were fighting every day just to survive. The optimism of the community could be reflected in the eventual popularity of the well-known self-help title, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. This small, but mighty group of book lovers dared to hope for an end to the conflict and for a chance to return to a normal world, one in which they would be prepared to become the highly effective people their reading was preparing them to be.
Minoui was largely incapable of providing any assistance to this group of people she grew to care for so much; often, she was only able to send a quick message over WhatsApp, asking if things were okay. She would be thrilled to get an emoji in response, a temporary assurance that they were still alive.
Meanwhile, the author mirrors the chaos in Syria with attacks in her hometown of Paris which she watched from afar with horror, and the March 2016 suicide bombing in Istanbul that the author and her young daughter were just blocks away from as they were on their way to – of all things – a children’s story time in the basement of the French Consulate.
The scene following, in which the children are oblivious to the chaos on the street above, focusing solely on the story being read to them, was my favorite of the book, and so clearly illustrated her point. Books are an escape from the world. They let our minds be somewhere else in periods of unimaginable stress and trauma, but they also can propel us forward with the knowledge we gain. We can reach further with their help, and although this story does not have the happy ending with which so many of us hope to close out a good book, the tenacity of this brave group of young people is downright inspiring.
In the mid-2010s, in the war-torn town of Daraya, Syria, a suburb of Damascus, bombs and chemical weapons would rain down from the sky. The Syrian Civil War was in its early years (and still rages on today, nearly a decade since its start in 2011). A group of young people dedicated to resisting the pro-Assad forces would sweep the rubble in the aftermath of each violent attack, looking for survivors, but instead, what they found were books. Then more books. And more books after that. Before too long, they had enough volumes to create a collection, and thus the secret underground library of Daraya was born.
French-Iranian journalist Delphine Minoui first saw a post about this library on Facebook in 2015. She was determined to track down the library’s organizers in order to hear their story and, hopefully, write a book about it. From her office in Istanbul, she made contact with the self-trained librarians, speaking to them over literally shaky internet connections as the bombs made the ground overhead tremble.
The young men with whom she spoke told her about how the remaining residents of Daraya would devour the available titles; just like other groups of readers worldwide, certain titles would become trendy in their small community. The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo was their most popular book, giving a much-needed sense of escapism to Daraya residents who were fighting every day just to survive. The optimism of the community could be reflected in the eventual popularity of the well-known self-help title, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. This small, but mighty group of book lovers dared to hope for an end to the conflict and for a chance to return to a normal world, one in which they would be prepared to become the highly effective people their reading was preparing them to be.
Minoui was largely incapable of providing any assistance to this group of people she grew to care for so much; often, she was only able to send a quick message over WhatsApp, asking if things were okay. She would be thrilled to get an emoji in response, a temporary assurance that they were still alive.
Meanwhile, the author mirrors the chaos in Syria with attacks in her hometown of Paris which she watched from afar with horror, and the March 2016 suicide bombing in Istanbul that the author and her young daughter were just blocks away from as they were on their way to – of all things – a children’s story time in the basement of the French Consulate.
The scene following, in which the children are oblivious to the chaos on the street above, focusing solely on the story being read to them, was my favorite of the book, and so clearly illustrated her point. Books are an escape from the world. They let our minds be somewhere else in periods of unimaginable stress and trauma, but they also can propel us forward with the knowledge we gain. We can reach further with their help, and although this story does not have the happy ending with which so many of us hope to close out a good book, the tenacity of this brave group of young people is downright inspiring.
July 30, 2021
I enjoyed the story here, but I felt the journalistic approach left it feeling a little distant.
The author writes about the siege of Daraya, and the bond she develops from a distance with the men who resist. They have rescued books from their destroyed city and brought them together into an underground library, where the name of the original owner can be found in the front page of every book.
This book uses the library as a grounding point, but mostly it talks about the reluctant warriors these men have become, and how their situation becomes more and more desperate as bombs continue to rain down on Daraya.
One major issue I had was that there wasn't enough information for me to properly understand what exactly was happening and why. I willingly admit I am rather ignorant of the wars raging overseas (I deliberately avoid depressing news) so I couldn't quite understand who the opposing forces were here, why they were bombing the town, and what the town's inhabitants were protesting. It was hard to get a proper feel for the situation, and what was at stake, and what had caused things to become so dire for these men.
I loved the personal anecdotes and getting to know these men, but I feel first hand accounts would have made the impact greater. Instead, we get their stories through the filter of a journalist who seeks to create mood and atmosphere from a story that would pack more of a punch in its raw form.
Overall, I really enjoyed this glimpse into a world so foreign to my own, but I do feel the journalistic approach meant the story missed the mark in the long run. Instead of tension and high emotion, I felt very distant from these men and what they went through.
Which is a real shame, because their story is incredible.
It's worth a read so that you can see a little more of an insider view of a war zone, but ultimately this won't tug the heartstrings as much as it should.
With thanks to Macmillan for a copy
The author writes about the siege of Daraya, and the bond she develops from a distance with the men who resist. They have rescued books from their destroyed city and brought them together into an underground library, where the name of the original owner can be found in the front page of every book.
This book uses the library as a grounding point, but mostly it talks about the reluctant warriors these men have become, and how their situation becomes more and more desperate as bombs continue to rain down on Daraya.
One major issue I had was that there wasn't enough information for me to properly understand what exactly was happening and why. I willingly admit I am rather ignorant of the wars raging overseas (I deliberately avoid depressing news) so I couldn't quite understand who the opposing forces were here, why they were bombing the town, and what the town's inhabitants were protesting. It was hard to get a proper feel for the situation, and what was at stake, and what had caused things to become so dire for these men.
I loved the personal anecdotes and getting to know these men, but I feel first hand accounts would have made the impact greater. Instead, we get their stories through the filter of a journalist who seeks to create mood and atmosphere from a story that would pack more of a punch in its raw form.
Overall, I really enjoyed this glimpse into a world so foreign to my own, but I do feel the journalistic approach meant the story missed the mark in the long run. Instead of tension and high emotion, I felt very distant from these men and what they went through.
Which is a real shame, because their story is incredible.
It's worth a read so that you can see a little more of an insider view of a war zone, but ultimately this won't tug the heartstrings as much as it should.
With thanks to Macmillan for a copy
December 6, 2020
This is kind of about a library but it's more about how a small group of people tries to survive through years of ongoing siege in Daraya, Syria. Throughout the bombing and blockade they rescue books from buildings and create a library underground. The book was written up in Elle Magazine just last month because it is written by a female journalist. She gets her information second-hand through however she can connect with the people in Daraya, sometimes it's up to WeChat. There is a accompanying documentary called "Daraya: A Library Under the Bombs."
November 22, 2020
I have to admit I don’t know much about the war in Syria however Delphine Minoui brings the conflict and danger up close as she describes her Skype conversations with a young revolutionist whilst explosions are going on in the background.
Inspired by a photo, the author saw on Facebook, of two young Syrian males looking over books Delphine tracks down the photographer and then over dodgy internet connections the story of the secret library of Daraya unfolds.
This is a fascinating story of how people come together during a time of immense conflict and through books and reading they can see some sort of future. I loved that this was from the point of view of people actually involved and living through this turmoil. We get to see their real passion for books and learning, their ideals and dreams.
The photos included throughout the book and the small background information on each of the men that provided content for the book makes it become so much more than just a history of the secret library.
*I received a copy through Beauty & Lace Bookclub
Inspired by a photo, the author saw on Facebook, of two young Syrian males looking over books Delphine tracks down the photographer and then over dodgy internet connections the story of the secret library of Daraya unfolds.
This is a fascinating story of how people come together during a time of immense conflict and through books and reading they can see some sort of future. I loved that this was from the point of view of people actually involved and living through this turmoil. We get to see their real passion for books and learning, their ideals and dreams.
The photos included throughout the book and the small background information on each of the men that provided content for the book makes it become so much more than just a history of the secret library.
*I received a copy through Beauty & Lace Bookclub
April 27, 2024
﷽
Having lived in Lebanon for a few years in my early teens, I had been ignorant to the vile and vicious oppression my Syrian and Palestinian brothers and sisters faced that led to them fleeing from their countries and into the borders of mine. All I had known was that they were the victims of war, nothing more, nothing less—a bubble of privilege that blinded me to reality. A few months back, a fellow Lebanese made a very harsh and derogatory comment towards the Palestinian and Syrian refugees in Lebanon that severely angered me, but it also woke me up to how ignorant and unknowledgeable I was about the plight of my brothers and sisters. That is why I decided to read this. I wanted to know more about what happened, about the suffering of our Ummah, and it is safe to say this was the worst book to start with.
The Book Collectors of Daraya is an awfully romanticised memoir filled with lyrical prose and Islamophobic undertones from the author. It started off beautifully, and my heart was truly captured by Minoui's way with words. However, a few chapters in and the magic of her writing was not enough to hide her bitter feelings towards Islam, most especially towards jihad—fighting in the cause of Allah ﷻ—and, of course, the hijab. Minoui repeatedly and slyly slides in comments such as, "In a city where the women remain invisible".
What mostly irked me was her constant reassuring to the reader that the Muslim Syrians of Daraya were not your typical misogynistic, jihadist Muslim extremists, oh, no, not at all. Because, God forbid they believed in war and violence to protect themselves from the destructive and violent pro-Assad regime. It was like she was trying to justify her support of these oppressed Muslims as a French journalist—her words could be read with an almost defensive undertone—by including comments such as: "These pressures are only distancing Ahmad from religion even more. He shaved his beard, opposes the idea of a compulsory veil for Syrian women, and condemns the hypocrisy of extremists" and asking the Book Collectors of Daraya questions like, "Do you consider yourself a jihadist?".
Furthermore, even with my limited knowledge on the viscousness of Bashar Assad's tyranny in Syria, I could easily tell everything written was romanticised, seen through a rose-colored lens—their suffering was not given the weight it deserved and it angered me greatly. In fact, Minoui goes as far as to include a chapter of her own interaction with one suicide bombing in Turkey, which I found distasteful (to be fair, she did acknowledge at the end that she can't imagine how the Book Collectors of Daraya deal with this everyday). I would have personally been ashamed to even write that down in the same book filled with recollections about Syrians eating leaves and soups of spices out of hunger and undergoing surgery without anaesthesia and bombings multiple times a day.
This felt more like a memoir about Delphine Minoui than the oppression of Syrians. I didn't like it. Everything was underplayed, tied neatly with a bow and glossed over with beautiful writing. Where is the anger? The burning fire within at the blatant injustice, the tyranny, the leaders abusing their power, the leaders that remain silent? None of that. Despite these drawbacks, I cannot say it wasn't informative. I learnt more about the history of the Syrian revolution and it brings tears to the eyes and fire to the heart, and this verse that was replaying through my head the entirety of the book:
"And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, "Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority." They said, "Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we exalt You with praise and declare Your perfection?" He [Allah] said, "Indeed, I know that which you do not know." [Al-Baqarah, verse 30]
May Allah's ﷻ infinite Wrath and curse be upon the oppressors, and may His Mercy encompass the oppressed believers from all angles, ameen.
Having lived in Lebanon for a few years in my early teens, I had been ignorant to the vile and vicious oppression my Syrian and Palestinian brothers and sisters faced that led to them fleeing from their countries and into the borders of mine. All I had known was that they were the victims of war, nothing more, nothing less—a bubble of privilege that blinded me to reality. A few months back, a fellow Lebanese made a very harsh and derogatory comment towards the Palestinian and Syrian refugees in Lebanon that severely angered me, but it also woke me up to how ignorant and unknowledgeable I was about the plight of my brothers and sisters. That is why I decided to read this. I wanted to know more about what happened, about the suffering of our Ummah, and it is safe to say this was the worst book to start with.
The Book Collectors of Daraya is an awfully romanticised memoir filled with lyrical prose and Islamophobic undertones from the author. It started off beautifully, and my heart was truly captured by Minoui's way with words. However, a few chapters in and the magic of her writing was not enough to hide her bitter feelings towards Islam, most especially towards jihad—fighting in the cause of Allah ﷻ—and, of course, the hijab. Minoui repeatedly and slyly slides in comments such as, "In a city where the women remain invisible".
What mostly irked me was her constant reassuring to the reader that the Muslim Syrians of Daraya were not your typical misogynistic, jihadist Muslim extremists, oh, no, not at all. Because, God forbid they believed in war and violence to protect themselves from the destructive and violent pro-Assad regime. It was like she was trying to justify her support of these oppressed Muslims as a French journalist—her words could be read with an almost defensive undertone—by including comments such as: "These pressures are only distancing Ahmad from religion even more. He shaved his beard, opposes the idea of a compulsory veil for Syrian women, and condemns the hypocrisy of extremists" and asking the Book Collectors of Daraya questions like, "Do you consider yourself a jihadist?".
Furthermore, even with my limited knowledge on the viscousness of Bashar Assad's tyranny in Syria, I could easily tell everything written was romanticised, seen through a rose-colored lens—their suffering was not given the weight it deserved and it angered me greatly. In fact, Minoui goes as far as to include a chapter of her own interaction with one suicide bombing in Turkey, which I found distasteful (to be fair, she did acknowledge at the end that she can't imagine how the Book Collectors of Daraya deal with this everyday). I would have personally been ashamed to even write that down in the same book filled with recollections about Syrians eating leaves and soups of spices out of hunger and undergoing surgery without anaesthesia and bombings multiple times a day.
This felt more like a memoir about Delphine Minoui than the oppression of Syrians. I didn't like it. Everything was underplayed, tied neatly with a bow and glossed over with beautiful writing. Where is the anger? The burning fire within at the blatant injustice, the tyranny, the leaders abusing their power, the leaders that remain silent? None of that. Despite these drawbacks, I cannot say it wasn't informative. I learnt more about the history of the Syrian revolution and it brings tears to the eyes and fire to the heart, and this verse that was replaying through my head the entirety of the book:
"And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, "Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority." They said, "Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we exalt You with praise and declare Your perfection?" He [Allah] said, "Indeed, I know that which you do not know." [Al-Baqarah, verse 30]
May Allah's ﷻ infinite Wrath and curse be upon the oppressors, and may His Mercy encompass the oppressed believers from all angles, ameen.
January 21, 2024
Delphine Minoui is a French journalist who is a Middle East correspondent for Le Figaro. In 2015, while searching Facebook, she saw a photo of a library where several young men were scanning the shelves and one of them was reading. She noticed the caption below the photo that said, “secret library of Daraya” in Syria. Knowing that Daraya was inaccessible and under siege, she was fascinated and decided to search online for these young men. She was able to track down the photographer and began communicating with him through Skype and Whats App.
Over the span of several years, Ms Minoui connected with the “book collectors of Daraya” and this book recounts their remarkable story of hope, bravery, resistance, loss, and survival under unimaginable conditions. Their stories are inspiring and heartbreaking — often communicated while bombs were falling around them. It’s also a testament to the power of books and reading.
Over the span of several years, Ms Minoui connected with the “book collectors of Daraya” and this book recounts their remarkable story of hope, bravery, resistance, loss, and survival under unimaginable conditions. Their stories are inspiring and heartbreaking — often communicated while bombs were falling around them. It’s also a testament to the power of books and reading.
August 14, 2018
J’ai fermé ce livre, j’ai fermé mes yeux et je l’ai serré contre mon coeur qui battait très fort.
▪️Je suis redevenue cette fille de 5 ans qui a grandi dans une ville en guerre tout comme Daraya … cette fillette de 5 ans qui a passé des nuits entières dans un abri (malja’) au sous-sol de son immeuble avec d’autres familles et enfants, serrés les uns contre les autres, tenant ma poupée et mon livre préféré contre mon coeur, la tête enfuie dans le cou de ma mère ou de mon père. Je serrais les yeux fort pour bloquer le son des explosions et des bombes … couvrir mes oreilles avec mes petites mains ne suffisait pas; ma mère me fredonnait des chansons douces quand elle en avait la force afin d’apaiser ma peur.
▪️Dans ces abris, il y avait des rats mais pas de matelas; il y avait à peine de place pour s’assoupir assis, ou plutôt somnoler d’un sommeil interrompu par le son des bombes qui pleuvaient à l’extérieur et nous rappelaient notre réalité amère: dehors il y avait la mort.
♦���Combien de temps pourrons-nous tenir❓Qui survivra le lendemain❓
▪️Chaque soir on se retrouvait à la cave et on vérifiait si tout le monde était là ou s’il en manquait …. Et chaque matin on guettait le silence, qui ne durait des fois que quelques minutes, et on se précipitait vers nos maisons afin d’évaluer les dégâts… Les murs et les vitres troués par les balles étaient plutôt bons indicateurs que la maison tenait toujours face à l’injustice du sort… au moins elle n’était pas détruite!
▪️Des souvenirs que je croyais effacés par le temps mais qui ne sont qu’ensevelis au plus profond de mon être parce que j’ai fait partie des chanceux: j’ai pu quitter mon pays natal avec mes parents vers un meilleur avenir. Mon âme est cicatrisée par la guerre et jusqu’à maintenant je sursaute lors des feux d’artifice parce que leur son me projette en arrière…
▪️Je n’ai pas raconté mon histoire, ni l’histoire de ma voisine Hanadi qui a été tuée par un obus parce qu’elle voulait jouer à la marelle dans son jardin… ▫️beaucoup d’histoires oubliées alors qu’elles méritent d’être racontées. Partout dans le monde il y a un Shadi, un Ahmed et un Omar qui résistent courageusement face à la guerre inhumaine.
Je joins ma voix à celle de Delphine Minoui qui, dans ce récit poignant, nous parle de la barbarie de la guerre et des tyrans qui croient pouvoir détruire des idées et des cultures avec leurs armes de destruction mais que face à eux, les habitants courageux de Daraya ont levé leurs armes d’instruction: LES LIVRES qu’ils ont sauvés sous les décombres …. Ils ont bâti une bibliothèque secrète à Daraya afin de survivre.
🔗📚 ⚠️Faisons passer leur histoire⚠️📚🔗
▪️Je suis redevenue cette fille de 5 ans qui a grandi dans une ville en guerre tout comme Daraya … cette fillette de 5 ans qui a passé des nuits entières dans un abri (malja’) au sous-sol de son immeuble avec d’autres familles et enfants, serrés les uns contre les autres, tenant ma poupée et mon livre préféré contre mon coeur, la tête enfuie dans le cou de ma mère ou de mon père. Je serrais les yeux fort pour bloquer le son des explosions et des bombes … couvrir mes oreilles avec mes petites mains ne suffisait pas; ma mère me fredonnait des chansons douces quand elle en avait la force afin d’apaiser ma peur.
▪️Dans ces abris, il y avait des rats mais pas de matelas; il y avait à peine de place pour s’assoupir assis, ou plutôt somnoler d’un sommeil interrompu par le son des bombes qui pleuvaient à l’extérieur et nous rappelaient notre réalité amère: dehors il y avait la mort.
♦���Combien de temps pourrons-nous tenir❓Qui survivra le lendemain❓
▪️Chaque soir on se retrouvait à la cave et on vérifiait si tout le monde était là ou s’il en manquait …. Et chaque matin on guettait le silence, qui ne durait des fois que quelques minutes, et on se précipitait vers nos maisons afin d’évaluer les dégâts… Les murs et les vitres troués par les balles étaient plutôt bons indicateurs que la maison tenait toujours face à l’injustice du sort… au moins elle n’était pas détruite!
▪️Des souvenirs que je croyais effacés par le temps mais qui ne sont qu’ensevelis au plus profond de mon être parce que j’ai fait partie des chanceux: j’ai pu quitter mon pays natal avec mes parents vers un meilleur avenir. Mon âme est cicatrisée par la guerre et jusqu’à maintenant je sursaute lors des feux d’artifice parce que leur son me projette en arrière…
▪️Je n’ai pas raconté mon histoire, ni l’histoire de ma voisine Hanadi qui a été tuée par un obus parce qu’elle voulait jouer à la marelle dans son jardin… ▫️beaucoup d’histoires oubliées alors qu’elles méritent d’être racontées. Partout dans le monde il y a un Shadi, un Ahmed et un Omar qui résistent courageusement face à la guerre inhumaine.
Je joins ma voix à celle de Delphine Minoui qui, dans ce récit poignant, nous parle de la barbarie de la guerre et des tyrans qui croient pouvoir détruire des idées et des cultures avec leurs armes de destruction mais que face à eux, les habitants courageux de Daraya ont levé leurs armes d’instruction: LES LIVRES qu’ils ont sauvés sous les décombres …. Ils ont bâti une bibliothèque secrète à Daraya afin de survivre.
🔗📚 ⚠️Faisons passer leur histoire⚠️📚🔗
November 22, 2021
This small tome is both heartbreaking and inspirational, and as one reviewer points out shows the transformational power of books. Minoui, a journalist, comes across a picture and caption on FB that intrigues her and thus begins her search for the story behind that picture of the secret library of Daraya, Syria.
Daraya is where a peaceful uprising occurred in 2011 and the spark for the Syrian Civil War. Besieged from Assad's forces, enduring bombings and deprivation for years. We meet a small band of young men who work to survive and fight out of necessity. None of them were readers, having been brought up in a system that the only books and other writings were those that glorified Assad and the regime.
After one of the bombings, one of the men discovers books among the ruins and sets in motion what will eventually become a secret library to protect these books and they discover the books open the door to knowledge. Books become our way to make up for lost time, to wipe out ignorance
Reading becomes a refuge from the routine of war. The young Syrians cohabit with death night and day. Most have already lost everything. Amid the bedlam they cling to books as to life. Hoping for a better tomorrow.
I was particularly taken by the care they gave the books as they were building their library. They brought order to the collection and placed the owner's name inside each book.
We're not thieves, and certainly not looters. These books belong to the residents of Daraya. Some are dead, others have left, or have been arrested. We want them all to retrieve their belongings once the war is over.
The first part of the book really spoke to my reading soul as we learn about the library, how it was used, favorite books and what the books meant to those men. The majority of the story revolves around their efforts to survive as supplies dwindled among the constant bombings and shooting. It reminded me of another book- The Cellist of Sarajevo and how the people survived that siege and where they found some hope.
Is there hope for the Syrian people? Even as these men's time in Daraya ends, the war goes on to this day.
Daraya is where a peaceful uprising occurred in 2011 and the spark for the Syrian Civil War. Besieged from Assad's forces, enduring bombings and deprivation for years. We meet a small band of young men who work to survive and fight out of necessity. None of them were readers, having been brought up in a system that the only books and other writings were those that glorified Assad and the regime.
After one of the bombings, one of the men discovers books among the ruins and sets in motion what will eventually become a secret library to protect these books and they discover the books open the door to knowledge. Books become our way to make up for lost time, to wipe out ignorance
Reading becomes a refuge from the routine of war. The young Syrians cohabit with death night and day. Most have already lost everything. Amid the bedlam they cling to books as to life. Hoping for a better tomorrow.
I was particularly taken by the care they gave the books as they were building their library. They brought order to the collection and placed the owner's name inside each book.
We're not thieves, and certainly not looters. These books belong to the residents of Daraya. Some are dead, others have left, or have been arrested. We want them all to retrieve their belongings once the war is over.
The first part of the book really spoke to my reading soul as we learn about the library, how it was used, favorite books and what the books meant to those men. The majority of the story revolves around their efforts to survive as supplies dwindled among the constant bombings and shooting. It reminded me of another book- The Cellist of Sarajevo and how the people survived that siege and where they found some hope.
Is there hope for the Syrian people? Even as these men's time in Daraya ends, the war goes on to this day.
November 13, 2020
2.5 stars. I was so excited by the premise of this book, but disappointed by the execution. The author was inserted as a major character in this story, and not only did it not seem necessary, it also felt very “western savior”-y. I really wanted to hear more about the book collection and what it meant for the community, not the history of the Syrian conflict. Additionally, I found that the author relied on some frustrating cliches about the “transformative magic of books.”
November 5, 2020
It was a caption under the photograph of two young Syrian men browsing the shelves of a library that piqued the interest of Delphine Minoui, an award winning French journalist - ‘The Secret Library of Daraya’.
Curious as to how a library could operate in a place like Daraya, but unable to travel to Syria due to the region’s instability, Delphine reached out and made contact with one of the young men in the photo via Skype. Twenty three year old Ahmed was born in Daraya, and remained even after his family fled, determined to document the devastation and support the rebels. One afternoon he was called to help a group carrying books from a deserted, bombed out home, an idea that first struck him as absurd in the middle of a war zone. Yet from the moment he picked up his first book he was struck by what it represented - freedom. As the collection of scavenged tomes grew, a room was found for them in a basement, and the Secret Library of Daraya was born.
Daraya is a suburb on the outskirts of Damascus. Declared a hotbed of terrorists by Syria’s ruler Bashar al-Assad for daring to peacefully protest his dictatorship, it was placed under siege and ringed with with his forces in 2011. I have to admit to having very little understanding of the conflict in Syria, so I appreciated that Minoui explains the events that led to Daraya’s position and the steady escalation that saw the suburb attacked with missiles, bombs, and even chemical weapons, including sarin and Napalm.
Delphine has written The Book Collectors of Daraya by speaking with Ahmed, and his friends through an unreliable internet connection via Skype and WhatsApp. Initially her focus is on the library; how it came to be, which books are popular, and what it means to the residents of Daraya. It’s a delight to hear how the library and its books provides a refuge and haven from the devastation on their doorstep, how it provides a respite of normalcy, and brings people together. Non-readers become readers, free to choose something other than propaganda, soldiers take books with them to the frontline to read, trade, and discuss, in between wielding their Kalashnikovs.
Unsurprisingly the miracle of the library does take somewhat of a backseat as Delphine learns of the daily hardships and horrors faced by the suburb’s residents. It’s a harrowing tale of danger, deprivation, and starvation as the siege drags on for more than five years. Not content to reduce Daraya to rubble, the Syrian dictator stops any attempts to provide food or essentials, determined to quash the rebels.
There is a little repetition in the narrative of The Book Collectors of Daraya, but I found it well written and readable. Minoui adds a personal perspective, sharing her experience of terror attacks in her home of Istanbul, and in Paris, and freely admits her bias. I think she treats those she speaks with sensitively, and it’s clear she believes that it’s important their story is told. I particularly appreciated the inclusion of photographs that show the library, the men whom Delphine introduces us to, and the streets of Daraya.
The Book Collectors of Daraya is as much about the Syrian civil war, and particularly the experience of the young men who established the library, as it is the library itself. Simultaneously heartbreaking and uplifting, this book speaks of grief, and courage, of resilience, of humanity, and the power of books.
Curious as to how a library could operate in a place like Daraya, but unable to travel to Syria due to the region’s instability, Delphine reached out and made contact with one of the young men in the photo via Skype. Twenty three year old Ahmed was born in Daraya, and remained even after his family fled, determined to document the devastation and support the rebels. One afternoon he was called to help a group carrying books from a deserted, bombed out home, an idea that first struck him as absurd in the middle of a war zone. Yet from the moment he picked up his first book he was struck by what it represented - freedom. As the collection of scavenged tomes grew, a room was found for them in a basement, and the Secret Library of Daraya was born.
Daraya is a suburb on the outskirts of Damascus. Declared a hotbed of terrorists by Syria’s ruler Bashar al-Assad for daring to peacefully protest his dictatorship, it was placed under siege and ringed with with his forces in 2011. I have to admit to having very little understanding of the conflict in Syria, so I appreciated that Minoui explains the events that led to Daraya’s position and the steady escalation that saw the suburb attacked with missiles, bombs, and even chemical weapons, including sarin and Napalm.
Delphine has written The Book Collectors of Daraya by speaking with Ahmed, and his friends through an unreliable internet connection via Skype and WhatsApp. Initially her focus is on the library; how it came to be, which books are popular, and what it means to the residents of Daraya. It’s a delight to hear how the library and its books provides a refuge and haven from the devastation on their doorstep, how it provides a respite of normalcy, and brings people together. Non-readers become readers, free to choose something other than propaganda, soldiers take books with them to the frontline to read, trade, and discuss, in between wielding their Kalashnikovs.
Unsurprisingly the miracle of the library does take somewhat of a backseat as Delphine learns of the daily hardships and horrors faced by the suburb’s residents. It’s a harrowing tale of danger, deprivation, and starvation as the siege drags on for more than five years. Not content to reduce Daraya to rubble, the Syrian dictator stops any attempts to provide food or essentials, determined to quash the rebels.
There is a little repetition in the narrative of The Book Collectors of Daraya, but I found it well written and readable. Minoui adds a personal perspective, sharing her experience of terror attacks in her home of Istanbul, and in Paris, and freely admits her bias. I think she treats those she speaks with sensitively, and it’s clear she believes that it’s important their story is told. I particularly appreciated the inclusion of photographs that show the library, the men whom Delphine introduces us to, and the streets of Daraya.
The Book Collectors of Daraya is as much about the Syrian civil war, and particularly the experience of the young men who established the library, as it is the library itself. Simultaneously heartbreaking and uplifting, this book speaks of grief, and courage, of resilience, of humanity, and the power of books.
October 29, 2020
This is the first book I have read by Ms. Minoui and maybe all of her books include a lot of autobiographical information. But I was not expecting that. I was expecting a story about a group of Syrians who went about collecting books to create a library and how the town and library flourished together while under siege. While I knew the war would be discussed, I felt like it ended up being more central to the story than the library and the books. This was disappointing. I didn't want a book about the Syrian war. I wanted a book about these people who found some solace through books. How did they find all these hidden books? How did the books help people come together? How did the books help people survive their harrowing experience?
Thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
Thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
December 11, 2017
19/20
Le destin tragique de la ville de Daraya et surgis des décombres, des survivants qui subsistent, en sauvant des livres et en combattant l’obscurantisme à leur manière. Un texte indispensable.
Ma chronique : https://myprettybooks.wordpress.com/2...
Le destin tragique de la ville de Daraya et surgis des décombres, des survivants qui subsistent, en sauvant des livres et en combattant l’obscurantisme à leur manière. Un texte indispensable.
Ma chronique : https://myprettybooks.wordpress.com/2...
March 25, 2024
''The philosophy of Daraya'' formed at the core of a new way of life, appearing at first as a coping mechanism for the people who stood by their ideas through the devastating realities of war, later became an integral part (a ''Linchpin'') of each individual hoping to see a better future for their beloved homeland. It is a lesson for everyone who seeks to question the so-called "status quo'' using weopons as last resort to defend themselves and their loved ones from the wake of unending terror enforced by those who claim to be the only alternative to chaos '' إما أنا أو الفوضى ''.
As it is stated in the title, “The Book Collectors of Daraya” is not about the particular books and/or the library, but rather the people who seek change and have the willpower to preserve and spread knowledge in dire circumstances. Following the main plot we meet the protagonists of Daraya, most of them are young in their 20th together with their teacher/mentor Ustez, each of them has an individual background and story unreveled along the plot. We get some brief historical context here and there (ditaield enough, but not too overwhelming) of how the situation came to be, whlie also getting updates as the time of the siege carries on.
The main plot starts when Delphine Minoui (author) discovers the random post on Facebook of people reading in an underground library and upon further inquiry finds their contact, which allows her to communicate with them on semi-regular basis thus forming the main structure of the book (although it is worth mentioning that in the end of the book, it is revealed in aknowledgments that there were 2 aspiring journalists who assisted with the translation from Arabic day and night).
The key theme revolves around the certain "Daraya'' unique way of rebellion deoending mroe on self-education and written word, rather than brute force and propoganda of their adversaries. You observe the people's journey of self-analysis and self-reflection intertwined with escapism from the daily life of constant worry and anxiety, leading to the discovery of the previously unknown knowledge from poetry, history, politics to popular self-help books (Note: the list of the mentioned book is conveniently placed at the end as well). It is both fascinating and dreadful that the path to Enlightenment was found on the ruins of a sieged city under the constant bombardment by the Regime.
In the end, despite the destruction of the city, Daraya will never leave the hearts of the people who survived. It is not the city which made the people great, but the people stood against the chaos disguised as order, through 4 years of hardship and siege in hope of a better, equal and free future for their beloved country. The story serves as an inspiring example of how the brave people united by the same values and purpose can to withstand hardship for the intrinsically human desire for freedom, shared by all people in different parts of the world.
As it is stated in the title, “The Book Collectors of Daraya” is not about the particular books and/or the library, but rather the people who seek change and have the willpower to preserve and spread knowledge in dire circumstances. Following the main plot we meet the protagonists of Daraya, most of them are young in their 20th together with their teacher/mentor Ustez, each of them has an individual background and story unreveled along the plot. We get some brief historical context here and there (ditaield enough, but not too overwhelming) of how the situation came to be, whlie also getting updates as the time of the siege carries on.
The main plot starts when Delphine Minoui (author) discovers the random post on Facebook of people reading in an underground library and upon further inquiry finds their contact, which allows her to communicate with them on semi-regular basis thus forming the main structure of the book (although it is worth mentioning that in the end of the book, it is revealed in aknowledgments that there were 2 aspiring journalists who assisted with the translation from Arabic day and night).
The key theme revolves around the certain "Daraya'' unique way of rebellion deoending mroe on self-education and written word, rather than brute force and propoganda of their adversaries. You observe the people's journey of self-analysis and self-reflection intertwined with escapism from the daily life of constant worry and anxiety, leading to the discovery of the previously unknown knowledge from poetry, history, politics to popular self-help books (Note: the list of the mentioned book is conveniently placed at the end as well). It is both fascinating and dreadful that the path to Enlightenment was found on the ruins of a sieged city under the constant bombardment by the Regime.
In the end, despite the destruction of the city, Daraya will never leave the hearts of the people who survived. It is not the city which made the people great, but the people stood against the chaos disguised as order, through 4 years of hardship and siege in hope of a better, equal and free future for their beloved country. The story serves as an inspiring example of how the brave people united by the same values and purpose can to withstand hardship for the intrinsically human desire for freedom, shared by all people in different parts of the world.
April 6, 2021
As tough as the various lockdowns have been on people this is a mere inconvenience compared to what the populace of Daraya has had to put up with. It was in this town that the Syrian Civil war began. It has been under siege for years; the Assad regime trying to starve and boom the people into submission or death. Thousands of bombs have rained down on the city reducing almost everything, including the hospitals to dusty smoking ruins. They were not even allowed basic aid from neutral independent organisations.
Somehow they kept going, helping each other out and making sure that people were looked after. After one bombing run, one group of young men were looking for survivors in amongst the chaos and they discovered and cache of books that had survived the destruction of the building. They collect the books and make the decision to look for more. A week later they have collected six thousand volumes and in a month they have fifteen thousand. The addresses of where they find the books are written on the inside covers should the previous owners ever wish to claim them back again. They create a library for the people of the city based in a basement of a building, it is safe from the barrel bombs and becomes a place of learning and sanctuary for the oppressed people.
I listen to these poems like you’d listen to a secret voice whispering things you’re unable to express. The way someone sings what you’re incapable of singing. I find myself in every word, in every line.
A chance find on a Facebook page showing this secret library, inspired French-Iranian journalist Delphine Minoui to find out more about it. She manages to track down one of its founders, twenty-three-year-old Ahmad and started to ask him questions about it. Those questions become a wider conversation and in the end a friendship. She learns why they have done it, how they are using the books to further their educations and the hope that they get from the project.
They communicate via WhatsApp and Facebook, and she sees them at their most vulnerable, hunched in the basements of shattered buildings hearing the dull thuds of yet more explosions. Sometimes there was almost no communication, a message she sent would not have a reply for days until suddenly a happy or sad-faced emoji would pop up on her phone. Then nothing again. She would worry about them even though she was incapable of doing anything to help. Minoui longed to meet them, but never tough that this was going to be possible at all.
At the end of the line, he’s unable to speak. He’s lost his voice. His throat is empty. I can tell that he is beaten, depressed. From all the time I have spent talking to him over the internet, I’ve learned to read between the lines, to anticipate his responses. This isn’t a normal silence. For the first time, he’s run out of things to say about Daraya.
At times this is a heart-wrenching read. I cannot even imagine what life, such as you can call it there, was like. But in amongst all the death and destruction, there is hope; the hope that they find within the pages of the books, the hope that this time will end and the hope that they can build a democracy in the country that they love. The book conveys the reality of what life was like there at the time and the fear that every message to her would be their last. Minoui’s writing is sharp and pithy. It feels like the short chapters were written as notes after each time she contacted the men as her emotions come across as raw and reactions to the situations as they happen. It is a wonderful book about the generosity of the human spirit and however bad life is there is still some solace within the pages of a book. There is a video about the Book Collectors of Daraya, here (£)
Somehow they kept going, helping each other out and making sure that people were looked after. After one bombing run, one group of young men were looking for survivors in amongst the chaos and they discovered and cache of books that had survived the destruction of the building. They collect the books and make the decision to look for more. A week later they have collected six thousand volumes and in a month they have fifteen thousand. The addresses of where they find the books are written on the inside covers should the previous owners ever wish to claim them back again. They create a library for the people of the city based in a basement of a building, it is safe from the barrel bombs and becomes a place of learning and sanctuary for the oppressed people.
I listen to these poems like you’d listen to a secret voice whispering things you’re unable to express. The way someone sings what you’re incapable of singing. I find myself in every word, in every line.
A chance find on a Facebook page showing this secret library, inspired French-Iranian journalist Delphine Minoui to find out more about it. She manages to track down one of its founders, twenty-three-year-old Ahmad and started to ask him questions about it. Those questions become a wider conversation and in the end a friendship. She learns why they have done it, how they are using the books to further their educations and the hope that they get from the project.
They communicate via WhatsApp and Facebook, and she sees them at their most vulnerable, hunched in the basements of shattered buildings hearing the dull thuds of yet more explosions. Sometimes there was almost no communication, a message she sent would not have a reply for days until suddenly a happy or sad-faced emoji would pop up on her phone. Then nothing again. She would worry about them even though she was incapable of doing anything to help. Minoui longed to meet them, but never tough that this was going to be possible at all.
At the end of the line, he’s unable to speak. He’s lost his voice. His throat is empty. I can tell that he is beaten, depressed. From all the time I have spent talking to him over the internet, I’ve learned to read between the lines, to anticipate his responses. This isn’t a normal silence. For the first time, he’s run out of things to say about Daraya.
At times this is a heart-wrenching read. I cannot even imagine what life, such as you can call it there, was like. But in amongst all the death and destruction, there is hope; the hope that they find within the pages of the books, the hope that this time will end and the hope that they can build a democracy in the country that they love. The book conveys the reality of what life was like there at the time and the fear that every message to her would be their last. Minoui’s writing is sharp and pithy. It feels like the short chapters were written as notes after each time she contacted the men as her emotions come across as raw and reactions to the situations as they happen. It is a wonderful book about the generosity of the human spirit and however bad life is there is still some solace within the pages of a book. There is a video about the Book Collectors of Daraya, here (£)
October 18, 2020
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Syria. The land which is always on the news yet an enigma to many. Many of its inhabitants have moved to safer shores and some lie at the bottom of the many seas that they have tried to cross. But there are some who still call it home, their motherland. How, then, is their life there? What is it that they take refuge in when the darkness around them seeks to engulf them, when life seems stranger and more painful then death? When silence is an expensive commodity and life goes on with the sounds of bombings? Life is overall made of small moments but when all those small moments are torn up in pieces leaving only a constant fear in its place; then how do you still go on living? How does one hold on to those small moments?
There are so many such questions that run in our mind when we hear about this war ravaged country. To be honest, I did not have much information about Syria’s Civil War and that is one of the reason I picked up this book. The main reason was, of course, the name of the book. When a fellow reviewer posted the review for this book I instantly got pulled towards its premise.
Premise:
This non-fiction book is the story of a group of boys in Daraya, narrated by them over Skype calls and WhatsApp messages to French journalist Delphine Minoui. Delphine found about them through the Facebook page Humans of Syria, where they had posted a picture of a library that these boys founded by digging up books from the rubble of the buildings bombed by the Assad government.
Daraya, a suburb of Damascus had been in lockdown since 2012, a year after its first peaceful uprising against the Assad regime in 2011. To break the nerves of these rebels the city had been completely cut off from others and was being burned by bombs and destroyed by isolation. Amongst all this, the boys find the only thing that kept them sane and gave them the strength to plough through this turmoil: Books. Looking for survivors in the destroyed buildings they instead found these books. Over a period of time they dug up thousand of books which they salvaged by various means and eventually converted a basement into a small library where residents of Daraya could come and read these books.
As one of the boys said in his interview with Delphine, “War is destructive. It transforms men, kills emotions and fears. When you are at war you see the world differently. Reading is a diversion, it keeps us alive. Reading reminds us that we are human.”
This story is thus about the power of books and stories that have always been the guiding light of people who suffer. Where there are books like the ‘7 Habits of the effective people’ which is much in demand with the residents because of how it talks about improving oneself before others, there are others which talk about a history similar to their present. There is Paulo Coelho’s ‘The Alchemist’ which lends them a hope that like the shepherd they too will one day find their destination if they persevere. It is what Delphine puts as, “They read to explore a concealed past, to learn, to evade insanity.
As Ahmad, the guy with whom Dephine communicates the most, says about the library; “The symbol of a city that won’t bow down – a place where we’re constructing something even as everything else collapses around us.” The library was that symbol for them, that the fight was for constructing something better and more free from the current regime.
The book does not only talk about the effect of books on these boys but through their conversations we get a glimpse of their lives which they live without any help. Most of the their families left for safe harbors on the first signs of trouble, but these boys who had hope for better future stayed back not knowing what that future held for them. Living each day at a time, with almost no food, no medical assistance and fear of being killed, looming over their head, they still persist in fighting the atrocities of the regime. It is therefore a book about resilience, persistence and peace.
Through this book we get to know Ahmad, the person behind the library, we know about Ustez, the mentor to these boys, about Omar a soldier on the frontline fighting with Kalashnikov in one hand a book in another. We run the city along with Shadi, who uses his camera to capture each and every bombing, risking his life every time. There is Hussam who has his lady love waiting for him outside Daraya but the only things he has left of hers are two books which he re-reads when he misses her. The book is therefore a collection of these stories which would have gotten buried in that rubble of war.
Writing Style:
The author has dealt the subject with enough sensitivity for us to feel for these boys and their sufferings, but at the same time I felt that her own bias on this war and Assad regime’s atrocities directed the readers opinions too. I would have loved if she would have left the readers to form their own opinion on the boys as well as the regime.
Another thing that I missed in the book was the voices of the women left behind in this death city. Though we do get a glimpse of their sufferings through a letter that reaches Delphine, we don’t hear an individual story like we do of the boys. The author herself says this about them in the book: “As happens in war zones, women are as invisible as they are effective.” and “Behind the courage of men can be found the suffering of women.”
In this book of loneliness, depravation, sadness and war there are moments of humor as well. The shield that the boys have adorned to safeguard their sanity. The smiles come more from the feeling of relief that they have not lost it all, that they still will be able to lead normal lives if given a chance. It reminds me of another line from the book, “Do books hold, if not the key to happiness, at least the power to make us believe in it?“
So why read this book? The same reason that the writer gave to write this book. “To record it within the vastness of time and memory. To collect the traces – even slight and sometimes intimate – of this present that is disappearing at the speed of a bomb: too quickly condemned to the past.”
Verdict:
If like me you need to know the human side of Syria, away from all the politics surrounding it, do pick this book up. It’s a melancholic read, but still will make your heart a little bigger with hope.
P.S: I thank NetGalley for providing me the ARC for this book. The book will be published on 03 Nov 2020 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux publishers.
Syria. The land which is always on the news yet an enigma to many. Many of its inhabitants have moved to safer shores and some lie at the bottom of the many seas that they have tried to cross. But there are some who still call it home, their motherland. How, then, is their life there? What is it that they take refuge in when the darkness around them seeks to engulf them, when life seems stranger and more painful then death? When silence is an expensive commodity and life goes on with the sounds of bombings? Life is overall made of small moments but when all those small moments are torn up in pieces leaving only a constant fear in its place; then how do you still go on living? How does one hold on to those small moments?
There are so many such questions that run in our mind when we hear about this war ravaged country. To be honest, I did not have much information about Syria’s Civil War and that is one of the reason I picked up this book. The main reason was, of course, the name of the book. When a fellow reviewer posted the review for this book I instantly got pulled towards its premise.
Premise:
This non-fiction book is the story of a group of boys in Daraya, narrated by them over Skype calls and WhatsApp messages to French journalist Delphine Minoui. Delphine found about them through the Facebook page Humans of Syria, where they had posted a picture of a library that these boys founded by digging up books from the rubble of the buildings bombed by the Assad government.
Daraya, a suburb of Damascus had been in lockdown since 2012, a year after its first peaceful uprising against the Assad regime in 2011. To break the nerves of these rebels the city had been completely cut off from others and was being burned by bombs and destroyed by isolation. Amongst all this, the boys find the only thing that kept them sane and gave them the strength to plough through this turmoil: Books. Looking for survivors in the destroyed buildings they instead found these books. Over a period of time they dug up thousand of books which they salvaged by various means and eventually converted a basement into a small library where residents of Daraya could come and read these books.
As one of the boys said in his interview with Delphine, “War is destructive. It transforms men, kills emotions and fears. When you are at war you see the world differently. Reading is a diversion, it keeps us alive. Reading reminds us that we are human.”
This story is thus about the power of books and stories that have always been the guiding light of people who suffer. Where there are books like the ‘7 Habits of the effective people’ which is much in demand with the residents because of how it talks about improving oneself before others, there are others which talk about a history similar to their present. There is Paulo Coelho’s ‘The Alchemist’ which lends them a hope that like the shepherd they too will one day find their destination if they persevere. It is what Delphine puts as, “They read to explore a concealed past, to learn, to evade insanity.
As Ahmad, the guy with whom Dephine communicates the most, says about the library; “The symbol of a city that won’t bow down – a place where we’re constructing something even as everything else collapses around us.” The library was that symbol for them, that the fight was for constructing something better and more free from the current regime.
The book does not only talk about the effect of books on these boys but through their conversations we get a glimpse of their lives which they live without any help. Most of the their families left for safe harbors on the first signs of trouble, but these boys who had hope for better future stayed back not knowing what that future held for them. Living each day at a time, with almost no food, no medical assistance and fear of being killed, looming over their head, they still persist in fighting the atrocities of the regime. It is therefore a book about resilience, persistence and peace.
Through this book we get to know Ahmad, the person behind the library, we know about Ustez, the mentor to these boys, about Omar a soldier on the frontline fighting with Kalashnikov in one hand a book in another. We run the city along with Shadi, who uses his camera to capture each and every bombing, risking his life every time. There is Hussam who has his lady love waiting for him outside Daraya but the only things he has left of hers are two books which he re-reads when he misses her. The book is therefore a collection of these stories which would have gotten buried in that rubble of war.
Writing Style:
The author has dealt the subject with enough sensitivity for us to feel for these boys and their sufferings, but at the same time I felt that her own bias on this war and Assad regime’s atrocities directed the readers opinions too. I would have loved if she would have left the readers to form their own opinion on the boys as well as the regime.
Another thing that I missed in the book was the voices of the women left behind in this death city. Though we do get a glimpse of their sufferings through a letter that reaches Delphine, we don’t hear an individual story like we do of the boys. The author herself says this about them in the book: “As happens in war zones, women are as invisible as they are effective.” and “Behind the courage of men can be found the suffering of women.”
In this book of loneliness, depravation, sadness and war there are moments of humor as well. The shield that the boys have adorned to safeguard their sanity. The smiles come more from the feeling of relief that they have not lost it all, that they still will be able to lead normal lives if given a chance. It reminds me of another line from the book, “Do books hold, if not the key to happiness, at least the power to make us believe in it?“
So why read this book? The same reason that the writer gave to write this book. “To record it within the vastness of time and memory. To collect the traces – even slight and sometimes intimate – of this present that is disappearing at the speed of a bomb: too quickly condemned to the past.”
Verdict:
If like me you need to know the human side of Syria, away from all the politics surrounding it, do pick this book up. It’s a melancholic read, but still will make your heart a little bigger with hope.
P.S: I thank NetGalley for providing me the ARC for this book. The book will be published on 03 Nov 2020 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux publishers.
March 6, 2021
We hear about Syria often and some of us even have people in our communities/schools who have escaped the war and sought asylum in our countries but I didn't really know much about the conflict before I read this book. I often felt angry as well as sad at the regime which would bomb people up to 80 times a day, drop Sarin and then Napalm ... Yet in spite of this siege or perhaps simply because of it comes this tale of a group of people who essentially rescue books from the rubble and create a secret underground library in a bombed out basement. This library brings solace, learning and hope to the residents who have little left to hope in.
"Reading is the new foundation for the bubble of freedom they've constructed. They read to explore a concealed past, to learn, to evade insanity. Books are their best way to escape the war, if only temporarily. A melody of words against a dirge of bombs. Reading - a humble human gesture that binds them to the mad hope of a return to peace".
Many reviewers have complained that this book isn't enough about the library and that it gets too caught up in the Syrian conflict. I think this misses the point entirely we MUST understand the war, the hardship, the immense and unjust human suffering to fully grasp the hope that a library, that reading can bring.
"Reading is the new foundation for the bubble of freedom they've constructed. They read to explore a concealed past, to learn, to evade insanity. Books are their best way to escape the war, if only temporarily. A melody of words against a dirge of bombs. Reading - a humble human gesture that binds them to the mad hope of a return to peace".
Many reviewers have complained that this book isn't enough about the library and that it gets too caught up in the Syrian conflict. I think this misses the point entirely we MUST understand the war, the hardship, the immense and unjust human suffering to fully grasp the hope that a library, that reading can bring.
May 5, 2021
This book helped me understand the Syrian war a bit better. It seems to be a systematic wipe out of cities that are seen as rebel strongholds, not a country-wide war. I'm sure it is so much more complicated than that, I am still educating myself. Which is also what the long-suffering rebel population of Daraya did for 4 years.....they educated themselves by reading and study. They did this by rescuing books from the bombed out rubble and forming a library.
You get to know these young people and what it's like to be bombed, gassed, starved. You get to know their hope, strength, love for learning. The author not only writes beautifully, she also directed a documentary about the library "Daraya: A Library Under Bombs".
You get to know these young people and what it's like to be bombed, gassed, starved. You get to know their hope, strength, love for learning. The author not only writes beautifully, she also directed a documentary about the library "Daraya: A Library Under Bombs".
October 17, 2021
Story set in DARAYA, DAMASCUS
Delphine Minoui, a prizewinning reporter on Iraq and Iran, working for Le Figaro, browsing through Facebook images on her computer one evening comes across one that stops her in her tracks. The caption reads, The Secret Library of Daraya and shows two young men standing in a makeshift underground library in the midst of bomb wrecked Daraya. Intrigued, she sets about tracking down the photographer, Ahmad Muaddamani, one of the co-founders of the library, and it is his story that forms the basis for this account.
In 2012 the rebel suburb of Daraya in Damascus, determined to hold firm against Assad’s brutality, is besieged by Syrian government forces and four years of immense suffering follows with the remaining residents being bombarded by shells, barrel bombs and even chemical attacks. In late 2013, Muddamani, who is already committed in the fight to resist Assad, is asked to help his friends clear out the ruins of a house that is full of books. Books hold little fascination for the fighter; his experience of books had been confined to the ones he had been given at school – full of propaganda. But something grips him when he starts to read one of those rescued books and he, like the others, is hooked on the mission to reclaim as many as possible from the bomb-ravaged buildings in the city.
Before long, the small group of men have got over fifteen thousand volumes for their library. They take immense risks to rescue books and then set about repairing and cataloguing them, taking particular care to write inside the front cover of each volume the name of the original owner, just in case they might be able to be reunited in the future. The men dig out an underground space for their library, they decorate, furnish and build shelves and almost instantly the library is in business, offering the trapped residents access to uncensored reading. The library quickly becomes a meeting place and offers an opportunity for education in a city where almost all the educators had been exiled, jailed or murdered.
Set exclusively in besieged Daraya, this account offers us a unique insight into the experience of these rebels and the other civilians trapped there; it highlights the sacrifices made and the deprivations endured. In addition to the direct assaults on their safety, the people are cut off from food supplies, from water and electricity. At one point in the story, Minoui receives a letter signed by the usually unseen and unheard women of Daraya. They tell her of their struggles to keep children fed and to ward off disease and infection. “Behind the courage of men can be found the suffering of women,” comments Minoui. The Book Collectors of Daraya is a straightforward tale, told simply. Minoui’s style is definitely more journalese than literary but, in many ways, this is an advantage as the understated prose makes the narration more powerful and poignant.
One of the most arresting aspects of this very slim volume is in its structure. There is the main and very gripping story of the library and the struggles of the young men who founded it, but alongside this, and, almost more fascinating, is the account of Minoui’s growing relationship with them. She worries constantly about their safety and the reader, with her, suffers the frustration of an unreliable internet connection and the inevitable lengthy, frightening silences. Her conversations with the men and their discussions about the favourite book choices and the reasons for them is, at times, amusing and, at others well-nigh heart-breaking.
Despite the inevitable ending, ultimately, The Book Collectors of Daraya offers us some hope and a belief that the power of words has some impact against incomprehensible violence and cruelty.
Delphine Minoui, a prizewinning reporter on Iraq and Iran, working for Le Figaro, browsing through Facebook images on her computer one evening comes across one that stops her in her tracks. The caption reads, The Secret Library of Daraya and shows two young men standing in a makeshift underground library in the midst of bomb wrecked Daraya. Intrigued, she sets about tracking down the photographer, Ahmad Muaddamani, one of the co-founders of the library, and it is his story that forms the basis for this account.
In 2012 the rebel suburb of Daraya in Damascus, determined to hold firm against Assad’s brutality, is besieged by Syrian government forces and four years of immense suffering follows with the remaining residents being bombarded by shells, barrel bombs and even chemical attacks. In late 2013, Muddamani, who is already committed in the fight to resist Assad, is asked to help his friends clear out the ruins of a house that is full of books. Books hold little fascination for the fighter; his experience of books had been confined to the ones he had been given at school – full of propaganda. But something grips him when he starts to read one of those rescued books and he, like the others, is hooked on the mission to reclaim as many as possible from the bomb-ravaged buildings in the city.
Before long, the small group of men have got over fifteen thousand volumes for their library. They take immense risks to rescue books and then set about repairing and cataloguing them, taking particular care to write inside the front cover of each volume the name of the original owner, just in case they might be able to be reunited in the future. The men dig out an underground space for their library, they decorate, furnish and build shelves and almost instantly the library is in business, offering the trapped residents access to uncensored reading. The library quickly becomes a meeting place and offers an opportunity for education in a city where almost all the educators had been exiled, jailed or murdered.
Set exclusively in besieged Daraya, this account offers us a unique insight into the experience of these rebels and the other civilians trapped there; it highlights the sacrifices made and the deprivations endured. In addition to the direct assaults on their safety, the people are cut off from food supplies, from water and electricity. At one point in the story, Minoui receives a letter signed by the usually unseen and unheard women of Daraya. They tell her of their struggles to keep children fed and to ward off disease and infection. “Behind the courage of men can be found the suffering of women,” comments Minoui. The Book Collectors of Daraya is a straightforward tale, told simply. Minoui’s style is definitely more journalese than literary but, in many ways, this is an advantage as the understated prose makes the narration more powerful and poignant.
One of the most arresting aspects of this very slim volume is in its structure. There is the main and very gripping story of the library and the struggles of the young men who founded it, but alongside this, and, almost more fascinating, is the account of Minoui’s growing relationship with them. She worries constantly about their safety and the reader, with her, suffers the frustration of an unreliable internet connection and the inevitable lengthy, frightening silences. Her conversations with the men and their discussions about the favourite book choices and the reasons for them is, at times, amusing and, at others well-nigh heart-breaking.
Despite the inevitable ending, ultimately, The Book Collectors of Daraya offers us some hope and a belief that the power of words has some impact against incomprehensible violence and cruelty.
November 9, 2020
I was about half-way through this bio-memoir, The Book Collectors of Daraya when I came across a very interesting article by Katharine Murphy at The Guardian. It's called
When Donald Trump is peddling outrageous lies, where is the line between reporting and enabling?
and (while I urge you to read the article yourself), the crux of the piece is the issue of of reporting about something that is morally wrong, untrue and/or misleading, which by so doing gives that event or opinion publicity and possible influence, which may lead to confusion, violence, civil unrest or other harm.
French journalist Delphine Minoui wrestled with this problem during the writing of this book. As Middle-East correspondent for Le Figaro, she had come across an arresting photo with the caption 'the secret library of Daraya' at the Humans of Syria Facebook page and decided to follow it up. Through the miracle of WhatsApp and Skype she was able to make contact with an amazing group of young rebels who had created a secret library in the basement of an abandoned building during the siege of Daraya. They salvaged the books from buildings damaged during the bombardment and set up the library as a refuge from the horror of war and as a place of learning for people denied education because of the siege.
It's clear where Minoui's sympathies lie. Most Western nations oppose the Assad regime and were/are supporters of the movement for democratic change — Minoui calls the conflict for what it is: a proxy war between Iraq and Saudi Arabia; between the US and Russia, plus also Qatar and Turkey. But Minoui is not naïve and she's not on the ground to see for herself. The story comes filtered through her phone app and she sees only the footage and images they enable her to see. She can interview only the people they select and all of that is through an interpreter anyway.
For her there is the question of possible connections with Islamic State in the battle against Assad, and whether she is giving them an opportunity for a propaganda coup. She interrogates the young men — and herself — about the question of links with jihadis, and I think it's important that this is included in the book. Minoui asks specifically: Does the suburb of Daraya harbour, yes or no, Islamist terrorists, even if they're a tiny minority.
The answer is that yes, there were some who infiltrated the Daraya protest group in the early days before the emergence of the Islamic State. But it didn't take long for their extreme views to clash with the rebels, and they gave them short thrift.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2020/11/09/t...
French journalist Delphine Minoui wrestled with this problem during the writing of this book. As Middle-East correspondent for Le Figaro, she had come across an arresting photo with the caption 'the secret library of Daraya' at the Humans of Syria Facebook page and decided to follow it up. Through the miracle of WhatsApp and Skype she was able to make contact with an amazing group of young rebels who had created a secret library in the basement of an abandoned building during the siege of Daraya. They salvaged the books from buildings damaged during the bombardment and set up the library as a refuge from the horror of war and as a place of learning for people denied education because of the siege.
It's clear where Minoui's sympathies lie. Most Western nations oppose the Assad regime and were/are supporters of the movement for democratic change — Minoui calls the conflict for what it is: a proxy war between Iraq and Saudi Arabia; between the US and Russia, plus also Qatar and Turkey. But Minoui is not naïve and she's not on the ground to see for herself. The story comes filtered through her phone app and she sees only the footage and images they enable her to see. She can interview only the people they select and all of that is through an interpreter anyway.
For her there is the question of possible connections with Islamic State in the battle against Assad, and whether she is giving them an opportunity for a propaganda coup. She interrogates the young men — and herself — about the question of links with jihadis, and I think it's important that this is included in the book. Minoui asks specifically: Does the suburb of Daraya harbour, yes or no, Islamist terrorists, even if they're a tiny minority.
The answer is that yes, there were some who infiltrated the Daraya protest group in the early days before the emergence of the Islamic State. But it didn't take long for their extreme views to clash with the rebels, and they gave them short thrift.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2020/11/09/t...
February 20, 2024
It was a brilliant premise for a story but a terrible execution. It lacked heart.
If you are looking for an introduction to the Syrian civil war and Bashar al Assad's regime, this is an *okay* place to start. If you want a story that will tug at your heart strings, this is not the book for you.
While I appreciated reading this, it was very lackluster and left so much room to desire. The author inputted too much of herself into the story when I wanted to hear more FROM the people of Daraya, and what the war and the underground library meant for them. Her objective writing left me feeling detached from the characters. Instead of feeling the emotion and suspense that the men were experiencing, I felt like a distant observer.
It didn't help that we kept hearing about the author's individual life journey every other chapter. Although I appreciate the author's experiences with terrorism and bias, I really didn't need to hear about her sitting on a beach and contemplating when to take her vacation. This book is about the secret library of Daraya, not about her life story. I also disliked how she confined all of the photographs into one random section when they could have been spread throughout the book where those scenes had actually been mentioned.
Appreciated that the author included the list of reader's favorites from the Library of Daraya at the end of the book.
If you are looking for an introduction to the Syrian civil war and Bashar al Assad's regime, this is an *okay* place to start. If you want a story that will tug at your heart strings, this is not the book for you.
While I appreciated reading this, it was very lackluster and left so much room to desire. The author inputted too much of herself into the story when I wanted to hear more FROM the people of Daraya, and what the war and the underground library meant for them. Her objective writing left me feeling detached from the characters. Instead of feeling the emotion and suspense that the men were experiencing, I felt like a distant observer.
It didn't help that we kept hearing about the author's individual life journey every other chapter. Although I appreciate the author's experiences with terrorism and bias, I really didn't need to hear about her sitting on a beach and contemplating when to take her vacation. This book is about the secret library of Daraya, not about her life story. I also disliked how she confined all of the photographs into one random section when they could have been spread throughout the book where those scenes had actually been mentioned.
Appreciated that the author included the list of reader's favorites from the Library of Daraya at the end of the book.
July 2, 2020
I wasn't quite sure what the aim of this book was. Ostensibly, this was supposed to focus on an underground library in Daraya, Syria. There book assumed that the reader knows nothing about the Syrian war (though, to be fair, I don't think that many people know the minute details), but goes fairly briefly over the library, focusing more on how the war in Syria escalated, geopolitics, and Middle Eastern world events from 2011 to 2016. The author doesn't really give us their background either, so I wasn't sure what their relationship or interest in the Middle East was. Their character interviews were also kind of flat (or maybe because this was an ARC, so maybe it's still in the editing stage). The library was often described in the flowerly language of how much people love books and libraries: "every book is a magical gateway," or "libraries are sanctuaries for the human soul," etc...This wasn't my favorite, even though the book description intrigued me. This needs a bit of editing and re-writing.
I received this as a digital ARC through NetGalley.
I received this as a digital ARC through NetGalley.
March 16, 2018
Le Dormeur du Val..
C'est un trou de verdure où chante une rivière,
Accrochant follement aux herbes des haillons
D'argent ; où le soleil, de la montagne fière,
Luit : c'est un petit val qui mousse de rayons.
Un soldat jeune, bouche ouverte, tête nue,
Et la nuque baignant dans le frais cresson bleu,
Dort ; il est étendu dans l'herbe, sous la nue,
Pâle dans son lit vert où la lumière pleut.
Les pieds dans les glaïeuls, il dort. Souriant comme
Sourirait un enfant malade, il fait un somme :
Nature, berce-le chaudement : il a froid.
Les parfums ne font pas frissonner sa narine ;
Il dort dans le soleil, la main sur sa poitrine,
Tranquille. Il a deux trous rouges au côté droit.
Arthur Rimbaud
C'est un trou de verdure où chante une rivière,
Accrochant follement aux herbes des haillons
D'argent ; où le soleil, de la montagne fière,
Luit : c'est un petit val qui mousse de rayons.
Un soldat jeune, bouche ouverte, tête nue,
Et la nuque baignant dans le frais cresson bleu,
Dort ; il est étendu dans l'herbe, sous la nue,
Pâle dans son lit vert où la lumière pleut.
Les pieds dans les glaïeuls, il dort. Souriant comme
Sourirait un enfant malade, il fait un somme :
Nature, berce-le chaudement : il a froid.
Les parfums ne font pas frissonner sa narine ;
Il dort dans le soleil, la main sur sa poitrine,
Tranquille. Il a deux trous rouges au côté droit.
Arthur Rimbaud
January 7, 2021
A gorgeous little book. Just holding it, I can sense the treasure and the preciousness of the library of Daraya. The prose in this book is beautiful and searching, fraught with both grief and glory. The reporting and journalism is excellent. Each person that Minoui writes about she depicts as passionate, noble, and courageous. Utterly beautiful.
Read
November 5, 2020Here's my review of this book for NPR Books. https://www.npr.org/2020/11/05/931674...
April 4, 2022
"Here, where the hills slope before the sunset and the chasm of time
near gardens whose shades have been cast aside
we do what prisoners do
we do what the jobless do
we sow hope"
- Mahmoud Darwish
In so many ways, hope can be sown. It may be though an armed resistance or maybe building a library, a "page opening to the world, when every door is locked". When a city is destroyed, when it's people are stripped of everything they have, every single action bears the vocabulary of hope and resistance, each feeding on the other.
Minoui's work of non fiction, an exemplary display of journalism, is the documentation of an underground library that functioned during the siege by Assad's armed forces in Daraya, a Syrian city. Everything begins when Minoui comes across a picture of two young men standing in a closed room, surrounded by a stack of books. The photo was posted in the Facebook page of "Humans of Syria" in 2015. She proceeds to track down through digital means the band of young men who built an underground library, collecting books from the houses destroyed by the army. A fence of words erected from the rubbles.
Through the thundering sounds of bombings and frequently interrupted network connectivities, these men sit down to narrate the the 'urbicide' of the fertile city of Daraya, famous for its white grapes and sweet wine. Talking about the turbulent life in a city under siege and embroiled in propaganda and everyday conflicts in a chronological manner, a history of resistance against the autocratic government is also documented.
For the people facing a destruction that is "physical, geographic and demographic", words become all that remains, and "reading, as refuge". As they talk about the popular books there, it isnt shocking that books about democracy and self-help books are the ones most asked for. And Alchemist too.
near gardens whose shades have been cast aside
we do what prisoners do
we do what the jobless do
we sow hope"
- Mahmoud Darwish
In so many ways, hope can be sown. It may be though an armed resistance or maybe building a library, a "page opening to the world, when every door is locked". When a city is destroyed, when it's people are stripped of everything they have, every single action bears the vocabulary of hope and resistance, each feeding on the other.
Minoui's work of non fiction, an exemplary display of journalism, is the documentation of an underground library that functioned during the siege by Assad's armed forces in Daraya, a Syrian city. Everything begins when Minoui comes across a picture of two young men standing in a closed room, surrounded by a stack of books. The photo was posted in the Facebook page of "Humans of Syria" in 2015. She proceeds to track down through digital means the band of young men who built an underground library, collecting books from the houses destroyed by the army. A fence of words erected from the rubbles.
Through the thundering sounds of bombings and frequently interrupted network connectivities, these men sit down to narrate the the 'urbicide' of the fertile city of Daraya, famous for its white grapes and sweet wine. Talking about the turbulent life in a city under siege and embroiled in propaganda and everyday conflicts in a chronological manner, a history of resistance against the autocratic government is also documented.
For the people facing a destruction that is "physical, geographic and demographic", words become all that remains, and "reading, as refuge". As they talk about the popular books there, it isnt shocking that books about democracy and self-help books are the ones most asked for. And Alchemist too.
March 19, 2021
“Our revolution was meant to build, not destroy.” - Ahmad Muaddamani
Delphine Minoui tells the true story of a group of young men who saved books from the wreckage of their city, Daraya. I’m always a bit wary when journalists tell someone else’s story but my doubts were truly set aside with the manner in which Minoui consistently centres the voices of the men she was in correspondence with.
I really appreciated the way Minoui not only relayed the story of the book collectors and the other people of Daraya, but also the way she provided valuable context. She spotlighted the revolutionary history of Daraya, its role in the uprising that began in 2011 as well as earlier protests in the 90s. This highlighted the unique modern history of Daraya and why it was significant.
The book collectors created a library that became a space for reading and discovering books, for debates, for seeking knowledge in every way. It became a place to try and uphold some kind of normalcy in the library underground, while above ground, the already destroyed town was continually bombed. Most of all, it became a place of hope.
Four years under siege, blockaded and constantly bombed by the regime, portrayed as extremists, a life lived underground; a brutal reality for the people of Daraya. Minoui conveyed how this translated into every aspect of their daily lived experiences. Making soup with hot water and spices to try and convince their bodies that they’ve had a meal. The ever expanding cemetery with cardboard gravestones making do. The malnourished children who had stopped growing. “Women hold back their tears as they hum nursery rhymes.”
Fellow book lovers will appreciate the power of books and relate to the way they were so important to this community. The brutality inflicted by the regime was hard to read about, but the least we can do is bear witness. This book was beautifully written and I could feel the admiration, respect and love for the people of Daraya, of Syria, in the author’s words.
“Do books hold, if not the key to happiness, at least the power to make us believe in it?”
Thank you to Picador for the proof copy
Delphine Minoui tells the true story of a group of young men who saved books from the wreckage of their city, Daraya. I’m always a bit wary when journalists tell someone else’s story but my doubts were truly set aside with the manner in which Minoui consistently centres the voices of the men she was in correspondence with.
I really appreciated the way Minoui not only relayed the story of the book collectors and the other people of Daraya, but also the way she provided valuable context. She spotlighted the revolutionary history of Daraya, its role in the uprising that began in 2011 as well as earlier protests in the 90s. This highlighted the unique modern history of Daraya and why it was significant.
The book collectors created a library that became a space for reading and discovering books, for debates, for seeking knowledge in every way. It became a place to try and uphold some kind of normalcy in the library underground, while above ground, the already destroyed town was continually bombed. Most of all, it became a place of hope.
Four years under siege, blockaded and constantly bombed by the regime, portrayed as extremists, a life lived underground; a brutal reality for the people of Daraya. Minoui conveyed how this translated into every aspect of their daily lived experiences. Making soup with hot water and spices to try and convince their bodies that they’ve had a meal. The ever expanding cemetery with cardboard gravestones making do. The malnourished children who had stopped growing. “Women hold back their tears as they hum nursery rhymes.”
Fellow book lovers will appreciate the power of books and relate to the way they were so important to this community. The brutality inflicted by the regime was hard to read about, but the least we can do is bear witness. This book was beautifully written and I could feel the admiration, respect and love for the people of Daraya, of Syria, in the author’s words.
“Do books hold, if not the key to happiness, at least the power to make us believe in it?”
Thank you to Picador for the proof copy
July 20, 2022
Another book about another time the world choose to look the other way!
February 14, 2020
Άλλη μια φορά ένα βιβλίο κόντρα στη λήθη και στην αμνησία. Άλλη μια ιδέα γεννημένη για τη διατήρηση της μνήμης, ένα ρεπορτάζ όπου ο αναγνώστης έρχεται σε άμεση επαφή με τον παραλογισμό του πολέμου και της προπαγάνδας των τρελών αυτής της γης.
Η Daraya προάστιο μόλις 7 χιλιόμετρα νοτιοδυτικά της Δαμασκού της Συρίας έχει τη φήμη της ανυπότακτης και επαναστατημένης πόλης. Η ιδέα της δημιουργίας μιας κρυφής βιβλιοθήκης γεννήθηκε: ανασκάπτοντας τα ερείπια, μέσα από τη σκόνη και το γενικό ρημαδιό, γίνεται προσπάθεια να διασωθούν τα βιβλία που θάφτηκαν κάτω από τα συντρίμμια, ύστατη κίνηση διάνοιξης της πύλης της Γνώσης. Η πρωτοβουλία ανήκει σε μια 40αριά νεαρά αγόρια, που, αρνούμενοι να γίνουν μοιρολάτρες, νοηματοδοτούν την ύπαρξή τους και θέτουν σε εφαρμογή ένα σχέδιο που κυοφορεί την ελπίδα. Σε μια βδομάδα, σώζουν 6.000 βιβλία, ένα μήνα αργότερα η σοδειά φτάνει τα 15.000 αντίτυπα. «Η επανάστασή μας γίνεται χτίζοντας, όχι καταστρέφοντας. Τα βιβλία αυτά ανήκουν στους κατοίκους της Daraya. Κάποιοι είναι νεκροί. Άλλοι έφυγαν, άλλοι συλλήφθηκαν. Σκοπός μας είναι ο καθένας να παραλάβει πίσω αυτό που του ανήκει όταν ο πόλεμος θα έχει λήξει.» Συνεπαρμένοι από τη δίψα τους για μόρφωση, γίνονται οι διακριτικοί μάστορες ενός δημοκρατικού ιδεώδους. Ένα ιδεώδες που κυοφορείται, που αψηφά την τυραννία του καθεστώτος. Που κάνει στην μπάντα επίσης την βαναυσότητα των στρατιωτών με τη μαύρη σημαία, καταστροφέων των αρχαιοτήτων της Παλμύρας, υπαίτιων της τρομερής πυρκαγιάς της βιβλιοθήκης της Mossoul στο Ιράκ το 2015. Μισθοφόροι της ειρήνης μπροστά στην ανείπωτη καταστροφή.
Διαβάζω ότι μέσα σε ένα μήνα έπεσαν 600 βόμβες τύπου «βαρελιού» στην Daraya. Είναι πόλη-στόχος από το καθεστώς, καθώς είναι σεσημασμένη από τον Assad ως φυτώριο τρομοκρατών. Τρομοκράτες με βιβλία στο χέρι, αντί για καλάσνικοφ. Η γνώση είναι όπλο, κατά πως φαίνεται. Φαρενάιτ 451, αλλά το πραγματικό. Το πραγματοποιημένο. Αυτό που έγινε στ’αλήθεια. Σκέφτομαι σε τι πραγματικότητα ζουν μερικοί άνθρωποι σ’ αυτόν τον πλανήτη.
Προπαγάνδα σκληρή βουτηγμένη στα ψέματα, λογοκρισία που πέφτει βαριά σαν τσιμέντο στην καθημερινή ζωή. Συνθήματα όπως «Ο Assad για την αιωνιότητα» που τα μαθαίνουν στο σχολείο. Αυτός ήταν ο κύριος της χώρας, του καιρού, της σκέψης.
Από την άνοδο των Assad στην εξουσία, το 1970, η δυναστεία αλαουιτών σκορπίζει έκτοτε τη φήμη των σφαγών που ενδυναμώνει το σύστημα του φόβου.
Και να ένα σχέδιο διάσωσης της πολιτισμικής κληρονομιάς, που γεννήθηκε πάνω στις στάχτες μιας ανυπότακτης πόλης, από μερικούς νέους που αντιστέκονται και βλέπουν στη γνώση και τη μόρφωση το φως στο τούνελ. Μέσα στους ασταμάτητους βομβαρδισμούς, τα στομάχια μένουν άδεια αλλά σούπες με σελίδες ξορκίζουν την πείνα και αχαλίνωτες αναγνώσεις τρέφουν το πνεύμα. Τα βιβλία γίνονται ο δικός τους προμαχώνας.
Σκέφτομαι τι θέση κατέχουν τα βιβλία στη δική μου ζωή και το πολλαπλασιάζω επί 1000 για να φτάσω τη θέση που μπορεί να κατέχουν γι’ αυτούς.
Η Delphine Minoui, γαλλίδα που ζει σήμερα στην Κωνσταντινούπολη, σημαντική ρεπόρτερ στη Figaro και ειδικευμένη σε ζητήματα της Μέσης Ανατολής, βλέποντας μια φωτογραφία σχετικά με τη λειτουργία μιας κρυφής βιβλιοθήκης στη Daraya στο διαδίκτυο, έρχεται σε επαφή με τους συγγραφείς του εγχειρήματος και μέσα από συνεχείς συνεδρίες και επαφές μέσω Skype και WhatsUp –με κακή σύνδεση και πολύωρες συνομιλίες- παρακολουθεί από το 2015 έως το 2016 το χρονικό του τρόμου της πόλης αυτής, που από το 2012 μέχρι το 2016 υπέφερε τα πάνδεινα μέχρι να σβηστεί σχεδόν από τον χάρτη. Παράλληλα με τη βιβλιοθήκη και τη λειτουργία της, ερχόμαστε σε απευθείας σύνδεση με την ψυχολογία των κατοίκων, τα γεγονότα, τον παραλογισμό. Η αντίσταση των ανθρώπων μέσω των βιβλίων είναι μια αλληγορία: αυτή της απόλυτης άρνησης κάθε είδους κυριαρχίας, πολιτικής ή θρησκευτικής.
Αυτό το βιβλίο, όπως αναφέρεται στο οπισθόφυλλο, είναι ένας ύμνος στην ατομική ελευθερία, στην ανοχή και τη δύναμη της λογοτεχνίας. Και είναι φυσικά αφιερωμένο στους συντελεστές του: τους ανυπότακτους της Daraya.
Μια εξαιρετική μαρτυρία.
Η Daraya προάστιο μόλις 7 χιλιόμετρα νοτιοδυτικά της Δαμασκού της Συρίας έχει τη φήμη της ανυπότακτης και επαναστατημένης πόλης. Η ιδέα της δημιουργίας μιας κρυφής βιβλιοθήκης γεννήθηκε: ανασκάπτοντας τα ερείπια, μέσα από τη σκόνη και το γενικό ρημαδιό, γίνεται προσπάθεια να διασωθούν τα βιβλία που θάφτηκαν κάτω από τα συντρίμμια, ύστατη κίνηση διάνοιξης της πύλης της Γνώσης. Η πρωτοβουλία ανήκει σε μια 40αριά νεαρά αγόρια, που, αρνούμενοι να γίνουν μοιρολάτρες, νοηματοδοτούν την ύπαρξή τους και θέτουν σε εφαρμογή ένα σχέδιο που κυοφορεί την ελπίδα. Σε μια βδομάδα, σώζουν 6.000 βιβλία, ένα μήνα αργότερα η σοδειά φτάνει τα 15.000 αντίτυπα. «Η επανάστασή μας γίνεται χτίζοντας, όχι καταστρέφοντας. Τα βιβλία αυτά ανήκουν στους κατοίκους της Daraya. Κάποιοι είναι νεκροί. Άλλοι έφυγαν, άλλοι συλλήφθηκαν. Σκοπός μας είναι ο καθένας να παραλάβει πίσω αυτό που του ανήκει όταν ο πόλεμος θα έχει λήξει.» Συνεπαρμένοι από τη δίψα τους για μόρφωση, γίνονται οι διακριτικοί μάστορες ενός δημοκρατικού ιδεώδους. Ένα ιδεώδες που κυοφορείται, που αψηφά την τυραννία του καθεστώτος. Που κάνει στην μπάντα επίσης την βαναυσότητα των στρατιωτών με τη μαύρη σημαία, καταστροφέων των αρχαιοτήτων της Παλμύρας, υπαίτιων της τρομερής πυρκαγιάς της βιβλιοθήκης της Mossoul στο Ιράκ το 2015. Μισθοφόροι της ειρήνης μπροστά στην ανείπωτη καταστροφή.
Διαβάζω ότι μέσα σε ένα μήνα έπεσαν 600 βόμβες τύπου «βαρελιού» στην Daraya. Είναι πόλη-στόχος από το καθεστώς, καθώς είναι σεσημασμένη από τον Assad ως φυτώριο τρομοκρατών. Τρομοκράτες με βιβλία στο χέρι, αντί για καλάσνικοφ. Η γνώση είναι όπλο, κατά πως φαίνεται. Φαρενάιτ 451, αλλά το πραγματικό. Το πραγματοποιημένο. Αυτό που έγινε στ’αλήθεια. Σκέφτομαι σε τι πραγματικότητα ζουν μερικοί άνθρωποι σ’ αυτόν τον πλανήτη.
Προπαγάνδα σκληρή βουτηγμένη στα ψέματα, λογοκρισία που πέφτει βαριά σαν τσιμέντο στην καθημερινή ζωή. Συνθήματα όπως «Ο Assad για την αιωνιότητα» που τα μαθαίνουν στο σχολείο. Αυτός ήταν ο κύριος της χώρας, του καιρού, της σκέψης.
Από την άνοδο των Assad στην εξουσία, το 1970, η δυναστεία αλαουιτών σκορπίζει έκτοτε τη φήμη των σφαγών που ενδυναμώνει το σύστημα του φόβου.
Και να ένα σχέδιο διάσωσης της πολιτισμικής κληρονομιάς, που γεννήθηκε πάνω στις στάχτες μιας ανυπότακτης πόλης, από μερικούς νέους που αντιστέκονται και βλέπουν στη γνώση και τη μόρφωση το φως στο τούνελ. Μέσα στους ασταμάτητους βομβαρδισμούς, τα στομάχια μένουν άδεια αλλά σούπες με σελίδες ξορκίζουν την πείνα και αχαλίνωτες αναγνώσεις τρέφουν το πνεύμα. Τα βιβλία γίνονται ο δικός τους προμαχώνας.
Σκέφτομαι τι θέση κατέχουν τα βιβλία στη δική μου ζωή και το πολλαπλασιάζω επί 1000 για να φτάσω τη θέση που μπορεί να κατέχουν γι’ αυτούς.
Η Delphine Minoui, γαλλίδα που ζει σήμερα στην Κωνσταντινούπολη, σημαντική ρεπόρτερ στη Figaro και ειδικευμένη σε ζητήματα της Μέσης Ανατολής, βλέποντας μια φωτογραφία σχετικά με τη λειτουργία μιας κρυφής βιβλιοθήκης στη Daraya στο διαδίκτυο, έρχεται σε επαφή με τους συγγραφείς του εγχειρήματος και μέσα από συνεχείς συνεδρίες και επαφές μέσω Skype και WhatsUp –με κακή σύνδεση και πολύωρες συνομιλίες- παρακολουθεί από το 2015 έως το 2016 το χρονικό του τρόμου της πόλης αυτής, που από το 2012 μέχρι το 2016 υπέφερε τα πάνδεινα μέχρι να σβηστεί σχεδόν από τον χάρτη. Παράλληλα με τη βιβλιοθήκη και τη λειτουργία της, ερχόμαστε σε απευθείας σύνδεση με την ψυχολογία των κατοίκων, τα γεγονότα, τον παραλογισμό. Η αντίσταση των ανθρώπων μέσω των βιβλίων είναι μια αλληγορία: αυτή της απόλυτης άρνησης κάθε είδους κυριαρχίας, πολιτικής ή θρησκευτικής.
Αυτό το βιβλίο, όπως αναφέρεται στο οπισθόφυλλο, είναι ένας ύμνος στην ατομική ελευθερία, στην ανοχή και τη δύναμη της λογοτεχνίας. Και είναι φυσικά αφιερωμένο στους συντελεστές του: τους ανυπότακτους της Daraya.
Μια εξαιρετική μαρτυρία.
September 15, 2022
A behind the scenes look at the civil war in Syria, this was a very big surprise of a book. The author details how a group of rebels assembled a secret library out of the wreckage of war. The narrative was very well balanced, I thought, for a book that was originally published in French. The only fault I found in the book was that it steered away from a historical perspective and ran more along the lines of a human interest story. Other than that, it was very enjoyable.
November 18, 2017
Difficile de prendre la mesure de ce qui se passe en Syrie, déchirée par une guerre civile entre pro et anti Assad, auquel s'ajoute l'ombre de Daech... Ce court livre est une illustration bouleversante de ce que les civils syriens endurent depuis 2012, ici à travers l'évocation incroyable et magnifique d'une bibliothèque clandestine au coeur de Daraya ( ville banlieue de Damas), maintenue en état de siège par le régime syrien durant 4 ans.
Delphine Minoui et sa plume soignée et lyrique, se fait messagère de tous ces hommes qui ont combattu le pire, grâce au glanage de livres dans les bâtiments éventrés par la guerre. Grâce à la lecture et au réconfort de l'apprentissage, de l'espoir d'un après qui rendraient la faim, la peur, l'angoisse de la mort plus supportables. C'est très dur et en même temps terriblement beau, Delphine Minoui brosse le portrait d'activistes insoumis, avec une résilience incroyable, qui sont corps et âme dédiés à ce centre culturel, calfeutré dans le sous-sol de la ville.
C'est un livre sur l'absurdité de la guerre, sur la folie meurtrière d'un régime qui martyrise ses citoyens mais aussi sur le pouvoir de la littérature, sur l'amour des belles lettres comme des romans de gare, sur l'esprit de camaraderie, sur ce que des situations barbares peuvent nous révéler à nous-mêmes, et nous faire déployer des trésors d'ingénuité, pour avancer, pour narguer le sort et résister. (et ce "nous" n'est pas vraiment approprié puisque je ne peut pas imaginer comment endurer leur sort ne serait-ce que quelques heures). Incroyable.
Delphine Minoui et sa plume soignée et lyrique, se fait messagère de tous ces hommes qui ont combattu le pire, grâce au glanage de livres dans les bâtiments éventrés par la guerre. Grâce à la lecture et au réconfort de l'apprentissage, de l'espoir d'un après qui rendraient la faim, la peur, l'angoisse de la mort plus supportables. C'est très dur et en même temps terriblement beau, Delphine Minoui brosse le portrait d'activistes insoumis, avec une résilience incroyable, qui sont corps et âme dédiés à ce centre culturel, calfeutré dans le sous-sol de la ville.
C'est un livre sur l'absurdité de la guerre, sur la folie meurtrière d'un régime qui martyrise ses citoyens mais aussi sur le pouvoir de la littérature, sur l'amour des belles lettres comme des romans de gare, sur l'esprit de camaraderie, sur ce que des situations barbares peuvent nous révéler à nous-mêmes, et nous faire déployer des trésors d'ingénuité, pour avancer, pour narguer le sort et résister. (et ce "nous" n'est pas vraiment approprié puisque je ne peut pas imaginer comment endurer leur sort ne serait-ce que quelques heures). Incroyable.
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