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An Unsafe Haven
Imagine trying to live a normal life in a world which changes daily and where nothing is certain…
Hannah has deep roots in Beirut, the city of her birth and of her family. Her American husband, Peter, has certainty only in her. They thought that they were used to the upheavals in Lebanon, but as the war in neighbouring Syria enters its fifth year, the region’s increasingly fragile state begins to impact on their lives in wholly different ways.
An incident in a busy street brings them into direct contact with a Syrian refugee and her son. As they work to reunite Fatima with her family, her story forces Hannah to face the crisis of the expanding refugee camps, and to question the very future of her homeland.
And when their close friend Anas, an artist, arrives to open his exhibition, shocking news from his home in Damascus raises uncomfortable questions about his loyalty to his family and his country.
Heartrending and beautifully written, An Unsafe Haven is a universal story of people whose lives are tested and transformed, as they wrestle with the anguish of war, displacement and loss, but also with the vital need for hope.
Hannah has deep roots in Beirut, the city of her birth and of her family. Her American husband, Peter, has certainty only in her. They thought that they were used to the upheavals in Lebanon, but as the war in neighbouring Syria enters its fifth year, the region’s increasingly fragile state begins to impact on their lives in wholly different ways.
An incident in a busy street brings them into direct contact with a Syrian refugee and her son. As they work to reunite Fatima with her family, her story forces Hannah to face the crisis of the expanding refugee camps, and to question the very future of her homeland.
And when their close friend Anas, an artist, arrives to open his exhibition, shocking news from his home in Damascus raises uncomfortable questions about his loyalty to his family and his country.
Heartrending and beautifully written, An Unsafe Haven is a universal story of people whose lives are tested and transformed, as they wrestle with the anguish of war, displacement and loss, but also with the vital need for hope.
6 pages, Audiobook
First published August 25, 2016
23 people are currently reading
436 people want to read
About the author
Nada Awar Jarrar
4 books33 followersNada Awar Jarrar was born in Lebanon to an Australian mother and a Lebanese father. She has lived in London, Paris, Sydney and Washington DC and is currently based in Beirut where she lives with her husband and daughter. Her journalism has appeared in the Guardian, The Times, The Sydney Morning Herald and Lebanon's English language newspaper, The Daily Star. Her first novel,
Somewhere, Home
won the Commonwealth Best First Book award for Southeast Asia and the South Pacific.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
August 14, 2016
"Every heart to love will come, but like a refugee. "
----Leonard Cohen
Nada Awar Jarrar, an award winning Lebanese author, pens an incredibly moving tale, An Unsafe Haven set against the modern day back drop of Beirut, where the civil war as well as the religious in differences are effecting lives of those who have forever braced the war and also to those who live like a refugee. This story is about three families mainly, whose lives are effected by the raging war in the neighboring country Syria that makes them question their faith, loyalty to one another as well as to their patriotism towards their homeland.
Synopsis:
Imagine trying to live a normal life in a world which changes daily and where nothing is certain…
Hannah has deep roots in Beirut, the city of her birth and of her family. Her American husband, Peter, has certainty only in her. They thought that they were used to the upheavals in Lebanon, but as the war in neighboring Syria enters its fifth year, the region’s increasingly fragile state begins to impact on their lives in wholly different ways.
An incident in a busy street brings them into direct contact with a Syrian refugee and her son. As they work to reunite Fatima with her family, her story forces Hannah to face the crisis of the expanding refugee camps, and to question the very future of her homeland.
And when their close friend Anas, an artist, arrives to open his exhibition, shocking news from his home in Damascus raises uncomfortable questions about his loyalty to his family and his country.
Heartrending and beautifully written, An Unsafe Haven is a universal story of people whose lives are tested and transformed, as they wrestle with the anguish of war, displacement and loss, but also with the vital need for hope.
Hannah, a journalist, is certain that she never ever has to uproot from her homeland despite of the raging war in Syria, and her habibi (husband), Peter can only find hope and confidence in Hannah's words, stories and wisdom. Although, Hannah's Arab artist, friend, Anas, thinks otherwise, as his wife and his two children are missing, which leads Anas to believe that his Western wife might have ran back to her homeland when the war has just started igniting in their country. Another scary accident-cum-event, leaves Hannah shocked and appalled that the war has definitely transformed the lives of the local and the poverty stricken people, and as the war keeps booming across religion and economy, so the number of refugee and the camps are going up. And not long after, when this war itself claims one of the lives, it is certain that there is no future or hope in a country like this where everyday the war is claiming victims out of innocent lives.
The book is deeply touching and it made me look at the lives of the people in countries like Syria and Lebanon in a rather different or rather say, in an emphatic way. The struggle and the torture to survive in a forever war constantly bleed my heart and it is extremely sad to channel the pain of losing someone you love because of the war. The author penned a gripping story to narrate the tale of pain and hope amidst the war through the perspectives of six characters. The book simple held my attention right at its cover image which delectable painted and projected and captures the vibe of the underlying story.
The author's writing style is articulate as well as emphatic and extremely powerful that will grasp the readers right at the beginning. The narrative could have been a bit more emotional as well as engaging and little less descriptive, although local Arab dialect has inspired the dialogues playfully. Right from the very first page itself, the story has been unfolded in a haphazard manner, somethings falling back into the past memories of some character, then jumping back into the present timeline. Some readers might find it difficult to constantly pinpoint which event is going to happen after another, or rather say, they might find it tedious to figure out the larger picture that the author is trying to portray.
The pacing is slow, as there are so many layers in this story that are unfolded gradually through past and present. The author has strikingly captured the pain in the voices of the characters that will make the readers easily sync with those sorrowful feelings. The author has portrayed the reality through this story instead of enraging anybody against anything, so nothing radical can be expected from this book, just the simple truth.
The author's projection of Beirut is vivid and extremely eye-catchy despite the darkness of the city lingering through its eccentric by-lanes and limited city boundary. The author has not only painted the urban landscape, but has also captured the religious conflicts, political and revolutionary transformations, as well as the struggling lives of the refugees. The readers will be instantly transported to this forbidden and difficult land while visualizing the author's eloquent words that clearly paints the modern day portrait of Beirut and Syria.
The characters are really well drawn as each and every important characters scream out honesty and realism through their demeanor. The readers can easily find faith, hope and truth through the characters whose painful life stories will leave an impression that will linger into the hearts of the readers long after the end of this novel. Hannah maybe an insecure woman but the story helps her find security in her own world, Anas may have been certain about the successful event of this art exhibition, Fatima may have known that kinder souls are found amidst of so much hatred around the world and so did the other characters evolve in some way or other way.
In a nutshell, the story is beguiling yet poignant that will compel the readers by keeping them rooted till the very last page.
Verdict: A promising and captivating story of hope.
Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers from Harper Collins India for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
----Leonard Cohen
Nada Awar Jarrar, an award winning Lebanese author, pens an incredibly moving tale, An Unsafe Haven set against the modern day back drop of Beirut, where the civil war as well as the religious in differences are effecting lives of those who have forever braced the war and also to those who live like a refugee. This story is about three families mainly, whose lives are effected by the raging war in the neighboring country Syria that makes them question their faith, loyalty to one another as well as to their patriotism towards their homeland.
Synopsis:
Imagine trying to live a normal life in a world which changes daily and where nothing is certain…
Hannah has deep roots in Beirut, the city of her birth and of her family. Her American husband, Peter, has certainty only in her. They thought that they were used to the upheavals in Lebanon, but as the war in neighboring Syria enters its fifth year, the region’s increasingly fragile state begins to impact on their lives in wholly different ways.
An incident in a busy street brings them into direct contact with a Syrian refugee and her son. As they work to reunite Fatima with her family, her story forces Hannah to face the crisis of the expanding refugee camps, and to question the very future of her homeland.
And when their close friend Anas, an artist, arrives to open his exhibition, shocking news from his home in Damascus raises uncomfortable questions about his loyalty to his family and his country.
Heartrending and beautifully written, An Unsafe Haven is a universal story of people whose lives are tested and transformed, as they wrestle with the anguish of war, displacement and loss, but also with the vital need for hope.
Hannah, a journalist, is certain that she never ever has to uproot from her homeland despite of the raging war in Syria, and her habibi (husband), Peter can only find hope and confidence in Hannah's words, stories and wisdom. Although, Hannah's Arab artist, friend, Anas, thinks otherwise, as his wife and his two children are missing, which leads Anas to believe that his Western wife might have ran back to her homeland when the war has just started igniting in their country. Another scary accident-cum-event, leaves Hannah shocked and appalled that the war has definitely transformed the lives of the local and the poverty stricken people, and as the war keeps booming across religion and economy, so the number of refugee and the camps are going up. And not long after, when this war itself claims one of the lives, it is certain that there is no future or hope in a country like this where everyday the war is claiming victims out of innocent lives.
The book is deeply touching and it made me look at the lives of the people in countries like Syria and Lebanon in a rather different or rather say, in an emphatic way. The struggle and the torture to survive in a forever war constantly bleed my heart and it is extremely sad to channel the pain of losing someone you love because of the war. The author penned a gripping story to narrate the tale of pain and hope amidst the war through the perspectives of six characters. The book simple held my attention right at its cover image which delectable painted and projected and captures the vibe of the underlying story.
The author's writing style is articulate as well as emphatic and extremely powerful that will grasp the readers right at the beginning. The narrative could have been a bit more emotional as well as engaging and little less descriptive, although local Arab dialect has inspired the dialogues playfully. Right from the very first page itself, the story has been unfolded in a haphazard manner, somethings falling back into the past memories of some character, then jumping back into the present timeline. Some readers might find it difficult to constantly pinpoint which event is going to happen after another, or rather say, they might find it tedious to figure out the larger picture that the author is trying to portray.
The pacing is slow, as there are so many layers in this story that are unfolded gradually through past and present. The author has strikingly captured the pain in the voices of the characters that will make the readers easily sync with those sorrowful feelings. The author has portrayed the reality through this story instead of enraging anybody against anything, so nothing radical can be expected from this book, just the simple truth.
The author's projection of Beirut is vivid and extremely eye-catchy despite the darkness of the city lingering through its eccentric by-lanes and limited city boundary. The author has not only painted the urban landscape, but has also captured the religious conflicts, political and revolutionary transformations, as well as the struggling lives of the refugees. The readers will be instantly transported to this forbidden and difficult land while visualizing the author's eloquent words that clearly paints the modern day portrait of Beirut and Syria.
The characters are really well drawn as each and every important characters scream out honesty and realism through their demeanor. The readers can easily find faith, hope and truth through the characters whose painful life stories will leave an impression that will linger into the hearts of the readers long after the end of this novel. Hannah maybe an insecure woman but the story helps her find security in her own world, Anas may have been certain about the successful event of this art exhibition, Fatima may have known that kinder souls are found amidst of so much hatred around the world and so did the other characters evolve in some way or other way.
In a nutshell, the story is beguiling yet poignant that will compel the readers by keeping them rooted till the very last page.
Verdict: A promising and captivating story of hope.
Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers from Harper Collins India for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
May 16, 2017
Three and a half stars.
This is not a book to be rushed through. It is a book to read slowly and carefully. Set it Beirut, it tells the story of Hannah who refuses to leave the city of her birth and family and Peter her American husband. They have lived for years with the upheaval in Lebanon but the fragile state of events brings changes they had not expected. One is their friend Anas, an artist, who is in Beirut to open his exhibition. His German born wife, Brigitte, feels the threatening danger is too much for their children and she takes off with them. Reading this book certainly gave some insights into the conflict and dangers faced by those in there are of the world.
I picked this book up initially solely on the cover and the title. I was glad I read it. The descriptions of the people place and culture is very well done and the writing, on the whole is beautiful. Sometimes though long sentences, peppered with commas that extend over nine for so lines, make it not the easiest read. There are no quotation marks with. Just a dash at the beginning of dialogue. I enjoyed this book in many ways and yet it was a rather detached read. Even the death of one of the characters was handled so matter of factly that it did not have the emotional impact that it could have. Peter was easily my favourite character. He typified what real love is all about.
If you are looking for a fast paced novel, this is not the book for you. But if you are looking for something that will help you understand another’s culture and way of life, they you may well benefit from and enjoy this book as I did.
This is not a book to be rushed through. It is a book to read slowly and carefully. Set it Beirut, it tells the story of Hannah who refuses to leave the city of her birth and family and Peter her American husband. They have lived for years with the upheaval in Lebanon but the fragile state of events brings changes they had not expected. One is their friend Anas, an artist, who is in Beirut to open his exhibition. His German born wife, Brigitte, feels the threatening danger is too much for their children and she takes off with them. Reading this book certainly gave some insights into the conflict and dangers faced by those in there are of the world.
I picked this book up initially solely on the cover and the title. I was glad I read it. The descriptions of the people place and culture is very well done and the writing, on the whole is beautiful. Sometimes though long sentences, peppered with commas that extend over nine for so lines, make it not the easiest read. There are no quotation marks with. Just a dash at the beginning of dialogue. I enjoyed this book in many ways and yet it was a rather detached read. Even the death of one of the characters was handled so matter of factly that it did not have the emotional impact that it could have. Peter was easily my favourite character. He typified what real love is all about.
If you are looking for a fast paced novel, this is not the book for you. But if you are looking for something that will help you understand another’s culture and way of life, they you may well benefit from and enjoy this book as I did.
February 1, 2017
Set in contemporary Beirut, An Unsafe Haven focuses on a small group of friends. Hannah, a journalist, grew up in Beirut, where she now lives with her husband Peter, an American doctor whose marriage to Hannah, as a woman, hasn't given him citizenship and therefore he is unable to practice medicine. Maysoun works for Red Cross and moved to Beirut from Baghdad, where her mother still lives, to escape the conflict. With her father gone, Maysoun is trying to convince her mother to join her in Beirut, where she will be safer, even as a childhood friend of Maysoun's tries to convince her to join him and his family in New Zealand, where there is a strong Iraqi community in Auckland. Anas, his German wife Brigitte, and their two children live in Damascus, but Anas is visiting Beirut for the opening of his new exhibition. They live closer to the conflict than the rest of the characters, and Brigitte has accused Anas of being willing to endanger the lives of their children, in order to maintain the illusion of Syria as home.
Jarrar beautifully depicts both place and people, and the relationship and conflict between the two. As the war continues, and the refugee crisis escalates, these characters find themselves torn between a desire to escape the danger and uncertainty, and a desire to stay in the only place which they can ever imagine calling home. These conflicting desires are felt even more strongly in the mixed-race couples, as they begin to feel a distance between each other, viewing their partner for the first time as what they are: a foreigner.
This incredible book gives the reader a taste of life in modern-day Beirut and Syria, as well as an insight into what it must be like to live in a war zone, or amid the refugee crisis, or even simply in a marriage with someone from a different country, with different religions, customs, and mindsets. The writing is beautiful and articulate, as each layer of the story is slowly peeled away, and even the way in which speech is written, integrated with the rest of the writing, creates a feeling of fluency. I found An Unsafe Haven, whose title is so poignant, engaging, thought-provoking, and moving.
"How can you lead a normal life in a world where nothing is certain?"
Jarrar beautifully depicts both place and people, and the relationship and conflict between the two. As the war continues, and the refugee crisis escalates, these characters find themselves torn between a desire to escape the danger and uncertainty, and a desire to stay in the only place which they can ever imagine calling home. These conflicting desires are felt even more strongly in the mixed-race couples, as they begin to feel a distance between each other, viewing their partner for the first time as what they are: a foreigner.
This incredible book gives the reader a taste of life in modern-day Beirut and Syria, as well as an insight into what it must be like to live in a war zone, or amid the refugee crisis, or even simply in a marriage with someone from a different country, with different religions, customs, and mindsets. The writing is beautiful and articulate, as each layer of the story is slowly peeled away, and even the way in which speech is written, integrated with the rest of the writing, creates a feeling of fluency. I found An Unsafe Haven, whose title is so poignant, engaging, thought-provoking, and moving.
"How can you lead a normal life in a world where nothing is certain?"
Read
October 28, 2024Some poetic writing in here. About conflict and living in the middle of it, deciding between heritage and safety. Tragic but not quite as well done as it could be (in terms of character building and tone). Still def a good read though
January 6, 2021
An Unsafe Haven is about the struggles of folk, friends and aquantences predominantly in Lebanon. The tragedy of Islamic State, Syrian war, and all we in the west have heard about on the news, is a backdrop to An Unsafe Haven, which is a pity; I'd hoped to learn more about real lives and conditions. Instead, I read about a relatively privliged couple, Peter and Hannah, their artist friend Anas, and his wife, Bridgette, who fled to Germany with her children.
A plot is not greatly evident. The story is about Anas tring to reunite his family, a refugee, Fatima, and her son trying to reunite with her family, and Peter and Hanna who are nice to everyone and love each other in a wooden, two-dimentional way. The whole thing is two-dimentional. One senses a tale the author missed the chance to tell.
The writing is simple but sometimes clumsy. Jarrar has written in the journalistic register, but novels are written differently, with detail breathing life into characters and happenings. Detail is lacking, as is incident/drama. The author might say, it's not that kind of book, which is fine if an author's main aim is not to sell as many copies as possible by producing 'as great read.' An Unsafe Haven is not a great read. It's tame and disappointing. That's a pity because the location and its reality offered Jarrar an opportunity, to produce better than she did.
A plot is not greatly evident. The story is about Anas tring to reunite his family, a refugee, Fatima, and her son trying to reunite with her family, and Peter and Hanna who are nice to everyone and love each other in a wooden, two-dimentional way. The whole thing is two-dimentional. One senses a tale the author missed the chance to tell.
The writing is simple but sometimes clumsy. Jarrar has written in the journalistic register, but novels are written differently, with detail breathing life into characters and happenings. Detail is lacking, as is incident/drama. The author might say, it's not that kind of book, which is fine if an author's main aim is not to sell as many copies as possible by producing 'as great read.' An Unsafe Haven is not a great read. It's tame and disappointing. That's a pity because the location and its reality offered Jarrar an opportunity, to produce better than she did.
May 21, 2019
Great intent by author but I struggled with this book. This book did not encourage me to pick up and read some more.
September 27, 2021
“As each conflict has developed and eventually made way for the next, wave of migrants have followed in its wake ; the human make up of this country , this region is constantly changing , loyalties forever unfixed and those left behind whether Lebanese or Palestinian whether from Syria, Iraq, Libya or Yemen find themselves disconnected and dependent on whatever , whomever provides reprieve from this state of drifting. Is disposession exclusive to the poor and destitute or are we all in the same situation now?”
- Nada Anwar Jarrar, An Unsafe Haven.
.
.
I actually enjoyed this book more than i thought i would be. This is solely because of goodreads rating doesnt look that promising. However, since i havent read anything that featured Lebanon as its setting, i decided to just jump into it. The book was set in multiple point of view of its characters specifically Hannah, Peter, Anas and Maysoun. I believe the intention of the author for this book is to demonstrate the ripple effect of War (The threat of Islamic States, Syrian War and even from Iraqi War and Illegal Occupation of Palestine) - how these wars affected the neighboring countries by bearing the influx of refugees seeking protection and ultimately, to highlight the plight of these dispossessed people. The pacing is slow but it is within the right context as readers might need time to fully comprehend the magnitude of civil unrest, The human displacement, and clashes of cultural values / Upbringing among these 4 characters. I would recommend it as i felt this book is meant to be contemplative - to put yourself in these people’s shoes and ponder the question “Would you do the same?”
- Nada Anwar Jarrar, An Unsafe Haven.
.
.
I actually enjoyed this book more than i thought i would be. This is solely because of goodreads rating doesnt look that promising. However, since i havent read anything that featured Lebanon as its setting, i decided to just jump into it. The book was set in multiple point of view of its characters specifically Hannah, Peter, Anas and Maysoun. I believe the intention of the author for this book is to demonstrate the ripple effect of War (The threat of Islamic States, Syrian War and even from Iraqi War and Illegal Occupation of Palestine) - how these wars affected the neighboring countries by bearing the influx of refugees seeking protection and ultimately, to highlight the plight of these dispossessed people. The pacing is slow but it is within the right context as readers might need time to fully comprehend the magnitude of civil unrest, The human displacement, and clashes of cultural values / Upbringing among these 4 characters. I would recommend it as i felt this book is meant to be contemplative - to put yourself in these people’s shoes and ponder the question “Would you do the same?”
December 20, 2020
Beirut has always seemed like a fascinating place. This book is in many ways a love story for Beirut but actually I think one of its key messages is that it is people not places that are important or that should be. This is just one story, one death, one refugee family 'saved' but of course there are thousands of such stories happening every day and most dont have a happy ending. It is also a book about grief and loss and rebirth. At times it is a hard read and at others it is beautiful. I didn't know the author before but will check her other work - I hope one day I will visit Beirut but I hope more that the region finds peace. These are my favourite lines from this novel 'I realize instead that as long as homelessness exists, I am - we all of us are- refugees. We are their fears and their frustration, their anguish and their undying will to survive, their optimism and their conviction that this world, somewhere, somehow, will always be their harbour'
December 31, 2024
*3.5 Stars
This book was not an easy read but it was a necessary read.
The story follows a group of friends whereby some live in a country undergoing war and others live in the neighbouring country. The story properly depicted the perils and complications of wars and how individuals and societies are affected.
The story weaved in detail how decisions that are easily depicted as simple can be literal life and death decisions. The author introduced a different angle of how foreigners married to different cultures might have different views especially about choosing to stay in a war torn country.
All in all, this story pulled at my heart strings and gave me a better understanding of the complications and hardships associated with wars.
This book was not an easy read but it was a necessary read.
The story follows a group of friends whereby some live in a country undergoing war and others live in the neighbouring country. The story properly depicted the perils and complications of wars and how individuals and societies are affected.
The story weaved in detail how decisions that are easily depicted as simple can be literal life and death decisions. The author introduced a different angle of how foreigners married to different cultures might have different views especially about choosing to stay in a war torn country.
All in all, this story pulled at my heart strings and gave me a better understanding of the complications and hardships associated with wars.
December 18, 2020
This novel is based around the time of the Arab spring. Based in Beirut but focusing on the impact on individuals fleeing the war in Syria and Iraq as they try to find a safe haven.
However, within all this we are constantly reminded that Lebanon has been through its own wars and is still recovering from the aftermath.
Everyone in this book is trying to live and work amidst chaos and uncertainty. While the war tears Syria apart, it’s repercussions can be felt all around.
Through its realistic narrative, the book does manage to do justice to the truth of both conflict and displacement.
The different viewpoints of individuals expressed in this novel do help to understand the human side of the conflict.
I won’t say it’s a literary masterpiece, but it’s a book written at a very human level and was actually very easy to read.
However, within all this we are constantly reminded that Lebanon has been through its own wars and is still recovering from the aftermath.
Everyone in this book is trying to live and work amidst chaos and uncertainty. While the war tears Syria apart, it’s repercussions can be felt all around.
Through its realistic narrative, the book does manage to do justice to the truth of both conflict and displacement.
The different viewpoints of individuals expressed in this novel do help to understand the human side of the conflict.
I won’t say it’s a literary masterpiece, but it’s a book written at a very human level and was actually very easy to read.
January 24, 2021
Dipping in and out of a book while the kettle boils or out walking needs to be for a particular kind I think. Or at least not human stories being told that would benefit from heart and mind being more invested.
Despite its casual intake, this still managed to touch me and I'm glad for any excuse to humanise people around the world in places I can't comprehend.
This was shelter box's monthly read and I look forward to more.
Despite its casual intake, this still managed to touch me and I'm glad for any excuse to humanise people around the world in places I can't comprehend.
This was shelter box's monthly read and I look forward to more.
February 6, 2024
Maybe it is a slow moving story, but it so beautifully captures the realities of living in Lebanon/other parts of the world that may be facing similar circumstances. It felt like I was allowed a quick trip back to what has been my home for the past few years. The second to last chapter really has a poignant quote.
February 13, 2025
A brilliant and interesting subject matter, but I'm not sure it's the best book it could have been. There were too many ideas and too many characters with not enough depth.
December 31, 2020
Read in December 2020 for ShelterBox Book Club.
January 28, 2021
I found this quite a difficult read - a look at what goes on behind the headlines for those living in the war=torn Middle East - and of the people who make their homes there. Even the title was unsettling - The Unsafe Haven. How can a haven be unsafe - well you get a fair idea from this book. Scary because it's not a slice of history - it's going on now.
December 24, 2020
3.5 stars
August 23, 2023
Published in 2016 and set in Beruit during the early years of the war in Syria and the regional turmoil of the Arab Spring, this novel is centred around two families of mixed ethnic background and their associations with people who have been displaced. The story explores how their lives are thrown into disarray, and is told from different perspectives.
Nada Awar Jarrar is of mixed parentage and has lived in Europe, USA and Australia as well as Beruit so speaks from deep understanding as the book is all about looking at things from alternative standpoints. Seeing things from diverse points of view is what makes reading books like this such a joy. There are some beautiful prose passages in “An Unsafe Haven” and it is politically right on. However the protagonists came across as stereotypical at times, as in this short book I don’t think there was enough space to develop their characters.
Nada Awar Jarrar is of mixed parentage and has lived in Europe, USA and Australia as well as Beruit so speaks from deep understanding as the book is all about looking at things from alternative standpoints. Seeing things from diverse points of view is what makes reading books like this such a joy. There are some beautiful prose passages in “An Unsafe Haven” and it is politically right on. However the protagonists came across as stereotypical at times, as in this short book I don’t think there was enough space to develop their characters.
April 4, 2021
Read via Shelterbox book club.
Lots of background on refugees and enjoyed how it explored the relationships between friends and family
Lots of background on refugees and enjoyed how it explored the relationships between friends and family
May 17, 2021
3. 5 stars
January 8, 2021
An okay read. I was almost bored, though? Perhaps I had high expectations. Only 270 pages, not very long. Took me a few hours to finish this. Okay characters, okay storyline. Hmm... I cannot really explain why I think it is underwhelming. The short passages and the lack of description did bother me, though. I could not really visualise Beirut and the inner conflicts of the character.
.
The story is about Hannah and Peter, a Lebanese journalist wife and an American consultant husband. They are a happy couple living in uncertain Beirut, Lebanon. Since they are upper middle-class, they are in the position to help refugees who are in need of assistance. Two, in particular, Anas and Fatima. Anas is a Syrian painter who refused to move his children to Germany (his wife's German). He claimed that Syria is home (though I can feel that he is too proud to admit that he is making the wrong decision). Fatima is a refugee mother with an illegitimate daughter she has to give away. So yeah... That is the story.
.
3/5. Don't know if I'd like to recommend this. A lot of themes covered here but none really impacted me. As if they were mentioned in passing but not explored in detail. The writer is a journalist and wrote this book in English. I do think that the journalistic style of writing is not suitable for novels. Hence, I feel that the tone is dry and emotionless. Not very exciting, I must say. The sense of drama and highs and lows is not there. There are a few passages I find very moving but that's about it. Hmm.... Okay.
.
The story is about Hannah and Peter, a Lebanese journalist wife and an American consultant husband. They are a happy couple living in uncertain Beirut, Lebanon. Since they are upper middle-class, they are in the position to help refugees who are in need of assistance. Two, in particular, Anas and Fatima. Anas is a Syrian painter who refused to move his children to Germany (his wife's German). He claimed that Syria is home (though I can feel that he is too proud to admit that he is making the wrong decision). Fatima is a refugee mother with an illegitimate daughter she has to give away. So yeah... That is the story.
.
3/5. Don't know if I'd like to recommend this. A lot of themes covered here but none really impacted me. As if they were mentioned in passing but not explored in detail. The writer is a journalist and wrote this book in English. I do think that the journalistic style of writing is not suitable for novels. Hence, I feel that the tone is dry and emotionless. Not very exciting, I must say. The sense of drama and highs and lows is not there. There are a few passages I find very moving but that's about it. Hmm.... Okay.
December 15, 2021
What a moving read this was. An Unsafe Haven is based in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. I’ll be honest these are three countries I really don’t know a lot about. I know the war in The Middle East has ripped through the heart of these countries but other than that not much.
Hannah is a journalist born and raised in Lebanon, reporting on the growing unrest in the country she calls home. As the future looks bleak she is concerned about her good friend Anas a Syrian Artist whose wife has secretly left for her homeland, Germany with their two children.
I loved Hannah’s journalism extracts they were so emotive, describing the emotions of nations at war, nation’s under dictatorship governments. They really made the novel feel so real. There’s so many real topics covered here it really hits home how privileged we are in the west. We know not of refugee camps and travelling to unknown territory just to keep our children safe.
Through Anas’ memories we learn of his wife Briggitte’s turmoil of being a western woman living in Iraq. A country where women have their place.
I absolutely adored this book. I’d definitely recommend giving it a read. It is so beautifully written. I’ve definitely decided this is my favourite genre. I love cultural fiction, I feel there’s not enough understanding in the world. Books like this help us to understand situations and traditions that we couldn’t possibly comprehend otherwise.
Hannah is a journalist born and raised in Lebanon, reporting on the growing unrest in the country she calls home. As the future looks bleak she is concerned about her good friend Anas a Syrian Artist whose wife has secretly left for her homeland, Germany with their two children.
I loved Hannah’s journalism extracts they were so emotive, describing the emotions of nations at war, nation’s under dictatorship governments. They really made the novel feel so real. There’s so many real topics covered here it really hits home how privileged we are in the west. We know not of refugee camps and travelling to unknown territory just to keep our children safe.
Through Anas’ memories we learn of his wife Briggitte’s turmoil of being a western woman living in Iraq. A country where women have their place.
I absolutely adored this book. I’d definitely recommend giving it a read. It is so beautifully written. I’ve definitely decided this is my favourite genre. I love cultural fiction, I feel there’s not enough understanding in the world. Books like this help us to understand situations and traditions that we couldn’t possibly comprehend otherwise.
January 5, 2021
Predominantly set in Beirut, Lebanon, the book deals with refugees, displacement, belonging and home. The war in Syria has created a large number of dispossessed people in Lebanon, and Jarrar wanted to highlight the plight of not just the Syrian war, but the Lebanese war a few decades previously, the Iraqi refugees, the Palestinian refugees, and anyone else who had been displaced by conflict. The writing was full of information, but felt underdeveloped. It felt the author was trying to educate the Western reader on Middle Eastern values and viewpoints, and the author's journalistic background reported the scenes rather than drawing me in as a reader and connecting me emotionally to the characters and plot.
The description of Beirut were beautiful and I am thankful for the author introducing me to a country I know very little about. I think it's an important book to be made accessible and available to the Western world, and there is much to discuss about each character and the situations mentioned in the book, but as a reading experience, I didn't feel anything towards the story and I didn't feel compelled to keep reading.
The description of Beirut were beautiful and I am thankful for the author introducing me to a country I know very little about. I think it's an important book to be made accessible and available to the Western world, and there is much to discuss about each character and the situations mentioned in the book, but as a reading experience, I didn't feel anything towards the story and I didn't feel compelled to keep reading.
January 4, 2023
An incredible book displaying the struggles of displacement as a result of a nation in turmoil. All the characters were super intriguing and Jarrar did an incredible job of describing the nuances of everyday life in Lebanon. At times the narrative is deeply philosophical, which made this book even more profound to me. It was heartbreaking, complex, beautiful and poetic.
I also had the incredible opportunity to talk to Jarrar herself (shout out to my lecturer for sorting out a time for us to have a zoom meeting !!), and she was so lovely !! She answered my question about narrative voice and also answered further questions put forward by us students (though only 3 students, including me, turned up to the meeting because it was at 9am and labelled as optional haha).
This is the first book I’ve read by Jarrar and it won’t be my last InshAllah 😊🤍
I also had the incredible opportunity to talk to Jarrar herself (shout out to my lecturer for sorting out a time for us to have a zoom meeting !!), and she was so lovely !! She answered my question about narrative voice and also answered further questions put forward by us students (though only 3 students, including me, turned up to the meeting because it was at 9am and labelled as optional haha).
This is the first book I’ve read by Jarrar and it won’t be my last InshAllah 😊🤍
December 16, 2020
4.5 stars scaled up as this is a book with few ratings.
I received this book through Shelterbox Book Club. The beautiful, gentle writing seems strangely at odds with the fractures, complex, tragic subject matter, but it puts forward some difficult 'issues' without trying to solve everything, very much focusing on the experiences of individuals.
The majority of the characters are very much from a privileged and multi cultural background but there are lovely hints and snippets from a variety of cultures and traditions included.
This would be a good book for anyone wanting (or needing) to educate themselves about the world's refugee crisis as a starting point to understanding the magnitude of the problem, some of its roots, and how it affects individuals.
I received this book through Shelterbox Book Club. The beautiful, gentle writing seems strangely at odds with the fractures, complex, tragic subject matter, but it puts forward some difficult 'issues' without trying to solve everything, very much focusing on the experiences of individuals.
The majority of the characters are very much from a privileged and multi cultural background but there are lovely hints and snippets from a variety of cultures and traditions included.
This would be a good book for anyone wanting (or needing) to educate themselves about the world's refugee crisis as a starting point to understanding the magnitude of the problem, some of its roots, and how it affects individuals.
May 19, 2022
An interesting topic about conflicts in the Middle East and the consequences for humans. But the book is written pretty bad, the dialogue is really unauthentic and the characters keep having some deep conclusions in the end of every short section or chapter, but not because they characters have made any progress in the book, it more seems like the author wants to tell the reader these deep thoughts about life, so she pushes them upon the characters.
In the book several major events take place, but the author somehow manages to kill any kind of drama or empathetic feelings one would normally have when reading about personal dramas in this way.
It was an easy read though and possible to get through.
In the book several major events take place, but the author somehow manages to kill any kind of drama or empathetic feelings one would normally have when reading about personal dramas in this way.
It was an easy read though and possible to get through.
December 3, 2019
Rating 3.8/5
An Unsafe Haven by Nada Awar Jarrar is a modern sociopolitical fiction. While modern history takes a macro view of the major political turmoils and their social impact, the individual sufferings and their emotional and personal elements take the backseat, co-opted by the broader narrative. The essential elements remain the same, but the focus is on the breadth of suffering and not the depth, the level of their bearing on individual lives. Fiction fills that gap.
Review available in blog HTTPS://bongbooksandcoffee.com
An Unsafe Haven by Nada Awar Jarrar is a modern sociopolitical fiction. While modern history takes a macro view of the major political turmoils and their social impact, the individual sufferings and their emotional and personal elements take the backseat, co-opted by the broader narrative. The essential elements remain the same, but the focus is on the breadth of suffering and not the depth, the level of their bearing on individual lives. Fiction fills that gap.
Review available in blog HTTPS://bongbooksandcoffee.com
December 28, 2020
My latest Shelterbox book club read. Wasn’t sure at first - it seemed a bit contrived... but once I connected with the 4 perspectives on life in this region (we have seen on the news for years now) I realised it is a masterpiece - this book converts journalism into a deeply personal experience. Feelings ...Humbling, helplessness. Learning about ...fortitude, beauty and love. Lebanon, Syria and Iraq were/are places of great beauty and antiquity and refugees seek only refuge - anywhere other than their home is part of the loss. Great story - still feels real
August 22, 2018
This book has some of the most beautiful prose I've ever read. It's definitely a contemplative rather than 'action' novel but it's stunning for that. Displacement, a search for 'home' and belonging, sacrifices made for love - all are explored.
There were some issues with the dialogue - I found there to be too much exposition, so it became a bit of a public service announcement. While these moments and concepts are important, perhaps the dialogue surrounding it could have been more subtle.
There were some issues with the dialogue - I found there to be too much exposition, so it became a bit of a public service announcement. While these moments and concepts are important, perhaps the dialogue surrounding it could have been more subtle.
January 9, 2021
This month's Shelterbox Book Club read.
Some people in the Facebook chat on this book said they found it a bit slow with not a lot happening, but I liked it's quietness. It explored the connections the characters felt towards where they called home, how they seemd to feel they owed it to their country,and their memories, to stay.
This book explored interracial marriages, the realities of living in a country experiencing civil unrest and loss of feeling displaced as a refugee.
Some people in the Facebook chat on this book said they found it a bit slow with not a lot happening, but I liked it's quietness. It explored the connections the characters felt towards where they called home, how they seemd to feel they owed it to their country,and their memories, to stay.
This book explored interracial marriages, the realities of living in a country experiencing civil unrest and loss of feeling displaced as a refugee.
October 11, 2025
A strong two, if that makes sense. Structurally and technically sound but written perhaps too journalistically--I found myself skimming it like a newspaper and unfortunately unmoved by this story which, given the heartbreaking content (displacement, war, marital separation, an abandoned child and more), should have been much more affecting. I hope that the fact I couldn't connect to this one says more about me than the book, but I don't know.
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