Brothers of the Gun

March 15, 2018
A richly detailed, sometimes horrifying account of the Syrian civil war.Here's one thing to note about getting tear-gassed: Writes Hisham, soda pop in the eyes is a good remedy, and "along with the tear gas, the Coca-Cola washes away any lingering traces of shame," even if it leaves an awful mess. But this is a book of awful messes, of city blocks and families torn apart and friendships broken by events. The brothers of the title are Hisham's friends Nael and Tareq, citizens of the ancient city of Raqqa, "a superstitious, conservative community, where many people insisted that before one undertook any important task or made a difficult choice, one needed to go to the tomb of some pious wali and ask for his blessings." The choices each of the boys made led to government school for one, death for another, and a life on the run as an Islamist revolutionary for the third. As he recounts the events leading to the increasing repression on the part of the Assad regime and the eventual descent of Syria into civil conflict, Hisham writes with a wryly observant eye for telling remarks. If the customary cry of faithful warriors was that God is great, then the quietly subversive retort of a Raqqawi graffiti artist makes for a fine rejoinder: "Tomorrow is better." Tomorrow is a rare commodity in Hisham's fast-moving account, which is enhanced by Crabapple's powerful ink drawings. Having abandoned the religiosity of his youth--what Syria needs is science, reason, and economists instead of mullahs--Hisham comes to a hard conclusion: Too many Syrians will pick up the gun in the name of Islam even though, "when you are a programmed machine with a gun, all that is left in you that is human is the feeling that you are invincible; when you are not, you know exactly how weak you are."A sharp, searing view of war from the front lines and an important contribution to understanding how a nation can disintegrate before one's eyes.

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April 15, 2018

Since the 2011 Arab Spring, Syria's prewar population of 11 million has been greatly reduced by death and displacement. Although daily media coverage draws attention to Syria's plight, few reporters convey the heartbreaking loss better than Syrian freelance journalist Hisham and illustrator Crabapple (Drawing Blood) in Hisham's riveting memoir of growing up in Raqqa, Syria, with friends Nael and Tareq. Hisham describes how the trio drifted apart as each found different paths during the brutal government repression and ISIS resurgence, following the post-2011 political uprising. The author's love for his native Syria resonates in each stirring tale, told with humor and sadness, about family and neighbors trying to survive in Raqqa, ravished by ISIS terrorist attacks and U.S., French, and Russian bombings. Crabtree's haunting illustrations further capture the emotions of a people cut adrift from their lives. Hisham, whose tweets from Raqqa were followed by most major international media outlets, is now based in Turkey, which provides relative safety from ISIS but also second-class citizenship to foreigners. VERDICT This important addition to the wartime memoir genre will captivate wide audiences among those interested in current affairs and Middle East history and politics.--Karl Helicher, formerly with Upper Merion Twp. Lib., King of Prussia, PA

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from April 1, 2018
Syrian journalist Hisham unleashes a searing broadside against a complacent world in this deeply personal memoir about the war that is destroying his country. With the added power of illustrations by Molly Crabapple (Drawing Blood, 2015), Hisham demands that at least for the duration of this narrative readers pay attention to the unbridled violence within Syria. Beginning with the Arab Spring, in 2010, he painstakingly recounts the protests that brought brutal responses from the Syrian government while simultaneously sharing his own, sometimes harsh, family story. With the possibility of a normal life made impossible, Hisham witnessed the painful choices made by friends as all of their dreams were ripped away. The country is bombed by its own military plus America, Russia, and France, while a litany of Islamic groups, including ISIS, take and retake cities in battles that bring nothing but a relentless march of death. The government is the worst enemy of all, and Hisham shares his decision to finally leave with heartbreaking sincerity. Along with Crabapple's haunting images, the author's words offer both an elegy for what has been lost and an angry plea for all that remains. This is memoir at its most powerful, ensuring that we cannot forget lives we never knew.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)