Overview

“At times heart-wrenching, but often delightful: a testament to the human spirit and the capacity to love.” — Kirkus Reviews From award-winning author Jamal Saeed comes a collection of stories written in the dark of a Syrian prison. These gripping tales highlight his work as an activist, artist, and author, shedding light on Syria’s ongoing humanitarian crisis and the enduring power of hope. Jamal Saeed wrote the stories in this collection during different stages of his life, but most originated while he was a prisoner of conscience in one of the worst prisons in the world. Other stories were composed after the Syrian uprising in 2011. One story — written in 2009 when he was still in Syria — is about a mythical olive tree that the Syrian military would eventually destroy. Canada plays a role too: Two of the stories were rewritten after his family finally escaped Syria and landed in Kingston, Ontario. In these stories, reality and imagination coexist, and again and again the reader arrives at the truth by exploring the imaginary. Most of Saeed’s pieces include a poetic scene that enables the reader to engage with various characters’ fresh dreams (or their scattered and shattered dreams, as the case may be). Love, beauty, despair, hope, the longing for freedom, the search for lost time, and the impact of the past all coexist and vie for supremacy. Here too there is betting on the future (along with mockery of every kind of bet). In the end, these stories open windows to the inner world of the human soul — and it is also true that every one of Saeed’s stories is based upon a solid fact.

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9781770418042

Table of Contents

Reviews

“At times heart-wrenching, but often delightful: a testament to the human spirit and the capacity to love.” — Kirkus Reviews

Author Information

Jamal Saeed spent 12 years as a prisoner of conscience in Syria before being invited to Canada. He continues to raise awareness about Syria’s humanitarian crisis through his work as an activist, visual artist, and author. He lives in Kingston, ON. His memoir, My Road from Damascus, was shortlisted for the Hilary Weston Prize.

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