The Stray Cats of Homs (Hardback)
Eva Nour (author), Agnes Broome (translator)Published: 06/08/2020
The story of a young man who will do anything to keep the dream of home alive, even in the face of unimaginable devastation.
'A cat has seven souls in Arabic. In English cats have nine lives. You probably have both nine lives and seven souls, because otherwise I don't know how you've made it this far.'
Sami's childhood is much like any other - an innocent blend of family and school, of friends and relations and pets (including stray cats and dogs, and the turtle he keeps on the roof).
But growing up in one of the largest cities in Syria, with his country at war with itself, means that nothing is really normal. And Sami's hopes for a better future are ripped away when he is conscripted into the military and forced to train as a map maker.
Sami may be shielded from the worst horrors of the war, but it will still be impossible to avoid his own nightmare...
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'This warm, captivating and inspiring story shows that even the bottomless horrors of war-torn Syria are no match for the extraordinary resilience of the human spirit and the power of love and friendship.' Mike Thomson, author of Syria's Secret Library
'This is a searing and incredibly important book, storytelling at its best' Donal Ryan
'Compelling and uncompromising' BBC Radio 4, Sunday
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Inspired by extraordinary true events, The Stray Cats of Homs is the story of a young man who will do anything to keep the dream of home alive, even in the face of unimaginable devastation. Tender, wild and raw, it is a novel which will stay with you for ever.
Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd
ISBN: 9780857526755
Number of pages: 384
Weight: 498 g
Dimensions: 222 x 144 x 144 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
Profoundly affecting and deeply soulful . . . This book will stay with me forever. * Ruth Jones, bestselling author of US THREE *
This warm, captivating and inspiring story shows that even the bottomless horrors of war-torn Syria are no match for the extraordinary resilience of the human spirit and the power of love and friendship. * Mike Thomson, author of SYRIA'S SECRET LIBRARY *
Compelling and uncompromising. * BBC Radio 4 Sunday *
Incredible... a deeply interesting and loving recounting of not just Sami's experience, but the wider story of the people of Syria. * Sunday Business Post *
[The Stray Cats of Homs] burns and it stings; each sentence is an accusation - but to read it is to begin to pay a debt that all of us owe. If you can't alleviate the pain, the least you can do is not shut your eyes to the suffering. * Culturefly *
The Stray Cats of Homs brings to life the human, inside story of one of the most brutal sieges in recent history, with Syria's Assad trying to break the will of young rebels daring to stand up to the dictator and taking refuge in an ancient city. The novel is as revealing as it is inspiring with its depictions of the lengths heroes will go to in search of personal freedom. * Mark Sullivan, author of BENEATH A SCARLET SKY *
A vital and affecting narrative ... imbued with emotional and personal authenticity. * NB Magazine *
[A] beautiful, heart-rending book. * Helen Paris, author of LOST PROPERTY *
It's been a long time since a book kept me up all night, but Eva Nour's The Stray Cats of Homs did. A tender, yet wild and tangible testimony bearing witness to the tragedy in Syria. * Theodor Kallifatides, Award-winning author and Professor of Literature *
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“'A heartrending story of survival and hope'”
The Stray Cats of Homs is an emotional and heartrending story of survival and hope in the direst of circumstances. We follow Sami through a mostly idyllic childhood in the Syrian city of Homs, with his siblings and... More
“Devastating and humbling; a beautifully written tale of a desperate time”
Heartbreaking and harrowing, Eva Nour's novel is a semi-fictionalised, name-changed, tale of events during the Arab Spring, uprising, and civil war. I previously read We Crossed A Bridge And It Trembled by Wendy... More
“A Must Read”
Really enjoyed this book, an insight of how life as we know it can change so quickly when a war breaks out. The people and family lost homes destroyed. No signs of the past we knew
it, An insight to see how one mans...
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